“Do you…do you owe your living to His Grace?” Daphne asked.
“There were clergymen in the past who served the previous Dukes, but my predecessor was hired by the villagers.” Reverend Nicholason took a slow sip of his hot beverage. “Following his example, I work for this community and only interact with His Grace when it is necessary.” He paused and his brow wrinkled. “The Duke of Wolfcrest can be a… formidable fellow… so…”
“Formidable? Ha!” Mrs. Nicholason interrupted. “I suppose that’s one way to describe His Grace.” Her eyes glazed slightly as she sighed dreamily. “It is a mighty good thing that we do not cross his path often. A lady could lose her wits just looking at him.”
“Fortunately, you keep your senses in check… usually,” the Reverend said as he sent his wife an indulgent look.
Then the older woman blushed, making Daphne chuckle in surprise.
“Sarah,” the Reverend said dryly, shaking his head.
There was no anger in his voice, though. Daphne wondered what it was like to be married to someone she can jest with without the fear of being scolded or laughed at ridiculously. A union likethat had to be so pleasant, just like it was with the Reverend and his wife.
“I—I only meant, well, you are a man, but you have eyes,” Mrs. Nicholson stammered, even as she kept her sweet smile and blushing face. “One can’t help but notice how handsome the Duke is when it is so apparent.”
Daphne’s own cheeks warmed. She’d noticed his attractiveness, as well.
That must be why I stayed back underneath the archway, with a man who was a mere stranger. There was something about him that pulled me towards him.
An image of the man reaching for her basket and carrying the heavy burden for a short time invaded her thoughts.
I could have just ran in the rain. What was being soaked when my virtue was at stake?
But could the man she met last night really have been this Duke?
Daphne knew plenty of powerful men and not one of them went any place without an entire entourage surrounding them. Surely, a Duke would have been safely ensconced in a carriage last night. At the least, a gentleman of his stature would have been on horseback.
But this man…the one she’d encountered—he had appeared much like a commoner. Oh yes, he spoke eloquently enough and was dressed in finely tailored attire, but he was rambling down the path just as she had been.
“When was the last time you saw the Duke of Wolfcrest?” Daphne asked, attempting to make her voice sound casual.
The reverend and his wife exchanged a glance. “I do not recall,” Sarah answered at last. “He flits in and around town quite a bit, but I would never dare interrupt his business there.”
“And you, Reverend?” Daphne prompted the man.
He shrugged indifferently. “It is not impossible that you should catch a glimpse of him while you are here with us, my dear, but do not allow yourself to become concerned. The Duke spends quite a bit of time here, in our village. He will not disturb our peace in any way, nor will he recognize you and tell others you have come to stay with us.”
Daphne frowned. For one moment, she had forgotten that she was in hiding. Thinking of the handsome stranger, wondering when he might pop up again, had preoccupied her thoughts.
Now that the reverend reminded her of the situation, she chided herself for asking questions and seeking to know more.
If there is a Duke next door, I must do all I can to avoid him.
For the rest of breakfast, the trio talked about more benign things. Daphne would like to have this kind of easy breakfast, with no arguments and criticism from her mother. Yet, her sister, Victoria, was never far from her thoughts. She wondered what her twin would think of such an easygoing morning.
A sudden knock at the door interrupted the peace.
She held her breath and straightened her back immediately. Meanwhile, the Reverend and Mrs. Nicholson merely smiled, as if visitors were always welcome at their home.
Mrs. Nicholson rose from her seat and headed for the door immediately. She opened the door, and there stood a hooded figure.
For half a second, Daphne’s mind flashed through all the possibilities.
Is it Briarwood? Has he found me?
Her heart clip-clopped rapidly.
Is it the Duke—the man I met last night? Did he come to introduce himself?
