Until You by Jennifer McNare Read Free Book Online

plump brunette in her early-twenties had been assigned to serve as her lady’s maid, and she had quickly discovered that not only did she possess a sunny disposition and an exuberant personality, but she also had a remarkable talent for hairstyling.  Ashleigh, who had never had much luck controlling her heavy mass of fiery curls, was amazed at Annie's seemingly effortless skill.  Annie also possessed a very talkative nature, which she quickly realized might be helpful in learning more about the duke.
    “Have you been employed at Sethe Manor for long, Annie?”
    “My yes, since I was fifteen,” she said, nodding her head up and down.  “My father has been the Sethe's head groundskeeper for nearly thirty years now, and my mother has worked in the kitchen for almost as long.” 
    Ten minutes later, Ashleigh knew more about Nicholas Leighton and the Sethe family than she had ever intended.  Annie was a natural born chatter-box and it had taken only a few subtle questions to get her going.  Now, after hearing everything that Annie had told her about the Sethes , she was shocked and saddened by the tragedy that had befallen their family, and felt more than a little guilty for unintentionally soliciting such personal information.  However, according to Annie, everything that she had told her was apparently common knowledge.
    Rising from her seat at the small table, Ashleigh stood and smiled graciously at Annie.  “You did such a beautiful job,” she marveled.  “Thank You.”
    “It’s my pleasure,” she replied cheerfully.  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
    “No, Annie, thank you.”
    “All right then.  Enjoy your evening, My Lady.”
    Once Annie had left the room, Ashleigh went over and sat down upon the edge of her bed, her mind replaying everything she had just learned.  Apparently, Nicholas' father, the previous duke, had been quite riotous and unruly during his younger days.  He had run with a wild crowd, and according to what Annie had learned over the years, his parents had been thrilled when he had finally decided to marry and start a family.  Everyone had thought that the beautiful and serene Lysette DuVale would be just the thing to calm young Richard's unruly nature, and early in their marriage it had seemed that she had done just that, but the serenity hadn't lasted long. 
    Two years later, Richard's father had died, his mother had retired to her dower lands, and Richard was named the seventh Duke of Sethe .  Shortly after taking the reins of the family fortune, the young duke had apparently slipped back into his wild ways, frequently entertaining his raucous group of friends at the estate, and hosting extravagant and decadent affairs that often shocked his sedate young wife, as well as the household servants.  The relationship between the duke and duchess began to disintegrate and after the birth of their two sons, the duke spent less and less time at their country home.
    Unexpectedly, when young Nicholas was ten, and his brother four, the duke had returned to the country after an unusually long absence, surprising everyone with his unannounced visit.  Though Annie had been too young to remember it herself, she had heard the story of that fateful time repeatedly.  Evidently, the duke had developed a serious drinking habit, and his personality, previously characterized as wild and unruly, had become mean-spirited and oft times cruel.  During his stay, the servants grew wary of his increasing temper, and the duchess, seeming to live in constant fear of his unpredictable rages, had kept her distance, in addition to keeping the children closeted away in the nursery for much of the time.  And then one day, much to everyone’s surprise and dismay, the duchess had simply vanished.
    Rumor had run rampant throughout the staff, but the final consensus had been that the duchess, dreadfully unhappy in her marriage, had run away with another man.  The theory had apparently been