The Devil is The Duke

His Grace placed Emeera in a seat near a fire and screamed for blankets. He was cursing in a manner Emeera had never witnessed but her head felt light so she missed most of the words. Someone forced rum into her mouth. Emeera remembered how Nancy had always teased her as the middle Eastern warm-blooded girl whenever she said cold made her sick. She knew it was another bout of pneumonia but she felt incapable of stopping it.

His grace immediately sent for his doctor but while they waited, he knew what to do. In a minute, the maid was out with tea leaves, mint and eucalyptus oil. The oils were added to a bowl and bubbly boiling water poured into the mix. Albert stirred it and placed the bowl under her face. The maid covered a thick blanket over Emeera, trapping inside with the steam. She inhaled the hot herbs for some minutes before the blanket was removed. The maid added some dried mint and thyme to the fire while Albert held Emeera.

“Emeera, how are you feeling now?”

She answered in such a small voice he could not hear her amidst the rainstorm. A tree branch chose that moment to come crashing down near one of the windows of the great Hall where Emeera sat. The rain was so heavy it seemed the doctor would not be able to make it before nightfall. The butler stood around helplessly as the Duke swung Emeera across his arms like a baby and trotted up the stairs. The butler had offered to carry her but the Duke said no. She believed he felt guilty for bringing her out to the country thought it was his responsibility to help her.

A bright fire was already burning the bedroom which she suspected was the mistress room, and the whiff of aromatic herbs was present. The Duke gently placed her on a couch and gave her a change of clothes. She did not know if she was supposed to change while he stood there like a bodyguard but one look at him and he grudgingly withdrew. The kindly maid who had brought her the herbs earlier was in almost immediately. She had run a hot scented bath and Emeera just had to soak in for some minutes. The heat thawed her cold feet and in some minutes, she even felt hot. After the bath, the maid reappeared with thick clothes.

“Emeera, we have to get you into warm clothes,” she said. Emeera nodded. After she dressed, the maid stepped out of the room with the wet clothes, stopping only to talk to the duke at the door before she left. The Duke re-entered the bedroom.

“Emeera I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you…” He stopped. For the first time since Emeera knew him, he was at a loss for words. The next thing he did was bend and lift her out of the chair, and took her to bed. He squatted beside her bed as she lay. His look made her shiver but he mistook it for the cold and covered her with the duvet.

“You should get some rest,” he said, stroking her hair.

“I will. Thank you.”

He nodded in silence, then handed her a small vial with liquid contents. “Rub this on your chest and back. It will drive away the cold.” She nodded, took the vial and kept on her bedside drawer. He looked at her. “Are you not going to use it?”

“Now? That you’re here?” Her large eyes were round and made her look scandalized.

His lips moved like he was going to say something. But instead he said “Do it later then. Good night,” and left.

Doctor Stevenson arrived that night and was ushered into the bedroom. Emeera noted the duke kept a friendly disposition around the Stevenson and the other man simply called him Albert.

“Emeera can you hear me?” The doctor asked. She nodded weakly. “You don’t have to wake up. I just want you to be aware of my presence so you do not panic if you wake up. I will do some bodily examinations and give you some medication. Can you hear me?” He asked and she nodded. But it was the last thing she remembered as she was lulled back to sleep by the sound of rain.

When Dr. Stevenson was done, he turned to the duke. “She is not in danger.” That simple statement had Albert exhale in relief. Stevenson looked at him again. “I thought you said she’s the estate manager,” he whispered.

“Of course she is,” the Duke said. Dr. Stevenson nodded in a knowing manner as he closed his box. The two men stepped out of the room.

Stevenson turned to Albert. “Your… uhmm… estate manager needs at least forty-eight hours of rest and she will be fine.” The Duke chuckled. It was the first time he had laughed in a long while.

“You don’t believe me.”

“Albert I’ve known you since the days we played in the sand as boys. You mean to tell me that you have absolutely no interest whatsoever in that beautiful woman lying in your mistress suite yet she has you all worked up? I know you longer than anyone and I find it hard to believe that, your grace,” he said with laughter filled eyes.

“Honestly, all my interest in my manager is purely professional.”

“I hear you.” The men walked inside to the porch. It was still raining cats and dogs. Apart from the lighting in the driveway, the estate was dark. A footman appeared with a large umbrella for Stevenson.

“Greet the wife and children for me,” Albert said.

“I will.” But Stevenson did not move to the car. “You have changed from the man who did not even care to know the maid’s name to one who now nurses one at her bedside.”

“Stevenson that was twenty years ago. We were young and carefree. Again, I apologize for not knowing your lover’s name,” Albert snickered.

“Albert you know she was not my lover,” every word Stevenson said was punctuated with laughter. The duke smiled.

“So how come you still talk about my mother’s maid twenty years later?” The duke probed. Stevenson had no answer. He had fallen for Mary, the lady Savoy’s maid. But after all his mates teasings, he had given her up. Like Albert said, they were young. But he was a married man now and could not let anyone fancy that he still had any sentiment for the woman.

“Good night mate. Take proper care of Emeera. Glad to see you know this one’s name,” Stevenson said with a mischievous wink and dashed to the car. His driver drove off.