The Duke's Daughter (Editing)

Chapter Seven

“My lady? Darling, wake up.” I heard Anna’s soft voice ringing in my ear, “You have a big day and there’s no time to waste. Your dress is on your dresser.”

I opened my eyes as Anna opened up the curtains to my giant window. I turned myself to the dresser to see a stylish black dress. That is surely not mine. The only stylish item of clothing I had was, well, nothing. “Are you sure that’s my dress?” I asked.

“Why yes, Miss Lenora, I had it made for you before you arrived.” Anna replied nonchalantly, “Well hurry, darling, the reading of the will is to begin after breakfast so get to it.”

Once Anna left the room, I quickly got into the dress. Such smooth texture touched my skin, unlike anything I’d ever had the blessing to have. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked so womanly. So much older than I ever did before. An elegant black lace wrapped around my neck as the smooth black texture rolled down my body, glimmering with the light. For once in my life, I could openly admit that I felt truly beautiful.

I walked myself to the dining hall, hoping to find Jerry. The room was filled with about ten other people, perhaps family members that I never knew, nor cared to know. I assumed they were all like Henrietta; stuck up and snobby.

“Jerry!” I walked over to my brother as he turned around to greet me.

“Lenny, I saved you a seat next to a friend.” He seated me on a very plush seat.

“Is he a cousin of the king of England?” I joked.

“Quite the opposite, actually.” I turned around to see none other than Gilmore Yeardley, “How are you dear Lenora?”

Obviously I caught Jerry by surprise when he asked, “Wait you know each other?”

“Why yes, I bumped into your sister on me way to the library before I met you. Small world, isn’t?” Gilmore nudged me.

“Yes, it is.” Jerry sipped some of his tea.

“So Gilmore, distant relative?” I asked.

He chuckled a little bit before saying, “No. Actually I’m Frank’s nephew, studying at a school nearby.”

“Ah I see.” I responded. Yet in my head, I was confused. If he was Frank’s nephew then how was he welcomed to sit at the table of a duke's family?

Almost as if he could read my mind, Gilmore said, “Having a father who saved a Lord and Lady from an assassination gets ya place.”

“Yeah, he told me about this last night. Apparently Gilmore’s dad was a butler at this Lord’s home when he heard these two fellas talking about assassinating the Lord. He was granted anything for saving the rich fella’s life and he asked that Gil, here, could go to college.” Jerry said with excitement, “Pretty nice, huh?”

“Very.” I said as I took a bite from my breakfast. I give a quick glance at Gilmore to see him looking at me too.

“Silence!” said the lawyer, “ I will start the reading of the will as soon as everyone sits down.

“Come here, Lenora, you will sit by my Livy.” Henrietta pulled me by the sleeve. 

Lovely, I thought as I sit down by a very scented Olivia. Her powdered nose was high in the air. Her blond locks rolling down her shoulders while her dark piercing eyes threw daggers at me. Just by the looks of her, I knew she could fool anyone into believing she was an angel when she could be quite the opposite. I gave Olivia a smile, but even that made her throw more daggers at me. Lovely…

The lawyer began to read began to speak in his drowsy voice ranted on for about an hour. I tried keeping myself awake so Henrietta wouldn’t pinch me. Her long fingers could do wonders to sensitive skin like mine. So many useless things were given off to so many pointless people who I’d never heard of. “Now to my children, Jerrold and Lenora Upchurch,” the lawyer said. My eyes grew wide. “Although my family would very much like me to take you off my will, I’m afraid I cannot do that. I’ve spent my last few years of life considering how I could take care of my beloved Megan and our children, and so in doing that I have something to propose to my family. I am very aware of the fact that my children haven’t been brought up in Livingstone Abbey and so I have decided that my children will live here for one full year to be given the resources to take care of this household. If, however, they cannot take on the duties of this household, my niece Lady Olivia Scott and her fiancé Sir Drew Woods will take on the responsibilities. ”

The room was silent. No one moved. My father obviously was not thinking straight when he wrote his will. I looked over to see how Henrietta was responding to it. Her face was tense and very pale. Oh no…

“Well if that is the case,” my grandmother spoke out, “then I cannot go against my son’s wishes, no matter how much I’d like to. If that is the end of the reading then I suppose we can all scurry along.” The room quickly dispersed with my grandmother’s words.

“Welcome to Livingstone Abbey, Cousin Lenora.” Olivia snickered as she scurried off behind her mother.

I gave her a nasty glare as she left the room and find my brother leaning against he window. “He likes a quite a show, doesn’t he?” Jerry said as he looked out the window.

“This isn’t a game.” Said a soft voice behind us. Anna. “Your father knew what he was doing. I know this for a fact.” She hands us each a letter. “I suggest you two read these.”

 A/N: So how are you liking it so far? Do you thinking Olivia is as nice as she seems? Please comment and vote, I love to hear from you guys.