The Making of a Princess. by Lorrie Mae.

The Emerging Of A Lady. PART 5

Daphne woke up to a beautiful day adorning. she quickly got out of bed and wrapped herself in the silky wrap that the Duke had lent to her from his sister's wardrobe, both Grace and Roslyn would be home in a few days and the house hold was busy making the arrangements for when they arrive.

They had been away at learning school, as their brother Callum thought that they needed something to keep their young minds busy., he was feeling quite happy about seeing his sisters who he loved so dearly, and as he was walking along thinking about them he had a smile on his face, he suddenly stopped and as if drawn to look up to the window above him, he saw a small angelic face with her hair blowing gently in the breeze coming in through the window, and she was looking straight at him, they were both locked in time, and their feelings growing stronger at each minute passing, she felt so strong when she looked at him, this strong handsome person who had saved her from a horrible time, and he would never for get that image which he was now locking away in his heart, she moved him deeply, and if being true to himself he had never felt so strongly about anyone before in his life, she was like a thirst that he couldn't quench, each time he saw her.

Daphne waved at him as he stood looking at her, and he suddenly realised where he was, "I will be up in a minute", and he turned and walked up to the front entrance. "Good afternoon sir," said Charles, as he took the Duke's hat and cloak and hung them up on the beautiful red cedar wood hanger, it had been a present given to his parents so long ago and was a family heirloom.

"Good afternoon Charles, I will be going up to spend some time with Daphne so could you please get the girls to bring up a tray of tea etc for us, and put a cup on the tray for yourself, I will be needing your help, so please come up when you are ready." Callum arrived at Daphne's door which was open, he knocked gently on her door, "May I please come in, I have asked Charles to accompany me and we can have a cup of tea, he is organizing it now, will you be all right with that." " Yes, my lord if you think you can trust him with what I have to tell you, it is very important to me and my family."

Charles arrived with the girls pulling the trolley and proceeded to serve the cups around, "Would you like us to leave the trolley sir," "Yes please girls and I thank you for the speedy work," and with that the girls departed. there was silence in the room while the cups of fresh tea, and the cucumber sandwiches were eaten, once finished Charles cleaned up the plates and placed them onto the trolley which he moved outside the door, which he closed as he came back inside. " I think it's time to get started, are you ready, Daphne." she looked up and said " Yes, I need to do this now while I can, please bear with me as I tell you my deep dark secrets.," she turned around and headed toward the bed in he room, she put her hand under the bed and pulled out the well worn cape of hers, "Please excuse me but I need to get my most treasured possessions to show you what I have been carrying for my mother, we have been storing away things from my father as he has lost everything to his gambling, even me, you see he owes Mr. Aspen so much money and therefore we had to try and save some things that he couldn't sell for money," and she began ripping up her precious cape, and then began pulling out a small package, and then a pile of papers, also another package that was filled with coins etc.

"I am asking you to please have a look at what I have here please sir," and she turned and looked at the duke, "Please Charles can you please write down everything that Miss Daphne has given us here, and you must not mention this to anyone, until a decision is made on Miss Daphne's behalf" . Both men sat and went through everything that was there, Charles opened the first pack which was rolled up and made to look as small as possible, there were some dazzling jewellery, rings, bracelets and brooch's etc, "Most of those are my grandmother's but my mother has never worn them and so she handed them to me," The papers are a deed to some land that was given to mother and they have been with me the whole time, you see I am too inherit them shortly, and Mr. Aspen has been looking for them to try and get them for himself, you see father in his drunken state had dribbled out the story to Mr. Aspen one night and that's why he has been looking after me, but he is just a horrible greedy man, and he will stop at nothing to get the papers, you see we were wealthy and a happy family until he made himself known to father, that's when he started drinking and gambling and so mother and I came up with the plan to have identical capes and store what we could in them." I must tell you how I came to be with that horrible person, and so she began her story."

Mr. Aspen had come to the house and was talking with my father, Daphne was walking down the stairs to go and see her mother, and she suddenly heard angry voices coming from her father's rooms. She was not usually a person who would listen to some one else talking. but when she heard her name being spoken out loud, she was to stop and listen, and so she neared the door of father's room and heard him saying to some one else, "You can have her with you to help with the other children, you will be getting her for free so don't frighten her before I get her over at my place, ok" she wondered for a minute who was talking and then she remembered it was the husky voice of Mr. Aspen. Daphne was in a daze, what was going on, she continued walking toward her parents area of the home. "Mother are you in," she asked as she knocked on their door, it was opened by her mother who looked as if she had been crying, 'Come in and we can talk, please she said ,did you see Mr. Aspen this morning, "Yes she said he is in with father" I walked straight past to come and see you.

"Please sit down, Daphne and I need to tell you something that you must keep a secret and never leave it out of your sight, please, it means so much to you and I " and she handed her a beautiful purple cape, with a hood to put over her head, it was beautiful, "Thank you," she said to her mother "Now come and sit down with me while I tell you what we must do, inside your cape are some papers to your grandmothers house, you are to receive the home and the lands when you become a certain age, so never indulge that you have them, I don't want your father getting his greedy hands on them do you understand I mean never can he get them, and the rest of the things are for you. I love you my darling girl, and I am sorry that things must be this way." and so there are the items that mother was talking about.

The Duke and his butler Charles sat and looked through all of the paperwork that was in front of them, "These are all legal and binding, my lord." Charles said, and he turned and said very gently to Daphne, "I think you are a very brave woman, and I promise that I will keep an eye on you and see that no harm comes to you, but maybe it is best to leave everything with the master and he can hide them where only he and I know where they are," and he turned to the Duke and said what do you think sir." Callum sat looking at Daphne and said "I agree with Charles, we will do all that we can for you, please come and talk to me at any time that you need to, I will take all of these away and place them where they will be well hidden, until you need them, now let us depart and do what we must, Charles can you please get the door and I will take these with me," and Daphne sat watching as he placed all of her precious belongings inside his jacket pockets, "Thank you so very much for helping me, I thought I would never get away from that man." and the tears ran freely down her beautiful face, Callum came over and gave her his handkerchief so she could dry her eyes, "Please don't cry we will look after you, my sisters will be here soon and you can have someone to keep company with, they will love you I can tell, now I will send Jenny and Brittany up to see you, we will talk again soon." he gently kissed the top of her head and turned and walked away with Charles.