My Husband, The Duke

Chapter 3

Emma rushed to the kitchens where her son waited for her. He sat at the table eating a lemon tart. Cook was sitting with him and clicked her tongue

"Poor lamb, hadn't eaten a morsel all day, he says."

Emma looked at her son who proceeded to look guilty.

"Aiden, did you lie to cook?"

He quickly finished his tart and swallowed.

"I just really, really, wanted a tart, mama."

"You know you had a good breakfast, why must you lie to cook who works very hard on those tarts for special occasions. Do you think that was very nice?"
His lower lip started to quiver, and he looked at cook mournfully. Cook was trying hard not to laugh.

"I am very sorry I told a lie. I just love your lemon tarts so much!"

"Well, if you are sorry then I guess you are forgiven."

He looked back to Emma with a grin. She kept a stern look on her face.

"You promise to not lie anymore to get tarts?"

"I promise!"

"Good."

Just then, the bell was ringing from her graces room. She sighed and looked at Aiden. He could not stay in the house while his father was here, but she still had work to do. If she hadn't of given in to Drakes plan for wine. Oh, but that kiss, how she had missed his kisses! If that knock hadn't sounded, who knows what would have happened; she had been lost to reason. When she had looked into his eyes, all she had seen was her Drake from their childhood, the love fresh and potent. Her heart had been his all over again.

She sighed and shook her head free of those thoughts as Her Graces' bell rang again.

"Aiden, I want you to go play in the gardens just outside the door, alright? Mama will come back as soon as she can but stay out of the house. Do you understand, my love?" she crouched down to look him in the face.

"I understand, mama." He turned and ran outside.

She made eye contact with cook. Mrs. Ellis was her name, but she preferred to be called Cook. 'All the young masters called me cook, now I am used to it', she claimed. She was a motherly sort whose family had been the cooks in this household for a hundred years.

Cook had her eyebrow raised and hands on her hips. S

"What?"

"There is no use in keeping up this farce about the child. Not with me. I know how close you and master Drake was. He be a Duke now. He have a right to know he has a child."

Emma reached for the chair as the world spun around her.

"I have no idea what you speak of."

"Come know, he be the spittin image of his father. You can't fool me. I don't need to know what exactly happened, but don't you think they deserve to know about each other?" she clicked her tongue and proceeded to knead the bread she had on the table. They were silent for a moment; Emma stunned, she listened to the slap and popping of the dough on the table.

She realized it was a relief that someone else knows besides herself, but she absolutely could not tell Drake or his family. This was a protection for all of them. Her son would not be shunned, mocked and ridiculed for his mothers' birth and Drake would not suffer any shame for having her to wife.

"You must not tell anyone, Cook, promise me. I have my reasons. This must be kept between us."

Cook looked at her for a long while then shook her head.