The other cooks giggled and nodded, then resumed chatting as they had before they had noticed Madeline.
“This does look delicious,” Madeline said, breaking off a corner and popping it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and moaned. “This is wonderful!”
Mary beamed. “Would you like another?”
“This will be fine. I do have a question, however. I saw you talking to a mother and her child when I entered. Were they from the village?”
The chattering in the kitchen ceased again.
Mary tightened her grip on her hands. “Ruth Hoffman and her child are from the village. Her husband died when he fell off a roof he was fixing and broke his neck. They were poor when he was alive, but now…” Her lips pinched together. “We have our Poor Laws to help such as Ruth, and the parish does the best it can. But when winter comes, there are too many mouths to feed. Ruth and her child were turned away from the parish, as she was not a member of their church, and I fear she is bound for the workhouses. Not many survive those conditions. When Ruth stops by, we do what we can.”
“You mentioned that the duchess does not like people going hungry, and the rooms I walked past to find the kitchen were overflowing with food. We could load up a wagonload and…”
Mary exchanged glances with the other cooks. “Here is the thing. The duchess says we must tread lightly when it comes to giving to charity. The old lord was against it, saying the Poor Laws levied taxes against the wealthy to pay for the poor. He shared some of his peers’ views that poverty was caused by bad habits and laziness.”
“I still do not understand. The old lord has passed, and the duchess in now in charge.”
“But she is not, not really. The duke has the final say on everything, and he made it clear that he did not want to change the policies of his father.”
Madeline wiped her hands and mouth on the linen napkin and stood. “Oh, he did, did he? We will see about that.” She nodded to Mary. “Where do you think I might find Mr. High and Mighty?”
‘Who?”
“The duke. Where do you think he is this time of day?”
“Most likely in his father’s study, going over the ledgers and the like.”
Madeline nodded, headed toward the door, then paused. “Where is the study?”
Chapter Twenty
In the end, Mary led Madeline to the duke’s study. Aside from directional comments, Mary had remained silent. Madeline understood all too well. What she was about to propose to the duke might cause trouble as a result of the servants educating Madeline on the plight of the people in the estate’s village. She planned to be careful.
When they arrived at the study, Madeline turned toward Mary.
“Thank you. I promise that I will not inform the duke of how I found out about Sarah or the others in the village.”
“That is kind of you. You are a good one, Miss Mercer.”
Madeline hesitated long enough for Mary to disappear down the hall, then knocked on the door of the study. When she did not receive a response, she knocked louder.
“Winfield,” she heard the duke say from the other side of the door, “I told you. I am not to be disturbed.”
“It is Miss Mercer. May I come in?”
There was the sound of shuffling papers and a chair scraping over a wood floor. “I am not presentable.”
“Are you wearing clothes, Your Grace?”
“What a preposterous question.”
That was not exactly an invitation to enter, but close enough.
The duke rose as Madeline entered. He looked disheveled and out of sorts. That seemed the only way to describe his appearance. He had not shaved, his hair needed a comb, and his cravat was askew. He claimed he was not presentable, and she would agree that thetonwould find his appearance unacceptable. She, on the other hand, thought he looked adorable.
It struck her that the inside of the study reminded her of a dungeon, guarded by a trusty knight. The heavy emerald-green velvet drapes were drawn, and the wood paneling was so dark with age it looked like polished ebony. The only thing remotely cheery was the fire in the stone hearth, and the candles on the desk, but even they seemed to glow more blood red than amber.
“Why are you here?” Dark circles dragged at his eyes and his voice had lost its luster. ‘You made it clear that you do not approve of me or my opinions.”
