Secret Wardrobe of the Duchess

Chapter 61

It had been three days without Mrs. Shaynie’s tiring visits and Rubica was at peace. She met relatives she hadn’t met in the morning and talked with them, and she took strolls in the afternoon. She dropped by at the seamstresses’ room to see how they were making Khanna’s dresses but soon left in a hurry because she thought her presence was only slowing them down.

‘Oh, I’m a little bored.’

That’s what she thought as she ate breakfast. Now she even looked forward to the time with Edgar even though they kept fighting.

‘No, have we been fighting less these days?’

They were not so tense toward each other now. Edgar had been asking if anyone had been bothering her and if there was anything uncomfortable. It looked like someone had reported to him about Mrs. Shaynie.

Rubica didn’t talk about what had happened with her to Edgar. He was a proud man and was weak to provocation. He got mad very easily, so it was better to say nothing and enjoy the mood. Making a comment could rather make him get mad.

Plus, it was quite fun to pretend to ignore the fiercely handsome man glancing at her. Edgar looked quite cute then.

‘No. Him, cute? Impossible.’

Rubica shook her head. It had only been three days of peace and quiet. Had it been too boring? She was getting all kinds of weird ideas.

“Your Grace, are you not content with your breakfast?”

A servant asked as he poured juice into an empty glass. Rubica had sat down at the table long ago, but more than half of her food remained on the dish. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get used to having breakfast with so many people watching her. She really missed the time she used to eat hot roasted potatoes with the many people sitting with her at the abbey.

“No, I just have a poor appetite.”

The servants were worried when hearing that. The duchess hadn’t eaten breakfast properly for more than ten days now. They had done everything they could, like changing the ingredients and recipes, but Rubica was eating less and less each day.

They didn’t know that it was only because she was eating alone.

“Who are today’s visitors?”

In the end, Rubica finished eating and asked Ann who bowed as she came into the dining hall. Maids were supposed to take a day off every three days. Serving the mistress at her side all day wasn’t easy, so noble ladies normally kept two or three maids.

As they couldn’t hire anyone as maids, Ann had worked hard without resting till now. But she couldn’t keep on doing that.

Rubica had ordered her to go rest yesterday and she could only leave worriedly.

Things didn’t go well when she was gone as Rubica hadn’t received the list of today’s visitors this morning. When she asked last night, all the maids and servants said they hadn’t been told about it and nervously sweated.

Ann was also worried about how things were proceeding without her. Despite Rubica’s order to rest and come after noon, she got up early and got ready. She wanted to come for Rubica’s morning preparations, but it might make Rubica think she was ignoring her goodwill. So, she waited and waited then came in the dining hall when Rubica was about to finish her breakfast.

“Haven’t you been reported?”

Ann sounded surprised, but Rubica was even more surprised to hear her surprised.

“Reported?”

Just as she had thought, the other maids had failed to fill her place properly. Ann regretted taking a break.