Duchess of Winter

An Audience With James, Marquis of Winters

Ernest scratch his head and read the note again. He knew that upon news that his ship would be near England's shore something like this would happen. It had only been two days since he anchored ship and had spent the day getting drunk with strong spirits and rented women, that he thought it would at least be a week before the authorities would come knocking tirelessly at his door and following him like his own shadow. He knew the Wintersby's had powerful stretched arms to get a hold of him finally.  As every one in London still thinks he abandoned his duty as Duke and forlorn his children was bad enough. Gossip of the mistresses he was said to have kept was still rememebered and talked about. In fact he never truly did what was gossiped. 

He had secret correspondence with Master Jean du Var to get hold of news about Agatha. And had he been so over joyed about the news that she gave birth to his twins some fifteen years ago, he lamented almost to the point of dying not to be with them. He consoled himself with wine and delved the embrace of louse women just to numb the pain away. But he never kept a mistress and  dare replace Agatha on his own bed moreso his mind. He was distraught beyond repair. He had never been broken all his life but the mere thought that she was well with his children in Wintersby Manor was what kept him barely alive and sane.

He convinced Jean to take his wife and reside at Wintersby Manor to help Agatha. Take his place at the House of Lords, And had secretly sent the earnings of his trade through him into the Wintersby treasury. Jean would in turn write to him about how the children had grown and how Agatha had cast suitor after suitor into the cold abyss of despair. Which he had seen as a ray of hope for his weary heart. He was so proud to have known that Agatha had garnered the reputation of Duchess of Winter instead of Wintersby due to the way she cast every man that fell and tried to win her heart into the cold like they were pests to be  thrown out to freeze.

What he would have given to be there for Agatha and his children all these time. But he knew that he had to let her go as for her he was a hindrance to what she was born to become after all. He had done his part. Let her grow up, took her as his bride, take her place as Duchess and even sire an heir to duchy. He knew his usefulness to the coronet had then expired.

The screeching of carriage wheels startled Ernest. It was late and a foul storm was houling about outside his townhouse. Who in their right mind would come for a visit at this hour? Ernest told himself as he set the crystal chalice down on his side table to see through the fogging glass window below on the street pavement

The white carriage with the familiar emblem could be vaguely seen. As the pair of white horses stomped their feet at the discomfort of the wind and cold rain on their coated bodies. The Foot man and driver drenched beyond their usual spotless uniform. Ernest saw an older yet still gallant Jean du Var come out dressed in his black cape and an already balding Arthur Willows following. After him was a young man with black hair dressed with a black cape the same as Jean's came out.

Ernest knew fully well who the young man was. As his heart could not deny it even if he wanted to.

He heard his doorman let the crowd in and in a couple of minutes latter his butler knocked at his chamber door to notify  him the arrival of  James, Marquis of Winters and company.

Ernest swallowed the rest of his wine in one gulped. Then looked at his demeanor on his big bronze framed mirror. He felt nothing like the image of the young groom beside the beautiful young bride on the photograph near the mirror. That young man was so lost for the heart of his bride that he did not know what price it would take to have it. At that he had to pay with his own soul for it. If could go back to time to warn the young man of his sorry fate. He would warn him never to look up  a tree that a young  raven head girl had took a fancy to climbed on. As that would seal him of a heart broken beyond repair in his sure future.