Her Dream Prince

by Nancy Wells

  “Emily, look me in the eyes and tell me you do not hold a grudge against me,” he said, quietly. “Tell me to my face that I am not the monster.”

  Emily looked sharply at him. She lost her control when she heard the coldness in his voice. He humiliated her and now he had the gall to become angry? He took everything she had. He took away her dignity and made her feel small. He made her walk naked from his study to her room. She was miserable in the cottage, but at least she had her dignity.

  She thrashed in his lap until he was forced to let her go. She stood at a distance from him. Her anger was pouring from her in waves. Folding her arms around her chest, she screamed at him.

  “You stripped me of my dignity! The whole world saw my body when I marched from your study. Do you want my honesty? I feel naked! I feel like a whore! You want to hear the truth? You are the monster in my life.”

  Elliot felt the slap of her words on his face. He had no inkling that she walked to her room in a state of undress. She was his wife and he humiliated her. He treated her like a harlot. Her defensive pose and tears were slicing his heart into pieces. She was shielding her chest even when it was covered in clothes. He did that to her. He took away her self-respect. He made her feel like a cheap whore.

  “Emily… the servants were not around at that time. The moment I start screaming, they run away to their quarters. No one came to your aid that night because the house was empty. I wrapped you in my coat when I entered your room in the morning. I am sorry. How can I assure you?” Elliot was talking in a daze. “I will leave the house and let you have your privacy. In the meanwhile, think about everything I said. I will not be around for a few days. I will instruct the servants. They will abide by your every order. Choose two maids for your personal needs and keep them around whenever you need to go outside.”

  She was happy at the news of his departure. She wished he would never return. He had told her in the carriage that she should not judge him based on other people’s opinions. Like a fool, she trusted his words and made herself vulnerable before him. He was cordial to her when he wanted to take her to his bed, but the moment he had accomplished his goal, his behavior changed.

  He was right, she should not have judged him based on other’s opinions. She should have kept her distance based on her own judgment of him. He was a bastard who bought himself a wife. Even a fool could tell what kind of woman is bought with coins. She was here to satisfy his needs. She was his personal whore.

  He was giving her the authority to command his servants. She understood his underlying meaning behind his departure. He wanted to let her see for herself if the servants had seen her that night or not. She appreciated his offer but she was not going to ask him to stay. She needed time away from him. It was probably for the best that they stay apart for some time.

  “Choose the maids for me, Your Grace,” she said, hesitantly. “I will take any of your choosing.”

  Emily did not want to take a risk on any random servants. She did not know anyone in the household. They were all a bunch of strangers to her, but he had known them for a long time. His choice would be better than hers. Servants of his choice would not be horrible like that maid. He would choose wisely for her.

  “Fine,” he said, hanging his head in defeat. “Emily, I am leaving this house in your care. I want your answer when I come back. Emily, you are not a whore. You are my wife. This house belongs to you. My intentions were to save you. I never meant to harm you. I wish you would forget about that one night. I… I hope you could appreciate my sacrifice.”

  He stood up from the chair and left his room. Elliot’s guilt was renewed with her request. He punished her when she picked a servant of her choosing and now she was afraid to choose again. There was so much trust in her eyes when he fed her food with his own hands, but now all of that was gone. He was a monster in her eyes.

  Chapter 7

  Emily had doubts about whether he would really leave the house or not. She remained inside his room for an hour or two when a knock came at the door. She stared at the door, indecisive. It could be the duke or the horrible maid, and if she was too unfortunate, then it would be both of them. She did not open the door even after the third knock came. She was not in the mood to look at either of them.

  After waiting for another hour, she decided to move back to her own room. She wanted to preserve memories of her first time with the duke in his room. She did not want to taint its air with the incident of her screaming at him. When she opened the door, she saw two maids waiting in the corridor. To her wonder and joy, the horrible one was not among them.

  “Your Grace.” They curtsied in unison.

  They were looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to break the silence. It took her a while to realize that these were her personal maids, chosen by the duke. One of them was an elderly woman while the other was probably younger than her. They were wearing aprons and head cloths. Emily observed them for a few moments, waiting for their judgment. When they did not make any snide remarks about her, she bowed her head.

  “The duke is gone?” she asked.

  “His Grace left when he came out of his room.”

  The duke promised he would leave and he did not break his promise. She should feel jubilant at the news, but oddly she felt sad. She was angry at her own reaction. How could she miss the same monster who was haunting her dreams? Why did she have a feeling of security when he was around? What made him so special?

  “I am going to my room. When I need help with something, I will ask for you.”

  She left the dumbstruck maids in the corridor and went to her own room. When she opened the door to her room, she was astonished to find a large number of dresses on her bed. Someone had cleaned the room but left the dresses outside. She could have asked the maids to put them in the wardrobe, but this was her room and these dresses belonged to her. She could take care of her own things. She did not require the aid of anyone for such a small task. Pulling up her sleeves, she gathered her dresses and opened the wardrobe. The wardrobe was filled with vibrant colors. From gowns of different varieties to underthings and hats, the wardrobe was filled to the brim. There was no space left for the new dresses. She placed them back on the bed.

  She went towards the dresser to brush her hair. The moment she saw her reflection in the mirror, Emily put a palm to her mouth to muffle her shriek of horror. She looked like a ghost. Her face was sickly pale, her cheeks had sunken more and the dark spots under her eyes were more prominent. Her hair was not in better shape either. Stray hairs were sticking out of her braid, tied with a pink ribbon. When she touched the top of her head, she could feel oil on her scalp. She looked worse than a beggar and yet the duke kissed her and called her beautiful. Again, she got angry with herself for missing him. Why did he have to say all those nice things to her and leave her puzzled about her own emotions? Why couldn’t he remain either good or bad? Why was he so complicated?

  Picking up the hairbrush, she brushed her hair and tied the ribbon around the handle of the brush. She wanted to preserve the sweet gesture of the kind butler for as long as possible. The ribbon was a symbol of goodness in the world.

  She went to the wardrobe and picked out a nightdress for herself. Throwing a pillow on the floor, she lay down on the carpet. Anyone else might have felt discomfort on the hard floor, but for her, it was an upgrade from her cot. All night, she could not sleep, and the reason was not the floor. She kept tossing and turning, thinking about his departing words. He did not specify but he mentioned that he had saved her. He assured her that no one had seen her in a shameful state. He had wrapped her in his coat. If he had intentionally made her feel cheap then he would not have gone to the trouble of explaining his reasons to her. Her dignity was safe.

  In the darkness of the night, she could not forget about the events in the study. She had left her cloak behind, believing that she did not need it because she would be dead in the morning. It was not his fault that she did not cover herself. He did not ask
her to walk to her room. When he was awake, he was not allowing her to leave him in the study. He had pushed her head back when she tried to lift it from his lap. He had been nice to her even in a drunken state and she behaved rudely to him. She made him leave his own house. She was behaving like her own aunt, blaming others for her own mistakes. He went so far as to promise her that he would never drink again and she never appreciated his effort. Her tears started to soak the pillow when she realized she had become her aunt. She should have asked him to stay. He was feeling remorse for his actions. She should have forgiven him and granted him another chance.

  In the morning, Emily needed help with changing her dress. She peeked in the corridor for a living soul. Emily was puzzled when she saw the two maids, lying on the floor outside her room. They had spent the night outside, guarding her door. She knew the duke must have asked them to do it. His thoughtfulness softened her heart towards him some more.

  “Your Grace, do you need anything?” the elderly maid asked.

  “Can you help me with my dress?” she asked.

  Emily was not sure whether the maid would call her a beggar and scowl at her or treat her nicely like the butler. She had dismissed them in the corridor, the maid would be angry. She was holding her breath, waiting for the maid’s response.

  “I work for you, Your Grace,” the maid said, smiling. “It is my duty to help you.”

  Emily smiled back at the kind face of the elderly maid and went back to her room. The maid not only helped her with the dress but also helped her in washing her hair. Her maid styled her hair into a stylish bun with an ivory comb. When Emily looked at her reflection in the mirror, she did not recognize herself. The maid had transformed her into a beautiful princess. She touched her hair gingerly and then looked back at the maid.

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling broadly. “You are very kind.”

  The maid bowed her head, acknowledging her compliment and smiled back at her. The younger maid entered her room after asking for permission and held a tray laden with fruits, tea and freshly baked biscuits. Her mouth watered when the aromas reached her nose. She dragged an ottoman herself, despite the objections of the elderly maid and sat near the table. She looked at her two maids who were puzzled at her childish behavior.

  “Join me,” Emily said, pointing at the empty chairs.

  “No, Your Grace, that would be inappropriate,” the elderly maid said, scandalized.

  “Please, I insist.”

  The maids joined her at the table. Emily was happy to have friendly company. The maids were silent at first, but then they started to talk to her about mundane things, and then their conversation turned to the duke. Her maids told her about his worries when she was sick. He did not let anyone near her when he went inside the room. He changed her dress himself and dismissed the help of a maid. He ignored his other responsibilities and stayed in the room with her. He did not let anyone in the room when he immersed her into a cold water bath. He kept her dignity intact.

  They told her about the maid too. He had punished that maid because she lied to the duke about her and stole her dress. He cared about her. He was speaking the truth when he claimed that her dignity was safe.

  “Was he always like this?” Emily asked. “Cold and angry.”

  “No, Your Grace, he was once very kind,” the elderly maid replied. “I have known him ever since he was a young lad. He married the daughter of an earl when he was nineteen. He loved his wife to her very end. No one knows what transpired between them that pushed the duke into taking her life. He changed after that incident. He locked himself in his room and did not come out for a very long time. If it were not for his friends, he would have never come back to life.”

  She felt sorry for him when she learned that no one was aware of the illicit affair of his wife, but she kept her mouth shut because it was not her place to tell the story of his former wife’s infidelity. If the duke did not want anyone to know then she had no right to speak of it. If he wanted to preserve the image of his beloved then she had to respect his decision.

  When she was done with her breakfast, Emily went out with her maids and started to clean the house. All the servants objected but she was not listening to them because the duke had asked her to take care of his house. It was her responsibility to keep his house clean when he was not around. He had given her the responsibility and she would not shy away from it.

  All day, Emily worked without stopping for a break. She was used to hard labor. This was nothing new for her. Emily laughed at the jokes of the maids and learned stories about the duke’s former wife. She was older than the duke but it did not matter to him. He loved her.

  Emily’s happiness diminished when she saw the mean-spirited maid scowling at her from a distance.

  “She is answerable to you, Your Grace,” the younger maid said. “If you cannot dismiss her yourself then ask your husband.”

  “There is no need for that,” Emily said. “I can ignore her.”

  “That would not be a good idea, Your Grace.”

  Emily thought about her words. The duke would not be happy if he found out that she had been keeping things from him. He might call it deceit. Emily decided to keep to herself and avoid the maid. The duke would never know about it. She knew she was putting herself in trouble, but she was afraid the maid might become violent if she complained to the duke, who might or might not listen to her.

  Elliot spent two nights in a local inn. He was worried about Emily. He had promised her that he would stay away from the house, but what would he do if someone harmed her in his absence? He had left specific instructions to all the servants to make her feel comfortable. He had asked the two maids to stay beside her, even if she did not want them around. Despite all this, he was still not satisfied.

  He had sent his footman to purchase a rare breed of horse and send it to his house. He wanted to present it as a peace offering to Emily. He had never been reckless about purchasing anything, but for Emily, he would gladly sacrifice all his wealth. The forgiveness of that simple girl from the village meant more to him than his own coffers. His guilty conscious was not granting him even one second of peace.

  Elliot opened the door of the room to go downstairs for breakfast. He was welcomed by another punch to his face. He groaned and looked angrily at two sets of the same face, one smirking and another scowling. He pushed the scowling face against the door and put pressure on his throat to subdue him.

  “Russell, you are pushing it,” he said, angrily.

  Elliot did not object when Russell punched him at his home, but they were crossing a line today. He did not appreciate their interference in his life. He was not a perfect man, but he was doing his best to keep his wife happy. He was not sitting idle. He was striving for the betterment of his relationship with his wife.

  He was tapped on his shoulder by the other twin. “You are the one who pushed my brother against the door, Elliot.” Elliot looked in bewilderment at him. “Shane punched you today.”

  Elliot looked at Shane, who was turning blue from the lack of air in his lungs. Elliot loosened his hold and Shane kneeled on the floor, wheezing and coughing.

  “Son of a bitch,” Russell said, smirking down at Shane. “Was it worth it?”

  “Yes,” Shane said, coughing.

  “Why?” Elliot asked.

  He was looking at Shane, who was now returning back to his normal self. Ignoring his question, Shane pushed him to the side and went downstairs. Elliot looked at Russell. All humor had left his face. His smiling face from a moment ago was only for his brother’s sake.

  “You left her alone the day she woke from a fever,” Russell said. “Have you completely gone mad?”

  Elliot did not have to ask to know that someone in his household was informing them. The twins were twisted like that. They would have installed a person of their own choice in his home to keep them posted about the events transpiring. It should have made him angry, but under the circumstances, he appreciated the pres
ence of that person in his home. If someone harmed Emily, he would know instantly.

  “She did not stop me,” Elliot said, dejected. “My presence was not welcomed. She was angry because I bought her from her aunt and made her feel small.”

  Elliot did not want to go into details. He had spilled a secret that could cost him everything. He should be worried about that secret becoming public, but he trusted her. She would keep his secret to herself. He knew nothing about the girl, but his heart was advocating for her.

  “You told her about the gambler and her aunt’s offer?” Russell asked.

  Elliot had assumed that the girl was aware of everything. He believed that the girl knew about her aunt’s schemes. He had even assumed at one point that the girl was in league with her aunt and was plotting a grand scheme to rob him. Elliot was starting to see the flaw in his thinking.

  “Are you telling me that she is not aware of her aunt’s schemes?” Elliot asked.

  Russell rolled his eyes at his useless question. Before Russell could respond, they saw Shane coming back upstairs. He had a large mug of ale in his hand and did not seem in a good mood. Taking a large swig from his ale, he leaned against a wall across from him.

  “No, Elliot, I am telling you that she is not really an orphan who has seen suffering,” Shane said, sarcastically. “In fact, she is a diabolical chit who was aware that her own family was peddling her like a hussy, but she was fine with it because she wanted to be sold like a cheap piece of furniture to a twit like you. Was this the answer you were looking for?”

  Shane’s words were hitting him like a battering ram. He never thought of her as an orphan who was alone in the world. He looked at her and saw another scheming and betraying wife. He never bothered to ask her about her life in the cottage. Instead of giving her a chance, he believed the words of her aunt. There was still a smidge of doubt in his mind about the girl but it was nothing compared to his giant guilty conscience.