The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Thirty Six

The carriage wound its way along the curving island road. The Caribbean scenery was beautiful, but Arianna hardly noticed. Her brow and the hidden valley between her breasts were damp with sweat from the warm sun. The Admiral's rank breath overwhelmed her sense of smell and her stomach teetered with her nervous energy. This was the moment she had feared and dreaded since Hensley's interrogation. His lordship was awaiting her at the carriage's destination. What would he do with her? How would she react?

Arianna felt pain in her head for the first time in weeks, she raised a hand to her throbbing brow, trying to massage it away. White spots filtered in from the edges of her vision and she began to feel nauseous. Her current surroundings were slipping away and she leaned back in the carriage seat, hoping to stabilize herself. She had no idea if she succeeded or not as it now felt as if she was floating. Quite an unreal sensation, she mused, though not uncomfortable. The pain in her head seemed to stay with the carriage as she floated away. She felt safe, warm, loved.

"Arianna." She opened her eyes and as the white emptiness faded, she found herself back in her maternal grandfather's small cottage.

"Arianna, will you come sit with me, love?" A woman's voice asked from behind her.

"Mama?" Arianna turned to face her mother, her beloved mother.

Her mother smiled that beautiful smile that Arianna had missed so much and stretched her arms to her. Arianna's heart warmed. "Come to me, child. Read with me. Show me how well you are doing in your studies."

"Yes, Mama." Arianna stood and crossed the room to her mother, leaving her dolls on the floor. She climbed in her lap and wrapped her arms around her, holding her close like she had that last time her mother had been there to hold.

Arianna's eyes slipped closed as her mother read to her again.

"Arianna. Arianna, wake up, my lady, we are here." 'Twas not her mother's voice this time but Thomas'. Arianna's eyes snapped open once more as the carriage came to a stop. She was upon the floor of the carriage with Thomas beneath her, they were both swimming in the abundant fabric of her voluminous skirts. The pain was once again present in her head.

"What happened?" Arianna asked as she righted herself on the seat with Thomas' help.

"You swooned, Lady Kent. Are you ill?" The Admiral stated from his reserved position on the seat.

"Nay." She replied as the pain faded from her mind.

"Perhaps you might be in the family way, then?" The Admiral asked with a glance to her midsection. "Though if you are, 'tisn't Thomas' here, and that means it must be Trent's. Did you allow the Earl to plow your belly without the benefit of matrimony, my dear?"

Arianna was outraged. "How dare you call me a loose woman, Admiral. If I were that free with my favors, you sir, would not be sporting that scar upon your cheek or the cane, I urge you to remember."

The Admiral's face colored instantly and Thomas tensed next to Arianna. Luckily the footman picked that moment to pull the carriage door open and place the step outside. Thomas descended first, turning to reach a hand to assist Arianna down. She smirked at the Admiral before she lifted her head high and moved to descend from the carriage with the grace of a queen. Her intentions were short lived, however, as the Admiral's booted foot heaved her from the carriage. Arianna found herself once more atop Thomas with her skirts trapping them both. An outraged shriek tore from her chest as she struggled to finally stand from the cobblestones. She turned back to the carriage, fully intent on berating the Admiral for every fiber of his existence, but a dark haired woman on the front steps of the house caught her eye.

Arianna smothered her anger and straightened her gown and hair before turning to the woman. Thomas lifted his frame from the ground and dusted himself off.

"Gentlemen, my lady, if you would follow me this way..." The servant bowed slightly, indicating the large front doors of the impressive house that stood before them. Thomas turned to Arianna and offered her his arm. As she allowed him to lead her up the stairs to the front door, she took a moment to admire the huge, four story castle-like home, with its towers and corner columns topped with sparkling glass dome rooms. As the servant turned back to the large front door, it swung open by unseen hands. Arianna stepped into the foyer and glanced about the vaulted great hall. This home would rival many of the ancient ancestral homes she had seen in England.

"His lordship is unable to welcome you personally, my lady, but he asked that I see to your every comfort. If you would like, I will show you to your rooms where you may rest before the evening meal."

Arianna turned to the servant who had followed them in. The girl was beautiful, though she kept her eyes downcast and her posture made her seem defeated in some way. She seemed eerily familiar, though Arianna was sure she had never met the girl before. She would not forget features so striking, features that were individually flawed, but beautiful when brought together as a whole.

"That would please me immensely, Miss.."

The woman's eyes lifted to Arianna's momentarily. "Pardon me, my lady. I am Carme... Miss Cammie, head of house staff."

"Thank you, Miss Cammie. I am Lady Kent, and I appreciate your hospitality."

The woman nodded to Arianna before she turned and directed two other servants to show the men to their rooms.

"Gentleman, his lordship asked that you join him in his study prior to the evening meal for libations. Any of the staff can inform you of the study's location."

The men nodded and moved off behind the maids that led them away.

"This way, my lady."

The woman turned and led Arianna up one side of the double staircase that was opposite the front doors in the great hall. Arianna glanced down the hallways that led behind either side of the staircase on the ground floor but could not discern where they led to. The servant paused when they reached the first landing.

"You will find the parlors down this hallway, my lady, and the drawing rooms and the formal dining hall down the other." She pointed to indicate each hallway in turn, Arianna nodded as the servant turned to lead her farther up the staircase.

"The ballroom, the kitchens, and the breakfast room are on the ground floor." The servant continued as they passed the next landing and did not pause. There was only one set of double doors leading from this landing.

"What is found on this floor?" Arianna asked, pausing next to the double doors.

The woman's eyes were wide as they lifted to Arianna's. "This floor is not accessible." Her eyes were once again upon the stairs at her feet.

Arianna frowned, confused by the curt answer. The last thing she needed, however, was to irritate his lordship's housekeeper before she even knew what was in store for her. She moved to follow once more and the housekeeper visibly relaxed as she led Arianna on.

When they reached the next landing, the housekeeper turned down the hallway that lead behind the stairs. "Your wing will be this way, my lady. You will find that his lordship has given you two personal slav... servants. If you need anything just ask them and they shall see it arranged."

Arianna's brow lifted, "Then I am not a prisoner here?"

The housekeeper looked confused for a moment, "I was told that you were a guest, my lady. Is that not the case?" The housekeepers worried eyes lifted to Arianna's. "I apologize, my lady, it is not my place to ask any questions."

The moment grew awkward as Arianna read the other woman's tension. Something told her that treading lightly was her best choice.

"Consider it forgotten, Miss Cammie."
Her eyes lifted to Arianna and they were damp and shiny, but a smile lifted her lips before she continued on to the middle of the three doors that ended the hallway. The housekeeper pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door before waving Arianna in.

Arianna stepped into the room to find bookcases covering three of the four walls, all the shelves were filled with volumes that had been freshly dusted. The other wall was one solid glass window. The panes were rectangular panels that curved around one of the corner columns Arianna had seen from the outside of the house. The domed glass allowed the brilliant sunlight to light and warm the room. There were settees and wing backed chairs placed strategically around the room and a hearth was settled into the wall across from the glass windows. Arianna was shocked that such a pleasant space was being given to her.

The servant lead her through another doorway and Arianna found the most spacious bed chamber she had ever seen. A massive four poster bed took residency in one corner, chairs and settees in another. A writing desk had a home near the hearth as well as a chaise. This room had a balcony off the side and the sheer drapes fluttered in the cooling breeze.

"Your bathing chamber is beyond that door there," The housekeeper spoke, indicating the paneled door. Arianna turned back to her and noticed two small Oriental girls behind her. "These are your slav.. servants. They are here to carry out your bidding. The evening meal will be served once the sun dips, I shall return to escort you then. The wardrobes are full, his lordship asks that you wear what pleases you."

Arianna glanced down at her current clothing once more reminded that she looked like a life sized child's doll. "Your lord seems kind, Miss Cammie."

The woman visibly froze as her eyes lifted to Arianna's. Powerful emotions swam in them before they went dull and lowered to the ground once more. "He does seem that way." She said, and Arianna raised a brow. Any loyal servant would have began gushing to extort his or her employer's kindness and or generosity, were that the case.

"Should there be anything you need, Margaret and Christina will assist you." Miss Cammie said as she waved her hand to the side. Two other girls stepped away from the wall. The girl on the left was small with long dark hair braided and looped about her head. Her skin was a rich brown and her eyes were a vibrant blue. She smiled at Arianna and bowed low before her.

"I be Margaret, milady. This here," she indicated the red haired, fair skinned, shy girl next to her, "Is Christina. We will be happy to assist you in any way possible, milady."

"Thank you." Arianna smiled back at Margaret and the ginger girl lifted her eyes to Arianna's momentarily to flash her a shy smile.

"Enjoy your rest, my lady. I shall return for you after sunset." Miss Cammie smiled also as she turned to leave the rooms. Arianna followed behind her into the first room and heard the key turn in the lock after the door had closed.

So she was a prisoner.

At least her prison was lavish.