The Duke who caught my eye

Chapter 8

Clara woke up quite late the next day. She was momentarily surprised to find herself in a foreign room, but the events of last night came back to her.

Not that last night had been very eventful.

She took a long leisurely bath and Rosalie dressed her in a new pale yellow morning gown, it was in the current fashion made with a high waistline and fitted bodice.

She did up her hair in a half knot, she thought it suited her.

She didn't know if she was dressed like a duchess, but she was definitely dressed like a wife who wanted to please her husband.

Clara found out from the maids that the Duke had risen early and had rushed to the west wing due to an emergency. He hadn't even eaten his breakfast.

Clara was appalled. She decided that she'd take breakfast for him, it simply wouldn't do for him to skip meals like that. But first she'd have to find Isabelle.

As she was getting down the stairs, a tiny human came running out of nowhere and collided with her, making Clara fall onto the stairs on her bottom with the tiny human in her arms.

"Ouch," she shrieked, not really hurt.

Of course, it was Isabelle. From what the Duke had told Clara about her yesterday in the carriage, she shouldn't have expected her to make a less than grand entry.

"I'm sowwy," the child said. Pushing her thick spectacles into place on her round face and haphazardly tucking the stray strands of her hair that had escaped her plait.

Clara was surprised that Isabelle wore spectacles at such a young age, but she thought it added to her charm.

"It's alright," she said. "You must be Isabelle."

A frown formed on Isabelle's tiny forehead.

"How do you know?"

"Well, the Duke told me all about you."

"How do you know the Duke?" She asked with an almost arrogant expression.

"Um..I'm married to him. I'm the new Duchess."

Isabelle shrieked and hugged Clara.

Alright, she had not been expecting that. But she hugged her back, relived that she didn't have to worry about Isabelle hating her.

She pulled back and put her small palms on Clara's cheeks and looked at her with a serious face.

Clara desperately wanted to laugh, but she held it in. It seemed like this was something supremely important to Isabelle.

"You're so pwetty," she said, dazed.

"You're prettier."

Isabelle grinned, showing all the missing teeth in her mouth.

"What's your name? Duchess?"

"No," she laughed. "My name is Clara."

"What do I call you, Clawa?"

"Anything you wish, princess." She smiled, in love with Isabelle.

"Fine then, I shall call you Clawa and you shall call me pwincess," she said, cheekily.

Thomas walked past them and raised a disdainful brow at the way the duchess and Lady Isabelle were sprawled on the stairs, laughing loudly. T'was unseemly, this behaviour.

But he decided to let it pass, it seemed like the new duchess had brought light into the otherwise dark life of the Duke.

The Duchess saw him there and gave an embarrassed smile. He remained expressionless.

"Thomas, can you do me a favour?"

"Anything, your grace."

"I want you to pack some breakfast for us to take to the west wing. I'm starving and the Duke hasn't broken his fast either."

"Of course, my Lady. I'll bring it in but a few minutes."

Meanwhile, Isabelle was taking Clara to the west wing.

Leo thought he was dreaming when he saw Clara and Isabelle walking into his study hand in hand. Clara gave him a wide smile and his first instinct was to carry her out of the room and make love to her.

She looked so damned beautiful.

But this was precisely what he didn't want. She was not supposed to distract him when he was with his patients.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He thundered.

Clara's face fell and Isabelle shrank back. But Clara straightened her back and spoke stiffly.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted. We merely lost our way." She turned around and left with Isabelle.

On their way, a young handsome man, intercepted them.

"I'm John, I'm a junior physician under the Duke. I heard him shout just now. I apologise on his behalf, he isn't generally like that. He just doesn't like it when someone interrupts his time with the patients."

"Oh it's fine. No harm done." Clara said stiffly.

"If you don't mind very much, may I ask who you are?"

Before Clara could answer, Isabelle answered excitedly, "tis Clawa! She's the duchess."

Understanding dawned in John's eyes and he began to stutter.

Clara smiled and told him that he could call her Clara. "I would really appreciate it if we could be friends, John."

"But you're a duchess", he said nervously.

"Alright, then I order you to be my friend." Clara laughed knowing how absurd she sounded.

"Then I don't really have a choice, do I?" John smiled. He was much more at ease now.

Leo wanted to strangle himself with his stethoscope.

What was he thinking? That was no way to treat his duchess. He immediately ran out to seek Clara.

He stopped short when he saw her laughing with John, his junior. Jealousy took over and all his good intentions flew out of the window.

John was quite handsome if one liked the boyish types, he thought grimly.

He strode towards them , John saw him first and straightened. Clara must have sensed his presence because she stopped laughing abruptly. Before he could say anything, Isabelle tugged at his arm.

"Why'd you shout, Leo? Clawa and I came to say hello and eat bweakfast with you, but you were not nice to us at all."

"I'm sorry, moppet. I don't know what I was thinking." Then he addressed Clara. "I apologise for how how rude I was just now, I'm worried about one of my patients, forgive me?" He said with a sorry face.

Her demeanour changed slightly. "I will forgive you for this, but I won't forget it." She said saucily.

Leonard sighed, relieved.

"I trust you already know who John is?"

"Yes and John has agreed to teach me all about the human body", Clara said cheerfully.