In Henry's opinion, there was far more fuss over his arrival than necessary.
Servants were preparing an unnecessarily large meal for it being last minute and all the staff was towards the front of the house as he walked through the front doors.
Rochelle was standing in the foyer, waiting for her daughter and Henry to arrive.
She walked forward and curtsied for the duke. In response, Henry reached for her hand and kissed the back of it in a proper greeting.
"Lady Rochelle, I've met you before but it's wonderful to be able to get to know you better," Henry said.
Rochelle had heard that Henry was a peasant and with that implication came that he was barbaric and rough around the edges. Yet the man before her was exceeding her expectations. He was handsome and mostly well-manicured. There was certainly something rougher about him compared to other nobles, but she fully understood why her daughter had been taken so easily by him.
