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CHAPTER ONE

Usually, Lord Clifford would not bother to see his new staff on the day they arrived, but this new addition felt a lot more expensive because he was in an awkward financial position, and so, he decided he wanted to see her. He asked Mrs. Thornton to bring her to him just before she (Mrs. Thornton) left for the holidays. Mrs. Thornton responded that they young Maiden was on an errand and that if the Lord Duke were awake when she would be back, she (Mrs. Thornton) would bring the young housemaid to him.

“That is okay, too,” he told Mrs. Thornton who smiled at his response.

She pitied him. She understood his situation. He was a proud man who would never admit it, but he was on the verge of becoming an impoverished Noble.

“I will take my leave now, Your Grace. I have given you a detailed account of everything at home and expenses. I have also instructed the new Maid to clean your room and wake you up every day.” Mrs. Thornton said.

“Is she good at her job, Mrs. Thornton,” the Duke asked, sipping his tea.

“Yes, she is, Your Grace. I handpicked her myself.” Mrs. Thornton replied.

There was a little pause, and then, the Duke dropped his tea and smiled at Mrs. Thornton.

“Enjoy your holiday, Mrs. Thornton. You have earned it, and I hope you find a Mr. Thornton this holiday,” he said, smiling and teasing her.

Mrs. Thornton laughed heartily as she made to leave after acknowledging the Duke.

Later that evening, the young Maiden got back from the assignment she had been on. She remembered every instruction she had been given. She was anxious though. She had never met the Duke. She had heard he was a nice man. She had also heard he was an impoverished Noble, but looking around the castle, there was no sign he was impoverished. He was not using the gas fittings for his electricity but that could be a matter of taste, a desire to preserve old looks.

She was not sure how he would accept her. She hoped to please him. She was informed that his food was ready. It was almost time for her to wake him up. She went into her small cubicle (chambers) and tried to look her best, adjusting her gown as much as she could. She wanted to look presentable and smart before her employer.

She knocked slightly before entering the room when there was no response. She was about to go raise the curtains like she knew she should, but then, curiosity got the best of her. She did not want to wake him up just yet. She wanted to see him, stare at him, study him well enough before they got to meet officially. She walked softly, cautiously towards him, trying to take a good look at him before waking him up. Her heart beat faster with anxiety as she hoped he would not wake up to see her staring at him.

What she saw struck her speechless. He was handsome. He was very handsome. He was young too. He could not be more than thirty-two. He had a beautiful black beard that he was growing to be pointy. He seemed to be nude under the covering.

She swallowed as she took it all in, wondering what he looked like under the cover. Just then, his eyes came open. It took her by surprise, and his calmness as he lay there, staring at her was even more intimidating than the yell scolding she expected.

“Good day, My Lord...Your Grace,” she began to say and stammer.

He just stared at her for a while.

“Is it time for me to wake already?” he asked.

“Yes, Your Grace,” she said, standing back with her head bowed.

Lord Clifford slowly threw the cover off his body, and true to her thoughts, he was naked. He did not seem to care. He looked like a man who had much to think about and would not be bothered about decency. The Maid did not care either. She lifted her head as she watched his glorious nude form rise off the bed and stretch a bit. He stood off the bed and grabbed his tunic.

“What is your name, dear?” he asked her.

“Gwenn, Your Grace,” she said in a husky tone, her attraction carried all the way in her voice, and over to him.

“You should know what to do, Gwenn. Pull the curtains apart.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” she said.

“Do you know the dungeons below?” he asked her, smiling at her.

“Yes, Your Grace. I have been there,” she said.

“Well, tell me. What do you think about it?” he asked, his eyes brightening,

Gwenn had heard from the other servants that Lord Clifford loved his dungeon. He was not a cruel Lord, but he was obsessed with antiquity and the glory of his ancestors. She was not a fan of Dungeons. She grew up hearing tales of her great-grandfather and her grandfather who both died in dungeons at different points in time. She did not have any exactly hate them, but she definitely did not find anything exciting or glorious in a dungeon.

“It was excellent, Your Grace,” she said.

The smile that came on the Duke’s face showed satisfaction. She felt relief. She was hoping not to annoy him.

“It is beautiful, Your Grace,” she added, seeing how handsome the smile made him, and wanting to see more of glorious manly beauty.

“Yes, it is. Just like you are a beauty and a revelation,” Duke Clifford said as he came closer to her.

He stood so close, towering over her, his jaw looking down on her head. She looked up, breathing hard as the sexual frustration inside her began to boil. She stood face to face with a Duke whose chiseled body she had seen just a few minutes earlier. Her heart was beating as she looked through his sheer tunic at his marvelous body. Her chest rose and fell as she stood there, her breathing audible.

The Duke could tell what was happening. He had always had that effect on women. However, this was the first commoner he was having such a moment with. It was something that was frowned upon in every circle of the day. Yet, he realized he wanted it. He was not in love. He just felt a strong urge to grab her and kiss her deeply.

He wanted to lift her up, drop her on the bed and fuck her royally. He knew she would like that, and she would be honored. She had most likely never been with a man of Royalty before. Just then, an idea came up in his mind. It was a most depraved one. It was something he had wanted to do all along.

“She likes the dungeon, and I like the dungeon. Why not?” he thought.

He slowly, slightly lifted his hands and ever softly touched her lips, rubbing it. He pressed his head against her forehead as her breathing became more pronounced and louder. Her breath seemed to be speaking on its own and audibly so.

“You are beautiful, Gwenn,” he said.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said and swallowed as her lips went up instinctively to meet his own.

His hand went to the small of her back and grabbed her. She was glad he held her, and she was shocked at the same time. She had never been with royal blood before. She wanted to jump on him and have sex with him, but she was shy and scared of the consequences. She did not expect him to grab her, but she was glad he did, and she could understand why he was so willing to do that. He had too many troubles and they weighed him down. It was okay if she was going to be his distraction.

“Have you ever been with a man like me before?” Duke Clifford asked her in a voice as soft as a whisper as he kissed her lips softly and repeatedly.

“No!” Gwenn responded in a shaky voice as her quaking arms weakly held the Duke’s neck for support as her knees threatened to betray her even further than her breathing.

The Duke’s lips began to move down her lips and on to her neck. Her breathing became more difficult as currents passed through her body and gathered between her legs. She whimpered when his hand came up to cup her right breast over her uniform.

“There are no men like you where I come from,” she said to him, the passion ripping her personality away from her body as she gave in to the weakness that came with sexual tension.

“Good! Good! I will fuck you like you have never been fucked,” he said to her.

The words shocked her, and she opened her eyes even as she clutched him tighter to her body. His hands went down to cup her ass. She had never heard royalty speak so vulgarly.

“Would you like that?” the Duke asked her.

She could not speak. She tried to find her voice, but it was a battle, and when she eventually won, she said, “Yes, please fuck me. Please!”

Her own words sounded strange to her ears. They were definitely not from her even though they were in total agreement with what she really wanted.

Just then, the Duke pulled back, leaving her standing with space between them.

She was surprised and did not know how to act. She feared that she might have messed up already. However, she was reassured by the smile he had on his face, and she wondered what his plan was.

“Go to the dungeon and take off your clothes. I will meet you there,” he ordered.