Hawthorne - [SAMPLE]

2 - Duties

Vincent Hawthorne

Camilla White.

She's been on my mind ever since I saw her at my aunt's memorial. Gone was the kind little eleven-year-old with chubby cheeks. She is a woman, now.

An outstandingly beautiful one.

Her cat-like eyes have only become more prominent with the years. It shows off her Asian ascendency, one she seems to wear with pride. That makes her even more attractive.

I was enthralled by her brown eyes the moment I saw them, perched upon her high cheekbones. I had been when I first saw her all of those years ago, and I still was it when I saw her last night. She barely had any makeup on, other than a light blush and nude lipstick. And yet, she'd give every woman in that property a run for their money.

Even Elleanor.

How a mere peasant girl, turned housekeeper of the Manor can have more class than my ex-girlfriend, a baroness at that, is something that still baffles me. 

But yet, I am not surprised. Aunt Elizabeth was a strong influence in her life ever since she was young. I could see the affection in her eyes all day long, yesterday. And when Camilla's mother passed away, my father had told me she'd kept her as if she were her daughter and not the maid's child.

One of my biggest regrets is to have lost the connection with Aunt Elizabeth because she was extremely kind. More than my mom ever was.

Ever since I was sent to boarding school after my father's death, I kind of pulled away from everyone in my family.

Dad was, besides Edgar, the only one to let me be myself. He knew the pressure and expectations I'd have on my shoulders ever since I was born and instead of being the harsher one. He used to be the one to always give me a break.

Usually, those breaks were the visits to Aunt Elizabeth, where he'd let me be a kid and run around freely and for once forget about how to behave and etiquette.

Outside that free environment, I was Vincent Hawthorne, future Duke and third in line as an heir to the Crown.

But King fucking Charles seems to have inherited his mother's ability to bear children because even after all the women he has fucked, the outcome is still the same.

I couldn't care less about the King's sex life if it didn't affect my life directly.

It's not enough that I am the Duke of the most powerful family after the royal. I still have to be on the run for a Crown I don't even want.

"Fucking hell," I curse, throwing the papers to the side of my working desk.

Those eyes and full lips, the hourglass figure and her class and kindness haven't changed. Even for someone who has no one else left in life.

I haven't been able to focus on anything ever since I saw her.

She moved things deep inside me, things no one ever did, but I've sworn to not let myself fall for any woman.

It'd be doomed from the start.

Standing up, I head to the drink cabinet on the other side of the office.

All of this thinking has brought me the urgent need for a drink.

A light knock on the door stops me from pouring the drink for just a moment as I say: "Come in."

"Hey, big brother," Edger greets as he comes in. "Drinking already, it's nine in the morning."

"It's nine in the evening somewhere in the world, that's good enough for me." I counter back, not having the patience for his antics.