“I think he might be, my lady,” she admitted.
Lady Dunham shook her head. “I’m Beatrice. No need for titles with me. And with that out of the way, how does that make you feel?”
“It’s terrifying,” Ella admitted quietly. “But I found out this morning from my stepmother that my father wasn’t mine. And when I add that to the fact that Dietrich says I look just like her, and the fact that I don’t look like the man I thought was my father... it feels like compelling evidence that I am not who my father said I was.”
Beatrice nodded. “I would agree that it sounds fairly promising. And you want to tell them?”
Ella shook her head. “I don’t want to tell them yet. I want to be able to handle myself before I do. I know nothing about being...you know.”
Beatrice grinned. “And you want to not embarrass yourself or them.”
Ella nodded. “Exactly.”
Beatrice grinned again. “I can certainly understand that. Are you ready to learn the skills you need?”
“I am,” Ella said, nodding her head. “Will you help me?”
“I will,” Beatrice said, squeezing her hand. “Although we may need Dietrich’s help for some of it. You said that your stepmother told you the truth this morning?”
“Yes,” Ella said. “So I am now staying with Dietrich’s mother.”
Beatrice looked at her and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “I think you should come stay with me for a few days instead,” she said. “I would like to work with you one-on-one, and it would be easier if you were at my home.”
“I—” Ella took a deep breath, then nodded. “If it will not hurt Danise’s feelings.”
Beatrice smiled. “You don’t have to worry about Danise. It won’t hurt her feelings at all. And then you and I can learn how to be nobles together. I’d say within a week or two, you’ll feel much more confident to go and be yourself.”
Ella’s eyes burned with tears as Dietrich came back with an armful of drinks. How was this happening? She had gone from being no one to being someone and having friends so fast, it hardly felt real.
“You and I have work to do,” Beatrice said. “So I think we should get out of here as soon as we’re done with this. Dietrich can tell his mother what’s happening on the way back. Does that sound like a good plan?”
Ella nodded and took a sip of the drink Dietrich handed her. It was lavender tea, just like she’d had the other day. He gave her a slight smile.
“To say sorry,” he said. “Just drink the drink, and I hope you will forgive me.”
Ella sighed. “I suppose I must,” she said, giving him a wink.
Dietrich grinned. “I feel better already. What’s the plan?”
Chapter nine
Dietrich
“Good job getting those stalls cleaned out,” Dietrich said to his men as they began to let the horses back in. “Go enjoy some lunch, and afterwards, we need to take the horses to the pasture for some exercise. I’m going to take a couple for a ride.”
Getting to ride the horses was one of his favorite parts about being in charge.
He was saddling Turnip when a voice boomed through the stable.
“Would you saddle Copper for me?” Duke Vaughn asked. “I would love to take him out today.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Dietrich said, leaving Turnip to quickly saddle the duke’s horse for him.
Dietrich had hoped to ride over to check on Ella after her first night at Eldenwilde, but if the duke decided to go with him, that plan was out of the question. He would have to stay far, far away from Eldenwilde.
The idea of keeping this secret from Duke Vaughn made him nervous. He didn’t want to hide the truth from his employer, but the image of Ella’s pleading face when she begged him not to say anything yet kept him silent.
He just had to convince her—sooner rather than later—that she was ready, or he’d lose his mind waiting.
