would always seem her baby, even though she had given birth to the twins almost two years ago. Finding herself enceinte after eight barren years had come as a complete surprise, but not as great as the actual birth when she had brought two lives into the world, instead of the one she had been expecting. It had been a difficult time for her, and she knew that there would be no more children, but she accepted it, and indeed was rather relieved about it. Far too many women died in childbirth, and she intended to fully enjoy watching her children mature into adulthood, and to share with them the pains and joys of living.
The duchess stared down at her eldest child, Rhea Claire, and found it hard to believe that her daughter was seventeen. What a beautiful girl she had grown into, the duchess thought, filled with pride for her firstborn. At times she could be a stubborn and willful young beauty, but that arrogant streak was tempered by an incredible gentleness and compassion that had at times worried her, for Rhea Claire was inclined to let her heart, when it was troubled and touched, rule her head. How many times, the duchess wondered with a sigh, had Rhea Claire brought a wounded bird or stray cat into the house to be protected. And how different were her feelings now, pondered the duchess, thinking of the Earl of Rendale, whom she suspected had aroused nothing more than pity in her daughterâs tender heart.
The duchess smiled wryly, amazed at her thoughts, for it seemed only yesterday that she herself had come to Camareigh as a young bride. She hadnât been much older than Rhea Claire when she had first seen Camareigh. She could still feel her own awed panic when sheâd caught sight of the magnificent house. The coach which had carried her away from her own home and familiar surroundings seemed to be approaching the grand house far too quickly, and the house had seemed to her, at that time, not to be very welcoming. But whether she resented it or not, she had become its mistress and duchess, and soon would give it its long-awaited heir.
Had she realized, in that moment of uncertainty and trepidation, just what exactly was behind those honey-colored walls, she might well have leaped from the carriage and taken to her heels, for nothing in her previous life had quite prepared her for the responsibilities of being the Duchess of Camareigh. Nor had she been prepared for the army of servants who had greeted herârather suspiciously, she rememberedâupon her arrival. Of course, she had not known them then, nor they her, and she could well understand their dubious opinion about this new mistress, who looked as if she should still be playing with dolls.
She had held her breath as sheâd stared down the long line of unfriendly faces, their expressions striking terror into her already quivering heart. She could remember meeting the austere butler, Mason, his stern countenance seeming gentle compared with the tight-lipped and obviously resentful housekeeper, who she later discovered recognized no mistress other than the dowager duchess. Well, the ex -housekeeper had certainly misjudged this duchess, Sabrina remembered with a chuckle, for she had sent the old harridan packing with a flea in her ear and a note to the dowager duchess that the womanâs services would no longer be needed by this duchess. It had also served warning to any other malcontents to beware, for this was no mealymouthed and cowed mistress they were dealing with. And from that day forward the new duchess had a loyal staff eager to serve her, for no one had much minded that sheâd fired the housekeeper. In fact, the housekeeper had been heartily disliked by everyone, because every misdemeanor or infraction of household rules, no matter how slight, even an incautiously spoken word, had been parroted back to the dowager duchess by her overwrought and insanely loyal lackey. Now that the old battle-ax had left, they could get back to doing
The duchess stared down at her eldest child, Rhea Claire, and found it hard to believe that her daughter was seventeen. What a beautiful girl she had grown into, the duchess thought, filled with pride for her firstborn. At times she could be a stubborn and willful young beauty, but that arrogant streak was tempered by an incredible gentleness and compassion that had at times worried her, for Rhea Claire was inclined to let her heart, when it was troubled and touched, rule her head. How many times, the duchess wondered with a sigh, had Rhea Claire brought a wounded bird or stray cat into the house to be protected. And how different were her feelings now, pondered the duchess, thinking of the Earl of Rendale, whom she suspected had aroused nothing more than pity in her daughterâs tender heart.
The duchess smiled wryly, amazed at her thoughts, for it seemed only yesterday that she herself had come to Camareigh as a young bride. She hadnât been much older than Rhea Claire when she had first seen Camareigh. She could still feel her own awed panic when sheâd caught sight of the magnificent house. The coach which had carried her away from her own home and familiar surroundings seemed to be approaching the grand house far too quickly, and the house had seemed to her, at that time, not to be very welcoming. But whether she resented it or not, she had become its mistress and duchess, and soon would give it its long-awaited heir.
Had she realized, in that moment of uncertainty and trepidation, just what exactly was behind those honey-colored walls, she might well have leaped from the carriage and taken to her heels, for nothing in her previous life had quite prepared her for the responsibilities of being the Duchess of Camareigh. Nor had she been prepared for the army of servants who had greeted herârather suspiciously, she rememberedâupon her arrival. Of course, she had not known them then, nor they her, and she could well understand their dubious opinion about this new mistress, who looked as if she should still be playing with dolls.
She had held her breath as sheâd stared down the long line of unfriendly faces, their expressions striking terror into her already quivering heart. She could remember meeting the austere butler, Mason, his stern countenance seeming gentle compared with the tight-lipped and obviously resentful housekeeper, who she later discovered recognized no mistress other than the dowager duchess. Well, the ex -housekeeper had certainly misjudged this duchess, Sabrina remembered with a chuckle, for she had sent the old harridan packing with a flea in her ear and a note to the dowager duchess that the womanâs services would no longer be needed by this duchess. It had also served warning to any other malcontents to beware, for this was no mealymouthed and cowed mistress they were dealing with. And from that day forward the new duchess had a loyal staff eager to serve her, for no one had much minded that sheâd fired the housekeeper. In fact, the housekeeper had been heartily disliked by everyone, because every misdemeanor or infraction of household rules, no matter how slight, even an incautiously spoken word, had been parroted back to the dowager duchess by her overwrought and insanely loyal lackey. Now that the old battle-ax had left, they could get back to doing
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