The Legacy Debt

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There are exactly three entrances to the library in Halloway Park. The first is directly to the right of the front entrance in our main hall. The second is through the formal dining room where there is a small side door one can enter through. Finally, the book case that is closest to my father's desk is merely a façade, if one pulls gently on the glass orb statue they will find that it is fixed to the shelf and acts as a door handle so one can pull the entrance open. The staircase then leads upstairs to a linen closet next to the East Wing where both my mother's apartments and my bedroom are located. I often preferred to sneak a peek at whoever was visiting through the secret door first before making my entrance. Today, however, I was not granted that luxury as I for once was the focus.

I reached the bottom of the stairs to find Mr. Walker, our head butler, waiting for me. He was young for a head butler, likely in his mid-thirties. I knew from Margot that some of the younger housemaids had a crush on him, but to me he always seemed so serious. As one may have guessed, Richard and him tended to get along very well despite their difference in societal station. At one time, Richard had tried to covet Mr. Walker for his personal valet in which my father immediately shot down.

I followed Mr. Walker into the study where he paused before opening the door and looked myself over once and jerked his head to the right abruptly. I turned to see Margot shyly looking at me from the bottom of the staircase, somewhere that lady's maids were never to be seen. She giggled and hurried back down the hall. He nodded at me in a small bow and opened the doors to the library.

The first two people I noticed were of course the gentlemen standing next to my brothers Harold and Gregory. They were holding glasses of tea and watching me intently. I turned to my left to see my father and uncle standing next to two people seated on the sofa closest to the fireplace. It was Prince Phillip and his wife Princess Alexandrina. Mr. Walker cleared his throat and announced my entrance.

"Your Highness, may I present Lady Olivia Cayley of Halloway Park,"

I immediately fell into a deep curtsey to them and then turned to the two princes and did the same again. I looked up to see Prince Augustus and Prince George exchange looks which I could not decipher. Neither looked my way after that and I felt that growing pit of concern deep in my stomach once more.

"Lady Olivia, it is our pleasure to greet you," exclaimed Prince Philip. "May I introduce my two sons Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and Prince Augustus, Duke of York,"

Both Princes bowed their heads in my direction, but remained still in each other's company. They made no effort to speak to me or look me over any further than they had initially done. My cheeks felt hot at this as it seemed odd that they weren't the least bit interested in the girl that one of them would be marrying.

"The pleasure is mine, your Highness," I curtsied one more and saw one of the ladies who was seated next to Princess Alexandrina cover her mouth to try to hide her amusement. I wasn't sure what it was that I had done incorrectly or why they all looked at me with discontent. Was I not a noble woman by birth? I was part of the aristocracy and the Princes were not to inherit the throne, therefore they did not require a political match. I looked at my mother who I could see was not comfortable with the reception either.

I was saved however by Mr. Walker entering the library to announce that breakfast was ready to be served in the formal dining room. The Prince and his wife walked out first followed by the Princes and their entourage of lady's in waiting. I looked at my mother pleadingly and took her hand in mine as we walked behind the group into our formal dining room.