The Duke Jokingly Asked Her to Find Him a Wife — “You May Be Looking at Her, Your Grace!”
Chapter 7
Theme:
Font Size:
24px
He rang for his secretary. "Mr. Hale, I shall be visiting the district records office this morning."His secretary looked up from a stack of correspondence. "Shall I send for the relevant documents, Your Grace?""No. I should prefer to examine the originals.""Very good, Your Grace.""And please have the carriage brought round immediately."Maximilian returned to the letter. For several seconds, he considered whether his interest in the matter was entirely professional. He decided that the boundary agreement was a perfectly legitimate reason to visit the office, which was true; it simply was not the only reason.The district records office occupied the ground floor of a modest stone building near the center of the village. Its windows overlooked a small square where a baker, a bookseller, and a milliner conducted their respective businesses. Inside, the room smelled faintly of paper, polished wood, and the lavender Cecily sometimes placed in a little bowl near the entrance.Edmund Bennett had spent 27 years maintaining the district's records. Cecily had spent much of her childhood among the shelves, first playing with discarded paper, and later learning to decipher handwriting that even experienced solicitors found impossible. By the age of 26, she could locate an 18th-century deed more quickly than most gentlemen could locate their gloves.That morning, she was seated behind the main desk, copying a list of property boundaries; her father had gone to consult a solicitor in the next street.She heard the door open. "Good morning," she said without looking up. "I shall be with you in one moment.""Then I shall endeavor to be patient."Her pen stopped. She looked up. The Duke of Westhaven stood just inside the doorway, his hat in one hand and a familiar expression of amusement on his face."Your Grace.""Miss Bennett."She rose. "I had not expected to see you. I hope my arrival is not inconvenient.""Not at all. Although I confess I am surprised.""Because dukes do not ordinarily require documents?""Because I did not imagine you would require them quite so soon after a wedding."He approached the desk. "Unfortunately, the management of an estate is not sufficiently considerate to suspend its difficulties for social occasions.""A regrettable oversight. I shall speak to the estate about it." She smiled. "How may I help you?"Maximilian explained the matter of the old mill road, producing the steward's letter and the incomplete copy of the deed. Cecily listened carefully, then examined the papers."This reference is rather old," she observed."I feared as much.""But I believe we have the original agreement.""You do?""If I am remembering correctly, it was entered into the register in 1784.""Your memory is extraordinary.""Only when it concerns documents, Your Grace. I am quite capable of forgetting where I have placed my gloves.""A reassuring imperfection."She laughed and turned toward the shelves. Maximilian watched as she moved confidently between the cabinets, locating a large register bound in worn brown leather. She placed it on the desk and carefully opened it."Here we are."