The Forgotten Duchess

Chapter Ten | Study

"HIS GRACE PREFERS that his study be left alone," Mrs. Shrine explained to her.

Vivienne pushed open the door to pass her, "Nonsense, it's a mess in here. I'm sure the duke will prefer a room that is much more organized to conduct his business."

The housekeeper sighed as she followed her inside the room. "You really should be resting Lady Vivienne."

Vivienne smiled. "I couldn't be cooped up in the room any longer."

She read all the books the duke had given her and grown bored. She was not used to staying in one room or place. Back in her village of Flaxpool, she had often spent time outside, persuading Agatha to give her lessons under the soft summer breeze. Vivienne needed to feel useful in someway and what was better than cleaning the duke's study in order to pay a portion of her debt? Of course, he wouldn't know that she was repaying the debt, but he would be thankful—she was sure of it.

"I have to get back to my duties but if you require anything, ring for the servants." Mrs. Shrine said.

"I'll be more than fine," Vivienne promised.

She watched as Mrs. Shrine exited the room. Vivienne slowly made her way over and settled into the chair behind the desk. Her left side pained her more than she cared to admit, and she needed a couple of minutes to catch her breath from climbing down the stairs. She glanced at the room, leaning further back in the chair.

Hmm, she surmised. She really did feel powerful sitting in this chair behind the great big desk. Briefly, she wondered if the duke felt the same.

Her eyes caught a large book that was tucked underneath a few papers. She moved them to the side and opened it. It was the duke's business accounts. She went through the pages, surprised by the efficiency of everything. The calculations were correct, added in neat numbers at the end of each ledger with a brief explanation of the name and date. Vivienne wasn't surprised to see the duke's main income was from tenants renting properties that belonged to his title. However, what did catch her eye was the profit yield from the crops on the various farms.

She opened various compartments, searching for paper so she could confirm her suspicions. Carefully ensuring that she wasn't stretching herself too much, she finally found an empty stack in the corner of one of the drawers. She pulled the sheets and began listing down the different properties and the size of the land that were associated with them. After that, she copied down the various crops that were being planted in each area and the amount of yield. Frowning, she tried remembering one of the books she read about land ownership and what the typical amount of yield per square meter was. According to her calculations, the duke's properties were making less money than they should be.

There were many reasons that could be possible including soil that was not fertilized appropriately, drainage systems that weren't in place, animals, or even the weather. She had seen firsthand back in Flaxpool how difficult it was to take care of land and protect the crops. However, something told her that the duke could not have been this careless. He seemed to be working most days and she was sure that he would be receiving reports on his land and making inquiries.

Before she could think anymore, she heard voices outside.

"—damn it you little devil. Why are you always chasing me around? Go find someone else to nip at!"

Before she could hide her smile, the door to the study opened with the duke holding her kitten by the neck. Ginger was flailing around but he didn't let her go.

"Lady Vivienne," he said in a composed voice. "What business might you have in my study?"

Vivienne blushed under his gaze as she realized she was still in his chair. As if noticing where she was the duke commented dryly, "Please, make yourself comfortable."