Duke Vaughn leaned over and placed a kiss on his wife’s forehead, as if he were oblivious to the staff standing there to meet them.
“Anything for you, my dear,” he said. “Shall we meet our staff?”
“I would love that,” the duchess said as Duke Vaughn led her toward the front steps, where the steward, butler, and housekeeper were first in line.
“Hello, everyone,” the duke said, addressing the assembly in a booming voice. “Thank you for being here to welcome us home. I would love to introduce to you my wife, Duchess Vaughn, and our daughters, Colette and Celeste.”
The girls bobbed small curtsies when their names were said. They didn’t have to do so for their staff, but Dietrich knew that everyone who hadn’t met them yet had just fallen in love with them.
As they should, because the young ladies were adorable.
The duke and his family began walking down the line of gathered staff, and the steward hurried forward to make introductions as they met the important staff members—starting with the butler, the housekeeper, the head cook, and then Dietrich.
“Our stable master,” the steward said.
“Hello, Dietrich,” the duke said, reaching out his hand to shake Dietrich’s.
Duchess Vaughn smiled at him when he turned his attention to her. “It is good to see you again,” she said warmly. “I trust that your mother is well.”
“She is,” Dietrich said. He was surprised that Duchess Vaughn remembered why he had gone home, but maybe he shouldn’t have been.
“Hello, Dietrich,” the girls said in unison as they trailed behind their mother.
“I’m so happy we’re here,” Celeste said, a wide grin on her face. “Can we see the horses?”
“All in good time,” the duke told his daughter. “Dietrich, I would like to speak with you about the stables. Please come to my study in two hours.”
Dietrich nodded. “Yes, my Lord.”
He had been expecting this. Some sort of review would be necessary as the duke adjusted to being at this estate, and while Dietrich had no reason to fear this meeting, he was still nervous as the duke and his family moved on to the next person in line.
Once the family was inside, the staff disbanded, going back to their tasks.
“I do hope that they will stay,” he overheard one of the maids saying as she hurried away.
Dietrich also hoped they would stay, but he did not have high hopes. The duke had not stayed in many years, and it seemed foolhardy to hope that he would now. Better to not get their hopes up.
He made his way to the stables to see that his men were taking care of the newly arrived horses. There would be much more work, considering Duke Vaughn probably hadn’t brought more than one man to work in the stables. Perhaps he would suggest hiring a few more men—he’d counted at least ten new horses who would need to be cared for. While he and his men were capable of a lot, there was a limit to how much they could handle.
He entered the stable, the familiar smell of hay and horses washing over him, muting the nerves about his upcoming meeting. John had done an excellent job of organizing the new arrivals; he didn’t see anything that needed to be changed as he took in all the new horses, already in their stalls, while the men worked quickly to take care of them after their long journey.
Jay perched on a bale of hay next to the door and Dietrich reached out to pet him as he took a deep breath. He liked it when everything was in order.
“New boy,” John said, poking his head out of a stall and gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb.
Dietrich followed his pointing to see the stable boy that had come along with the duke, rubbing down a gorgeous bay mare.
“Thanks,” Dietrich said as he strode forward to meet the lad and check on his work.
Once he had seen to the horses and made sure they were settled, Dietrich made his way back to the castle.
He entered through the kitchen, stopping to give the cook a wink as he stole a muffin from the counter. She made a half-hearted attempt to chase after him with a scolding, but he knew she didn’t mean it. She never did.
He made his way toward the family’s wing and stopped just outside Duke Vaughn’s study, where a portrait of the late duchess, the duke, and their daughter hung on the wall. He paused and took a deep breath, looking at the face of the little girl he had failed to protect all those years ago.
If only he could go back and change the past.
Would Lady Eliana still be here with her family? Would her mother still be alive?
