Chapter one
Dietrich
The duke was coming home, and it was about to ruin Dietrich’s life.
He scowled as he made his way out of the barn, pausing in the doorway to pet Jay.
The black cat pressed his head into Dietrich’s palm and let out a growl of appreciation.
“Things are going to be very different around here,” Dietrich remarked as he continued to rub the top of Jay’s head. “Are you ready for this?”
Jay didn’t respond, and Dietrich sighed as he stood up, then walked through the courtyard toward the gate.
If the duke was coming back, and he might no longer be free to make his own schedule, he should visit his mother one more time to let her know that he would be visiting less often.
The staff had all grown used to their freedom with the duke in the capital city instead of at their rural estate, and now they would have to adjust—and adjust quickly.
The duke was a kind employer, but he preferred things to be just so.
Dietrich walked the ten or fifteen minutes to his mother’s farm. She would probably have to hire someone to help her now that Dietrich would have less free time. He scowled at the thought.
While the duke coming back to the Northlands was not a bad thing—in fact, one could argue that it would be very good for the estate and the region in general—it was going to shake up quite a few families.
The one he was most concerned about was his mother.
Dietrich opened the front gate and let himself in, heading around back to find his mother with a basket, collecting eggs.
“Hello, darling,” Mother called as he approached her. “What has you looking so ferocious?”
Trust her to make light of the situation, even without knowing what it was.
“I wanted to tell you the duke is coming back to town,” he said.
His mother brightened. “That’s wonderful news, darling.”
Dietrich raised an eyebrow. “It is?” he asked. “I didn’t think that would be your opinion.”
“You need more to do,” Mother said decisively. “When you don’t have enough to do, you skulk around and waste all of your time going to the cafe instead of doing something fulfilling and productive–and you get cranky when you’re not productive.”
“I do not get cranky,” Dietrich protested, but his mother shook her head.
“Don’t think you can lie to me,” she said. “I know better. You, my boy, need something to do with your time. I am glad to hear that the duke is coming back.”
Dietrich frowned and leaned over to grab the pitchfork next to her, then began cleaning out the goat pen.
“You say that like I don’t do anything,” he said.
“I didn’t say that,” his mother said, shaking her head. “I know you’ve worked hard, even in his absence, but you cannot tell me that you do not miss the days of having twenty horses in your barn instead of two, or however many it is.”
She was right, of course—not that he would admit it to her. It was hard to keep everyone motivated when they had so little to do with their time. But it didn’t mean that he wanted everything to change.
“You think I don’t know what I’m talking about because I have never worked for the duke, but I can assure you that I remember how happy you were with a full stable. I am very excited for you to have all of those things to do again.”
Dietrich gave his mother a sideways glance as he picked up the wheelbarrow handles and began taking it over to the compost pile.
“I don’t suppose you have any other words of wisdom for me?” he asked, his tone dry, but the words lighthearted.
“Oh yes,” she said, “I do believe that you should meet Ella.”
