Weston shook his head. “No, Your Grace. I don’t know much about her past, but she’s the only family His Grace seems close to—not that he’s one to talk about such things.”
“Well, thank you, Mr. Weston,” she said as a concluding note.
It had been illuminating, to say the least. But she did not say that part out loud.
The little she had gotten to know about the duke had only piqued her curiosity even more. If only it were possible to know everything about him, all without having to ask him directly.
It was a good idea, wasn’t it?It was hard to maintain her composure in his presence, and this seemed like the next best thing. This way, she could prepare herself for any conversations that she would have with him in the future.
So, in the evening, when Rachel ventured into the laundry room, she knew exactly who she was looking for.
Agnes, one of the older staff members, like Mr. Weston. Perhaps she would have some insights for Rachel as well. She found her folding linens.
“Good evening, Agnes,” Rachel said warmly, stepping inside.
“Your Grace,” she straightened immediately at her arrival.
Rachel gestured to the linens. “Please, don’t stop on my account. I only came to see how things are done. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Not at all, Your Grace,” Agnes said quickly, returning to her task.
Rachel watched her for a moment before speaking. “The staff here is remarkable. I can see why the estate runs so well.”
Agnes smiled faintly. “Thank you, Your Grace. It’s His Grace who sets the standard.”
Great.Agnes had already arrived at the topic that Rachel had come to discuss without her even prodding.
“The staff seem to respect him a great deal,” she started, careful with her phrasing,“but I get the sense that they’re also… wary of him. Why do you think that is?”
Agnes paused, her hands stilling over a shirt.
“I thought you would know, of course, given your years of experience with the estate’s affairs,” Rachel applied her well-used trick. Flatter the person from whom she wished to get information.
Though in this case—unlike the ladies of the ton—Rachel did actually want the best for Agnes as well as the rest of the staff.
“The duke is a man of rules,” she said carefully. “He’s strict but fair. He doesn’t suffer from laziness or carelessness. And he’s not one for… familiarity or repetition. So everything—every morning—must be fresh and new.”
Rachel frowned. What was so wrong with familiarity?
“And that makes people wary of him?”
Agnes hesitated. “It’s not just that, Your Grace. You must have heard about his personality. I would say that his reserved nature, well, it makes him rather… difficult to approach.”
Rachel’s curiosity deepened. Agnes looked like a trustworthy old lady, and of course, she was loyal to the duke. It would not hurt to probe further.
”And he wasn’t born the duke, was he? As he inherited the title from a distant relative.”
Agnes nodded, her expression guarded. “That’s right. The late duke had no heirs, so the title passed to His Grace. He was the only male relative left, though quite distant.”
Rachel leaned forward slightly. “Did he grow up here?”
“No, Your Grace,” Agnes replied. “He came here after the late duke passed. He rarely speaks of his life before Everly Manor, but he’s done well by the estate.” She hesitated again, then added, “Even if he’s not… like the other dukes before him.”
Rachel’s brow furrowed. “How so?”
Agnes pursed her lips, hesitating again.
“Go on,” Rachel encouraged. “You can trust me.”
