Francesca's POV
"Your Grace," I said, dropping into a deep curtsy, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Rise," he commanded in a firm yet not unkind tone. I obeyed and stood before him with my head bowed, waiting for him to speak.
"What is your name?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of curiosity.
"Francesca, Your Grace," I replied, surprised that he wanted to know.
He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Francesca," he repeated, as if testing the sound of it. "You are new to the Estate, are you not?"
"Yes, Your Grace. This is my first day," I answered, my mind still reeling from the surrealness of the situation.
He nodded thoughtfully. "I have heard good things about your diligence and demeanor. You have made an impression."
I blinked, taken aback by his words. How could he hear good things about me when I have barely done anything yet? But still, I answered politely. "Thank you, Your Grace," I managed to say, not entirely sure how to respond.
The duke took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "Tell me, Francesca, what brought you to the Estate? What circumstances led you here?"
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to reveal, but I decided to be completely honest with him. "I came seeking work, Your Grace. My mother is ill, and we needed to provide. Mrs. Hawthorne, a former Estate maid, recommended me for a position here."
At the mention of Mrs. Hawthorne, the duke's eyes seemed to glint with knowingness. "Gertrude Hawthorne. She was my sister's wet nurse."
"Yes, Your Grace," I confirmed even though I was unsure since Mrs. Hawthorne only mentioned that she was merely a Estate maid. Though I was surprised by the duke's familiarity. "She spoke very fondly of her time here and thought the Estate would be a good place for me."
duke Alessandro nodded with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Gertrude was a kind and capable woman. She cared for my sister as if she were her own child. We owe her a great debt of gratitude."
Hearing the duke speak so warmly of Mrs. Hawthorne made my heart calm and melt away some of my anxiety. It was clear that he valued the people who had served his family, and his kindness shone through his words.
"She always spoke of the Estate with great affection, Your Grace," I said, feeling a bit more at ease. "She said it was a place of opportunity and that the duke were a fair and just ruler."
The duke's eyes softened, a hint of amusement twinkling within them. "Very well, I shall not detain you any longer, lest you incur the wrath of your superiors," he teased with a playful smile touching his lips.
I was startled by his jest and I couldn't suppress a nervous chuckle. "Your Grace?" I questioned, momentarily taken aback.
His laughter then echoed through the room as he reassured me. "I was merely jesting. You may return to your duties. Inform them that I requested your presence."
I bowed in obedience and stepped out of the chamber as the duke gestured to the royal guard who had escorted me earlier. "Ensure that Francesca safely returns to her duties," he instructed with a nod.
The guard saluted crisply before falling into step beside me, before the duke himself was escorted by the rest of his guards and attendants.
Alessandro's POV
I made my way to my table at the banquet and the air was already alive with anticipation and celebration. The Winter Welcoming Feast was a cherished tradition. It is a time for our dukedom to come together and give thanks for the blessings of the harvest.
As I raised my goblet to make a toast, my eyes scanned the crowd to seek out familiar faces and offer polite nods of acknowledgment. But then, amidst the swirl of cheers and laughter, something caught my attention.
Standing there in the midst of the guests, was a vision of ethereal beauty. Her presence seemed to radiate a gentle warmth that draws the eye and stirs the soul.
In that moment, she was the most captivating creature I had ever beheld. Her eyes were a striduke shade of icy blue that sparkled with an inner light that seemed to pierce through the darkness of the night.
As she moved gracefully through the crowd, attending to her duties with a quiet diligence, I found myself utterly transfixed. Every movement she made was poetry in motion. She was a symphony of grace but a little clumsily elegant in her own way.
But it was not just her physical beauty that captivated me. There was a purity and innocence in her, a rare quality that spoke of a heart untouched by the harsh realities of the world.
And when our eyes met across the expanse of the courtyard, I felt a jolt of electricity pass between us. In that moment, it was as if the entire world faded away, leaving only the two of us suspended in time.
Her gaze held mine but she immediately turned away and while her cheeks flushed with a delicate blush, I knew that I had been irrevocably changed.
From that moment on, I knew that she would occupy my thoughts and dreams.