Angela dismisses Linzie with no instructions. She’ll figure out Linzie’s responsibilities later. She’ll decide many things later as the new duchess.
She leaves her room wearing a house dress and sandals. She finds her way to the kitchen where Cala supervises breakfast. She quietly slips in beside Jada and begins helping.
Cala shoots her a look, but says nothing.
“Good morning, My Lady,” Jada says.
“Angela,” she says with a smile. “Good morning. How are you?”
“Good. Your position has changed. You shouldn’t even be in the kitchen.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be here as His Grace’s assistant,” Cala says, “but here she is.”
Angela grins.
“You can’t get rid of me so easily,” she says.
“Your lady’s maid is going to have her hands full,” Jada says. “I’m very sorry for her.”
“So am I.” Angela sighs. “My poor lady’s maid.”
“Thank you for the gown,” she says. “It’s beautiful.”
Oliver smiles at her from across the dining room table.
“I thought you might like it,” he says. “You were looking at a similar one some time ago.”
“Right,” she says. “I remember. It was red.”
“Yes.” He takes a sip of coffee. “I ordered a few other things. You made a list and left it on your desk.”
She laughs.
“I didn’t finish that list,” she says. “I was going to get to it eventually.”
“Well,” he says, “if I did my job right, you should have everything there so far.”
She smiles. His face turns serious.
“I was notified about an article,” he says. “It’s very–“
“I read it,” she says. “It’s full of speculations.”
He nods.
“That’s good,” he says, “but I don’t doubt it’ll turn into a scandal. I’m more concerned about you. Scandal doesn’t bother me, but I don’t want it to hurt you.”
She considers, her mind spinning.
“I don’t think we can stop the scandal,” she says, “but can we lessen it?”
“Possibly,” he says, “but not by much. You’re probably going to get plenty of calls as the new duchess.”
“I’m happy to meet our people.”
Oliver had no plans to marry. He’s always known he wants multiple partners, but marriage was never in his plans. Then Angela came into his life.
He rarely spends time home. His last assistant quit unexpectedly. He made a job post for a new one and many applications were submitted. She was one of seven people he interviewed.
She arrived in his home wearing a blue suit with black boots. Her hair was styled into loose curls that touched her shoulders. She held her head high and walked confidently into his study. She extended her hand.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” she said, shaking his hand with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Ms. Angela,” he said.
She sat across from him and handed him an envelope.
“Thank you,” he said.
He didn’t require physical copies of anything, but her preparation was admirable.
“Thank you for your interest in the role of my assistant,” he said. “This will be a short interview. There will be three rounds of interviews.”
She nodded and they began the interview. They finished in a few minutes.
“Do you have questions for me?” he asked.
“Why does your position require your assistant to live in your home?” she said.
“I’m not home often. I require someone to be able to manage my household. That person must be able to attend to tasks as soon as possible.”
She nodded in understanding.
“What rules do you have for your assistant since they’re required to live in your home?” she asked.
“I only have two,” he said. “First, no strangers in the house without me here. Second, whatever happens in this house stays here. Would they be an issue for you?”
“No. I only have one friend who visits me. I’m certain you know her well. She recommended me for this job. I have a few other recommendation letters, but she wrote one, too.”
He made a note to review her paperwork first.
“I know you didn’t require physical paperwork,” she said, “but I couldn’t get everything digitally.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “What other questions do you have?”
“That’s it. If I have any others, I’ll let you know. Thank you for the interview.”
That night, he reviewed the materials she gave him. The queen’s letter of recommendation caught his attention. A recommendation from the queen is not one you ignore.
He contacted her previous employers. She worked remotely for them, but they spoke highly of her. He knew he found his ideal assistant, but he agreed to several rounds of interviews.
He conducted two more interviews, giving each candidate tasks to complete. All did well, but, in the end, he hired Angela for her constant preparation. She moved into his house a week later.
The marriage is an arrangement to keep Angela safe. He also benefits from this arrangement as she will have power to make decisions as his duchess. Their attraction is an added bonus.
“I know you would,” he says, “but I’m not referring to our people. I’m referring to the nobles.”
“I can probably make it work,” she says, “but not now.”
“That’s fine. I don’t usually invite nobles to the house, but you can whenever you feel comfortable.”
Angela nods.
“I hate to do this,” he says, “but, like I told you before the wedding, I need to go in three days.”
“I know,” she says. “You didn’t stay in touch before. Are you going to be able to this time?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you going?”
“The Western Empire. I’m trying to secure an alliance to protect shadow dragons. As great as the Western Empire is, it’s not always the safest place for them.”
She suppresses a sigh of relief. A diplomatic mission is much safer than a rescue.
“I should be back in a month,” he says. “I don’t want to leave you by yourself, but–“
“I know,” she says. “It was already scheduled. I don’t expect you to cancel your mission. The empresses rarely allow an audience from anyone outside their empire. It’s a great opportunity. Is there any way I can help from here?”
“I think I have everything I need, but can you help me review my information before I leave?”
“Of course.”
They eat the rest of their breakfast in silence.
“I’m going to visit a friend this morning,” he says, “but I’ll return by lunch. Are you going to be alright?”
She nods, standing and rounding the table. She climbs into his lap and he wraps his arms around her. He presses his lips to hers.
“You’re going to be alright,” he whispers.
“I know,” she says. “I just need a plan.”
Author’s Note
Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do you have any feedback or predictions? Let me know in the comments. The next chapter will be available October 3.
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Anexis Matos 