The Devil is The Duke

Emeera woke up at midnight, her thoughts raging about the butler’s situation. No hospitality course had prepared her for an unwanted pregnancy situation. The night was unusually chilly which made her curl up to sleep. Her thoughts were so troubled she waved in and out of consciousness that at dawn it seemed she had dreamt the whole thing. That maybe it was all a dream and the butler had not been with the maid. Maybe the conversation with Lucille were figments of her overstressed mind. The morning house was asleep but she wanted to use the bathroom so badly. The air was no longer as chilly as it had been at midnight. As this thought flashed through she sat up. The room was warm because the fireplace was lit and as she watched fire lick the dry woods she wondered who had set the fire for her. The woods had been there since the day she moved in but she was certain there was no fire the night before. She was perplexed at the sight of the flaming logs as her bedroom door had been locked from the inside. Only one possible explanation remained but instead of pleasing her it made her fume. How dare he? She thought. How dare he enter her bedroom at night after he reprimanded her for overstepping her boundary? It did not matter how chivalrous his intentions were. The fact remained unchanged – the duke had overstepped his boundary. She could feel her blood boil and her head pound. Jumping out of bed, she quickly wore her nightclothes with another embarrassing thought that the duke had seen her in that state of undress. It made her worse. That was the second time the man had invaded her privacy but it was definitely going to be his last. She marched to the glass barricade and flounced into the master bedroom, her hands akimbo and breathing fire through her nose.

Alfred stood in the middle of the room before a giant mirror. Her crashed entry did not leave him time to cover so she found him there, with nothing on. Emeera could not have reacted worse had she been stunned by magic. Albert was clearly not embarrassed neither did he make any effort to dive somewhere for the decency of his clothes. The man slowly turned, like he was incapable of grasping the bizarreness of the situation. Emeera tried to scamper out of room but his drawl stopped her at the glass door. “I am sure you did not come crashing in here for nothing, Emeera. Why not skip the show of modesty and state your purpose?” His voice contained silent laughter. But Emeera was astounded. He could not possibly expect her to say it like that. But when she turned, he had worn a lose robe. The initial blow was gone but the full discomfort remained.

“Emeera what do you want?” The duke asked. Emeera swallowed, with eyes blinking rapidly, she tried to speak, knowing that her litted fireplace was unimportant compared to how she barged into his room.

“I.. I am sorry. Uhmm. My fireplace… Someone…” She coughed. The duke did not try to make it easier for her. He stood there like a statue, hand in his pockets whole she struggled with saying simple words. All she could think of was the body beneath the robe. The chiseled torso, the strong thighs and well shaped….

“Honey who is this?” A voice asked and Emeera was dragged out of her trance. It was Kate De fucking Luca! The superstar sashayed to the middle of the room stark naked Except for the towel she tied around her head. Her wet hair tendrils curled around her ears. The woman was gorgeous with or without clothes and she had evidently spent the night, keeping the duke company in his warm bed. Emeera’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. How stupid of her to think the duke had given any thought to her during his night of passion. She could not visualize any reasonable man leaving De Luca’s bed to tend to a servant’s fireplace. It was quite absurd to even think it. Kate De Luca whose dress she had inadvertently ruined the night they met, the night the duke offered her the job. She thought unpleasantly of how terrible things happened to her whenever De Luca showed up. Maybe this time she would lose her job for good. Fortunately the glass door was closed so Kate never guessed there was a door there or Emeera had entered through that.

“Kate, this is my estate manager, Emeera. She oversees the manor and all my other houses.” As he talked, Kate poured champagne from a half-empty bottle into a champagne flute. It was 6a. m but Kate had no intention of letting that leftover champagne from the steamy night go to waste.

It was the first time Emeera was hearing she had to care for the Duke’s other properties. It was the first time she knew he even had other houses but it made sense. He was a Duke. There was definitely a country house somewhere and maybe other houses too. It was Kate’s turn to speak. Emeera held her breath. The last time she had had an encounter with the celebrity, the woman had strongly suggested Emeera be fired without pay. She waited now for Kate to flare up and ask her lover why on Earth he would hire the same girl who ruined her night. But Kate only looked at her for some seconds, then broke into laughter.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“I am so sorry you had to find me like this,” she said as she sipped champagne. “But I’m sure you don’t mind.” She gave Emeera the empty flute like she was a maid and strode into the closet. It dawned on her that Kate had not even remembered her. Instead of relief, she felt insulted. Kate had called for her head on the stake but she did not remember her. She wondered how many lives sexy Kate had ruined by simply hissing “fire her” then moved in like it meant nothing. It must bring her immense satisfaction to know she was powerful enough to could break a person just by speaking two words. Emeera glanced at the Duke and left, with no knowledge of who lit her fire. She felt unreasonable anger at the duke. Kate De Luca was the most unsuitable woman for him.

“So who is?” Her heart sang. Nobody, she thought. Kate and Albert deserved each other, she lay in bed till Lucille knocked to clean her bedroom.