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“She’s perfectly capable of speaking, duchess. Perhaps she just has no desire to speak to you?” Agatha always stood up for her staff, and Audrey felt a hint safer, knowing the strong, older women would defend her.
“Did you hear what I asked?” Steely fingers grasped at Audrey’s fire-red hair and tugged; Audrey howled in pain, and Agatha’s expression turned grim.
“Don’t you dare touch her again. I don’t care how much money you have or whose station you’re in or if you’re sleeping with the damned queen, Francine, you don’t touch my staff,” Agatha snarled, stepping forward. All it took was a few stern steps for Francine to let Audrey free.
“Good. That’s better,” Agatha nodded. “Now, go wait in your carriage. Outside of my estate.”
“Your estate? I’ll be telling Bryce about that one,” the duchess scoffed, turning in a fury and clacking her way through the door, throwing it shut with a loud clatter. Audrey, near tears, straightened her hair and smoothed her gown, keeping herself composed.
“Don’t let her intimidate you,” Agatha reassured Audrey. “Lord Parris would never abandon any of us to her wrath, as much as she likes to throw her station around.”
“Th... thank you, Ms. Agatha,” Audrey replied meekly.
“Is Francine causing trouble again?” his voice came to her hopeful ears like water to a man in a the desert; her eyes lit up as she watched the duke, clad in his finest suit, rushing down the stairs towards the foyer.
“M’lord,” Audrey nodded, blushing; she expected a kiss, a hug, maybe... something, anything.
“If she did, I apologize ladies. Have the bedchambers tidied before I return yes?” he requested, smiling that stately smiling to Agatha and Audrey. Then... gone. He breezed out the door, with little regard for Audrey. She felt her heart sink; with a deep sigh, she realized this is what she would have to deal with. Being a mistress. A hushed lover, kept behind closed doors. Shoulders slumped, she dragged herself up the stairs to the second floor, watching the cart carrying her forbidden lover and the woman he had to make appearances with off into the distance, between the rolling verdant hills.
“Oh, Audrey?” a familiar voice, full of scorn, struck the young housemaid’s ear. She glanced heated over one shoulder and caught sight of Ana - a sadistic smile on her face, her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that she twirled knowingly with her fingers. “I wanted to ask you about something. Could you come check the study, with me?” Audrey gulped.
“I... the one on this floor?”
“Yes, just here, around the corner,” Ana beckoned young Audrey on. She followed, hesitant; Ana had never acted in so friendly a manner. The moment they rounded the corner into the study, Ana’s expression shifted to abject rage; with a wide swinging arc, her palm slapped harshly across Audrey’s face, leaving a blooming redness on her skin. Shocked, Audrey held her hands up to defend herself, unsure of what Ana had in her head.
“H-how— why? What— what are you doing?!” Audrey squeaked, stumbling backward from the force of the strike, landing in the overstuffed chair in front of the study’s desk.
“Did you think you could get away with this forever, you little viper?” she snarled, rage thick in her voice. “How dare you think you can traipse in here off the street and try to take my place. You filthy harlot!” Ana drew her hand back as if to slap poor Audrey again, the younger girl wincing, recoiling in her chair.
“I-I didn’t do anything! Ana, please— calm down!” Audrey squeaked in terror.
“You didn’t do anything? You did EVERYTHING! Everything you know you weren’t supposed to! I warned you,” Ana shrieked, her voice tense, like a coiled snake looking to strike. “I warned you. And now I’m going to make sure your life is as much of a disaster as you’ve made mine!”
“Ana, plea— please, calm down! Talk to me,” Audrey pleaded.
“Talk to you? I tried! I tried the day you set foot here, and you didn’t listen. Instead, you had to worm your shrill, harpy way into the master’s bedchamber. How dare you!” Ana exclaimed, absolutely shaking with rage.
“Ana... I don’t... I don’t know what you think you know,” Audrey swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “But—”
“Are you going to try to lie to me? Do you think I’m deaf? Do you think everyone in the whole manor is deaf?” Ana snarled. “We’re not, Audrey. I warned you.”
“I’m... you misunderstand,” Audrey nervously babbled, “that’s not... it’s not what you think.”
“Yes, it is, and if you lie about it one more time to my face I’ll make things even worse! Sleeping with you, a commoner,” Ana spat in disgust. “And one so young. You know the scandal it could cause for the duke. And for you,” Ana threatened.
“What... what are you trying to say, Ana?” Audrey whimpered, sinking deep into the heavy chair.
“I know everything. And soon, the duchess will know everything. And if you think I’m scary,” Ana growled threateningly, “you’ll never see anywhere except the streets of London again when she’s through with you.”
“Ana, you can’t—”
“So you’re admitting what you did now, are you?” Ana intoned snidely.
“Ana, please, you can’t— it will ruin my aunt, my family, and it will make things so much worse for the duke,” Audrey begged, her face mortified. “You have to understand what... what telling her would do.”
“I understand completely. If you had listened to my warning, instead of trying to replace me, trying to HURT me,” Ana seethed in jealous rage, “this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Please, Ana, you’ll hurt the duke— I’ll do anything!” Audrey cried out painfully.
