He smiled at her. “As did I, milady.”
They walked down the aisle together without speaking. Evelina knew she had crossed that invisible line with him, between mistress and servant. Papa would scold her if he was aware of it. Or at least, he would have scolded her. He was now was so deep in his melancholy that he might not even notice such a transgression.
Evelina took a deep breath. She didn’t regret it. In fact, she was glad she had done it. Because Jude Huxley was a very interesting man, regardless of his class. Even though she was committed to being the lady of the manor and undertook her role with the utmost seriousness, she was still just a young woman. And in those brief moments with Jude, she had remembered that.
Chapter 5
Jude sat down by the fire in the kitchen at Bosworth Manor, staring into the flickering flames. His first day as a coachman was over. He was officially off duty. He had just finished the evening meal prepared by the cook for the staff, and the night stretched ahead of him. He wondered how he was going to fill it.
He glanced up at the ceiling. Above him, the Duke and his daughter were going about their evening routine, somewhere in the big house. Lady Evelina. His loins stirred again just thinking about her.
He thought about their brief conversation in the church. He had overstepped the mark with her, but she hadn’t seemed to mind. He hadn’t meant to do it. He truly forgot she was an aristocrat, and he was her servant, and they were not supposed to intermingle. He was a friendly person by nature, and it was hard to suppress that.
Lenny, the gardener who had brought him to Bosworth Manor two days ago, took a seat next to him, sipping on a large mug of steaming tea.
“And how was your day, lad?” asked the giant man, smiling in a friendly way. “Have you settled in?”
Jude smiled back. He liked Lenny. “It was fairly smooth,” he replied. “There’s not much to the job. I’ve worked harder in my life, that’s for sure.”
Lenny laughed. “Aye, it wouldn’t be much hardship riding around atop a coach all day,” he said, sipping his tea. He stretched gingerly. “I chopped down three trees today as a start to gathering the Christmas evergreen, and my whole body is aching.” He paused. “Where did you go today?”
“To Charingworth,” said Jude. “The Lady Evelina was delivering baskets to the villagers.”
Lenny nodded approvingly. “It’s good to hear that she is continuing the tradition her late mother started,” he said. “I know the villagers appreciate it. Some of them do not have much.”
“She seems like a very kind lady,” said Jude hesitantly. He thought of her beauty and kindness, and the instant attraction he felt for her. But he couldn’t mention that to Lenny. He wasn’t supposed to feel such a thing foranylady, never mind the daughter of the Duke who employed him.
“That she is,” said Lenny. “Have you met the Duke yet?”
Jude shook his head. “Not yet.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Lenny thoughtfully. “We rarely see him anymore and he doesn’t go anywhere. Apparently, he spends most of his time holed up in his study. What he does in there all day is anyone’s guess, but his spirits are very low these days.”
Jude nodded. “Yes, you said he was suffering from melancholy since the death of his wife.”
Lady Evelina mentioned her father’s low spirits as well, and her desire to help him overcome them. It was obvious she desperately missed her mother and loved both her parents. To the point that she was willing to become a carer for her father. Lenny had mentioned that the other day.
“Well, the Duke has approved the annual Christmas Eve ball, at least,” said Lenny in the same thoughtful tone. “Apparently it is going ahead this year. They did not hold it last year on account that they were still in official mourning for the late Duchess. That may be an indication that his spirits are improving just a little.”
“A Christmas Eve ball?” said Jude. “I have never seen a high society ball.”
“They are always grand events,” said Lenny, taking another sip of his tea. “The Christmas Eve ball here is even more spectacular than most. The house is festooned with Christmas decoration. It has always been the event of the county. The entire household works for weeks to prepare for it.”
Jude shook his head in wonder. It was such a different world here than the one he had come from. This was a world of opulence and privilege of which he had no experience. It was a far cry from the poor orphanage where he had grown up.
“I don’t think the Duke will oversee it, though,” continued Lenny. “I reckon that responsibility will fall upon the shoulders of Lady Evelina. She is trying so hard to fill her mother’s shoes here.” He shook his head. “A young lady like that should be thinking of her own marriage and family, rather than caring for her bereaved father.”
Jude’s heart skipped a beat. “Has she ever courted or had a serious suitor?”
Lenny shook his head. “Not that we are aware of. And now she doesn’t socialise like she used to in order to find a suitor.” He frowned. “She may end up a spinster lady, living here forever. It would be such a shame to waste all that beauty and sweetness.”
Jude stirred uncomfortably. If Lady Evelina were just a regular woman, he was certain he would pursue her without a shadow of a doubt. He had never had such a strong, instant reaction to a woman before. It was beyond anything he had ever felt towards the fairer sex.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had lovers and sweethearts in the past. He had. He had courted one woman for over two years. He knew she had expected marriage, but something had held him back. He knew he wasn’t truly in love with her, but there was something else that stopped him. It was as if there was a block inside him.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
Jude was startled out of his reverie. One of the household maids was standing there, gazing straight at him. A woman of about twenty, he thought, with auburn hair and cat like sea-green eyes. She had a dusting of freckles across her nose and a wide smile. A pretty girl. And she knew it, judging by the flirtatious look she was giving him.