Chapter Thirteen

Minerva tried not to gawk the way Elise did, but it proved difficult. Algernon had been well-to-do, even wealthy by most standards, but dukes lived a different existence from what that old life had experienced. Not only was the house impressive in size and appointments, but Chase’s uncle’s own taste had crowded it with strange, exotic items such as she had never seen before.

The masks and spears on the walls of the reception hall were only the beginning. A zoo of stuffed animals filled the first landing. A tiger, a giraffe, an animal she did not know the name of—the finest taxidermy she had ever seen growled and strode.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Young, noticed her attention. “Most of them were once alive here. He had a section of the park for them. The last duke was very fond of such exotic creatures. Not so much the usual kind, except horses. So when one of them died—these sort, not the horses—he had them made up to stay here.”

It sounded almost sentimental, as if the late duke had truly cared for his menagerie and it had not merely been the indulgence of a man who could buy anything. She wondered if he had named each one.

“I trust this will suit you,” Mrs. Young said when she opened the door to Minerva’s chamber on the third level. They had reached the second story and this door was tucked into a nook at the back. “Your companion will have a similar one on the other side. Mr. Radnor told me to put you here, not above.”

“Above would have been fine,” Minerva said. “As an employee I am accustomed to making do and eating with the staff.”

“He said here. Not a servant as such, are you, even if you are in employment.” The housekeeper gestured and a girl slipped in. “This is Sarah. She will serve the two of you. She has a way with hair, even if she is not a lady’s maid.”

Sarah beamed a smile before assuming a demure demeanor.

“I’ll leave her to settle you in.” Mrs. Young turned to Elise. “If you come with me, I will show you your chamber.”

Minerva waited until they left, then gave the high mattress a subtle press. Very nice. She peered out one of the windows. A bit of garden showed below, then a paddock, and beyond that some fields.

Sarah lifted her valise and set it on a stool. Minerva noticed. “I’ll unpack myself. There isn’t much there.” She had only planned to be gone from town three nights, so she had few garments.

“Would you like me to prepare a bath, or help you undress for a rest?”