Granville Estate
Shrewsbury, England
Some say His Grace, Francis Audley the Duke of Richmond is a very rich man indeed. In fact, he happens to be the fourth richest man in England at the moment owning five different Estates, three townhomes as well as, fine investments in the granite and ceramic tile industry, but he wasn't acquitted in the manner of needing a wife.
His father, the previous Duke of Richmond taught him at a young age the ducal ways and accustoms, but mostly how to navigate, network, and invest his money making his family entails all the merrier. Like his father, he was a man that preferred the high tide of the London society, forming many aristocratic connections, investment partners, and ultimately people he could call his truest of friends, which were now all currently married off at this time.
His younger brother and sister both had been married off as well and his mother and stepfather grew tired of him taking up in their London residence even though the Duke had multiple homes and residences of his own. He was a grown man. Just nearing his thirtieth year, refusing to marry oddly.
They didn't know what had happened to their beloved son. He showed very little interest in courting women over the past year and more time in his stepfather's study and at meetings nearly all day willingly. Before his parents had known it, they put him on a coach sending him off to his country-seat home in Shrewsbury, the Granville Estate, which he had never even resided in, but had been freshly renovated four years ago for some odd reason like he had planned on returning, but never got around to it.
The Duke of Richmond silently wanted to curse his parents for sending him to what he felt like was countryside non-sense, getting in the way of all the piles and piles of work of managing his lands and smaller investments. That was his cold way of tuning out the feminine world. All his parents wanted was for the Duke to maybe finally relax after years and years of working like a mere peasant. They had thought perhaps the fresh country air and change of scenery might have been just what he needed.
So, when the horses' hooves finally collapsed to the ground one last time and the carriage finally came to a halt after two days of riding and stopping the Duke couldn't help but feel a swarm of relief at finally setting foot on his own land again, hell any land again, even if it was a country property that he had gained from all the tile and granite investments instead of a well-groomed London townhome. The duke was quite a large man and didn't quite acquaint well with the unpleasant uncomfortableness carriage rides had to offer.
He stepped out the carriage rounding his achingly broad shoulders then tilted his neck from side to side. It had to be the hottest day in the summer. The fresh country lawn scent of the air had smelled like any child's childhood dreams. He had instantly felt the heat of the scorching sun sweltering him. And, then he felt the heat of something else on the back of his neck. He instinctively peered all the way to the left.... Nothing. He moved his head slightly backwards at an angle, and then...there she was.
He saw the faintest trace of a woman. There was a small girl with her as well. Which he only saw the swishing of the back of their dresses as they entered the home adjacent and diagonally across from Granville Estate. He couldn't really see too clearly since their home were some hundred yards away, but as he watched the woman take the small girl in hand a heated prickling sensation tugged him, surpassing him, he had overlooked the odd sensation.
After a moment of indecision, the Duke made a note to himself to have the steward he had hired to oversee the property, Mr. Owens to find out who was occupying the countryside home next door.
"Your grace, your arrival was not anticipated..." An older woman said coming from out the side doors with a few other house servants. All the servants bore the look of mere shock on their faces as if Christ himself had really returned. "Nonetheless, we are pleased to welcome you to Granville Estate. Please forgive my manners, Your Grace. My name is Edwina Smith. I am the cook here at Granville and overseas the kitchens."
"Thank you so kindly, Mrs. Smith. I assume that I had made it here before my mother's missive." Mrs. Smith bowed deeply. He looked around for a moment. No one here was his familiar house staff, except his accompanied vallet, Jasper.
"Pleased to meet you your grace, I here am also the butler here at Granville, m'names Verdie, should you need anything." A pot belly middle aged man spoke and bowed after a moment. He was tall and his stomach bulged out and Verdie was definitely not your average sized butler.
A flood of relief fell over the Duke as he realized he had managed to employ a handful of workers in the home over the years after the renovations he had made to ensure the renovations were being maintained, which he never even took the time to see for himself upon realizing.
"Yes, Verdie please bring my things in along with Jasper and afterwards I would like to see the renovations. Mrs. smith, if you will it's been quite long journey. Early supper will suffice, yes?"
"Of course, your grace please come inside and take a look you will not be disappointed. I will see to it that you've had a proper meal." Mrs. Smith says before bowing steadily and then ushering the Duke inside Granville Estate for the very first time.
Once the Duke had entered into the corridor then continued on to the foyer he stopped and stood abruptly taking in the mesmerizing sight before him. He hadn't even noticed Mrs. Smith say something and bow politely heading back of to the kitchens in which he had no clue in which direction it was. No, his eyes were too fixated on the sight before him. Like a newborn baby opening his eyes for the very first time.
The type of granite that was deposited into the floors shown brilliantly throughout the home. Everything gleamed. Everything. He knew it was silly, but he felt like if he had touched anything it would somehow turn into magic. Just that gleaming. Just that sparkling. He instantly couldn't remember a single reason as to why he had never visited, but then sinisterly he knew precisely what it was.
Three years after he had purchased this beautiful country home, he had met the love of his life. Lucia Balmonte, and she was beautiful, as beautiful as can be. As beautiful as one could come by. And, how she slipped out of his grasp...he didn't have a clue. Three years of passionate love making didn't prepare him for the way she was going to crush his ducal heart. All those years he had loved her, chased her, caressed her, wanted her, and tasted her was not enough.
Their liaison was so forbidden, so secret, so painfully sweet that he only knew why she had crept out his grasp. The one and only reason it could ever be. Lucia Balmonte was another man's betrothed. A beautiful golden-haired Spaniard whose hair spiraled and curled down her back that would make any man go mad for her wickedly seductive charms.
The whole affair she had never even mentioned news of her betrothal. That was the most absurd part of it all. She just had disappeared one day never ever acknowledging the Duke of Richmond, and what was left of his broken severed heart ever again. The blow was painful, of course. All those years and he had never known and then one day out the blue he had picked up the latest London times and read of Lucia Balmonte's and Gaynsford, Duke of Lancaster's wedding last year.
That blow was worse than her just originally leaving him, and for another Duke at that. So, for an entire year he managed to convince his parents to have him back home in their London Estate on business matters being that he mostly used his townhomes to generate income and didn't have need for any further servants or to stay in his other homes.
He had guessed eventually his parents would get tired of him, but he didn't think they'd trick him into a family errand upon which he had to stay days upon days, packing all of his belongings, and then sending him off in a coach with his only friend and vallet Jasper. After a day or so he grew suspiciously wary and forced Jasper to out with the true whereabouts his mother and stepfather were to be sending them to.
To no surprise he didn't think it would be this beautiful marble manor in front of him. Mrs. Smith's young daughter Amy, who was also her mother's kitchen helper gave him a tour of his estate while Jasper and Verdie finished unloading all of his belongings taking them to his new bed chambers, which were exquisitely lavish as well and no disappointment at all.
He didn't bother to eat in the dinner room realizing he had changed to dining room table to a smaller more intimate one. He had never cared for the longer elongated ones, but it had reminded him that he didn't have anyone to be exactly intimate with. So instead, he requested Mrs. Smith to have his early supper sent to his study, that was also newly renovated as well.
The Duke stepped inside the study in Granville his boots clinked against the wooden tiled floors until they reached a wine-colored Persian rug with antique designs. On both sides of him were newly wooden carved panels displaying a vast collection of books, novels, and other inscriptions. Towards the back wall were two gargantuan arched windows and in between them stood more wooden panel and books.
There was a gigantic leather black chair in the middle of the room next to a small coffee table and on the right of him was a long wooden desk. He noticed the neatly organized files of the estate, most likely done by Mr. Owens who seemingly wasn't present at the moment. After browsing through a few folders of paperwork, he nibbled at the salted pork and potatoes, sided with cheese and Yorkshire pudding, one of his favorites.
After he had finished the Duke requested Verdie to bring him some Rum from the cellar. He preferred rum over cider unlike most men. After he poured himself a third drink, he loosened his cravat took off his coat and waistcoat, rolled his shirt sleeves and paced around the study browsing curiously at the vast collection. He had saw a few novels by Tobias Smollett he had meant to finish reading a while ago.
The afternoon sun was set further back in the sky with plans to set soon, but suddenly the reflection of a golden light appeared through the arched windows of the study. The Duke peered out one of the windows a moment after to find the same young woman and small girl he had seen earlier. He squinted his eyes to see them a bit more clearly. The woman had long velvety dark hair cascading down her back.
He couldn't see her face because she had her back turned and was propped on a stool drawing something on a canvas in front of her as the small girl with bouncing light-colored curls skipped around the woman in circles happily. He was almost catching himself from smiling when he had felt that same heated prickling sensation from earlier on the back of his neck. The Duke snapped his neck around instantly. He had always praised himself for what he felt like was his god given instincts. He had excellent reflexes. To his surprise, it happened to be Jasper.
"Your grace? I thought I may find you here. Mr. Owens, the steward has finally arrived. Should you like a word with him?" Jasper, his accompanying vallet stood lankily from the threshold of the study.
"Bloody hell, Jasper." The Duke murmured to himself.
"I did not mean to disturb, His Grace... Should you have me tell him you will meet with him after you have rest and recuperation then?"
"No, no send Mr. Owens in immediately." The Duke said finally making a decision, he had a new determination to know who exactly lived next door to the Granville estate. That was the second time he had saw the woman and small child. No, doubt she had to be married with a child, but for some odd reason he didn't get that feeling though. Something about the woman looked and felt too free and disencumbered.
Jasper nodded with a bow and disappeared off to fetch Mr. Owens. After a few paused moments there was a knock and then a short black hair, blue-eyed man entered the study.
"Your grace, it is a pleasure to finally see you here in Granville. I assure you I have kept all your records of the Estate up to date within the last four years." Mr. Owens said with deep certainty in his expression. Mr. Owens was a man that took much pride in his work.
"Have you?" The Duke asked jestingly. He had already looked through all the files of paperwork. Everything was more than in order.
"Oh, without a doubt, your grace." Mr. Owens said with nervous hurriedness.
"You've done a fine job Owens." The Duke told him honestly, he himself couldn't have done better actually.
"A job well done is its own reward, your grace." Mr. Owens nodded with genuine goodness.
"Ah, well...I have no argument in that." The Duke said plopping down on the gigantic black leather chair in the middle of the room.
"Should His Grace need anything else?" Mr. Owens asked afterwards.
"Actually, have you any idea who occupies the lands which run adjacent from here?" The duke said stretching out his legs.
"Why, the honorable Lord and Lady Willoughby, your grace." Mr. Owens straightened. Oh. He had thought of course the woman whom he saw was married. He had already presumed that much. "Should I make inquiries, your grace?"
"No. That won't be necessary, please you may be excused." The duke said taking on a more of rigid tone than before. Mr. Owens blinked twice before bowing deeply then exiting the study.
The harsh reality of it all was now settling upon him, prickling deep within his skin. Something about seeing the dark-haired woman and that small golden-haired child next door made him almost shiver, reminding him of something almost, and somehow the feeling did not elude him. It managed to make him feel desolately estranged, but a Lord Grand Duke such as Francis Audley, the Duke of Richmond promised himself long ago that he'd never admit such things.