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Anthony Langley had served his King in France for five years, five years in a world of blood and mud and pain and now was home again. Today is a happy day! he thought sardonically. Today my life resumes!
He rode his through the gates and led him around to the stables. He was about to walk around to the front of the house when he heard a womanly “Ah!” from the backside of the estate. Curious, he moved toward this noise. The sound had been akin to pain, but muffled like someone who is used to pain.
He walked around the corner of the house. There, standing at the edge of the private wood, he saw a maidservant. The woman spun as he approached. When she found a handsome, dark eyed devil smiling into her cleavage she found herself in quite state of shock.
The man who stood before her was breath-taking. Rebecca felt her face flush. He was tall, with broad shoulders, his muscular thighs encased almost sinfully in buckskin breeches. It was his face though, which had her so flustered, he was classically dark and handsome and his eyes held a devilish gleam as he regarded her.
“Who are you?” she demanded, her face bright red.
“I am sorry if I startled you,” Anthony said. “I did not intend to. I heard moaning. I thought, perhaps, somebody was in distress.”
The woman was beautiful. She had her hair tied up in a bun, but even so Anthony could see it was auburn. Her eyes were green, and her cheeks were pale white.
Her body was slight, lithe, and her limbs were thin. Her breasts budded under her dress, and her neck was feline. When she moved, it was with the appearance of a cat, ready to spring here or there at a moment’s notice. Her eyes sparked with intellect.
"You are Anthony Langley, are you not?” she asked.
“I am,” Anthony said. “And you are?”
“I am just a maidservant,” the woman said. “That’s all . . . Just a maidservant.”
***
When Anthony entered the drawing room, Isabella clapped her hands together giddily. “Anthony! You're back!” she exclaimed.
He looked around the room quickly. His father was nowhere in view. Isabella led him to two armchairs, offered him one by a wave of the hand, and then plopped down in one herself.
There came a knock at the door as they were taking their seats. The change that came over Isabella’s face was startling. Her lips, hitherto twisted into a smile, twisted downward into a grimace. Her eyes narrowed, and her tongue flickered for a moment. She rubbed her hands together.
“Have I missed something, Isabella?” Anthony said, nodding at the door. “You seem positively gleeful at that knock. Are you expecting good news?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that!” She threw her head back at this, as though it was the funniest joke she had ever heard, and giggled manically. “Nothing like that!” she repeated, with another giggle.
“Will you not admit whomever it is?” Anthony asked.
“It pleases me to make her wait,” she said casually. “Oh, how she hates to wait!”
“Pray, admit whomever it is,” Anthony said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “I see no reason to keep them lingering.”
“Oh, very well!” Isabella snapped, like a child whose favorite toy has been taken away from them for the moment. She raised her voice: “Come in, Rebecca!”
Reegina entered the room. Anthony looked into her eyes, and for a moment her eyes flickered to him. But then they turned to Isabella.
“Oh, so you’re here,” Isabella said, as though she had not heard the knocking.
“Yes, my lady,” Rebecca said quietly, her eyes studying something upon the floor. “I am here because you asked me to—”
“Quiet!” Isabella screamed, waving her hands aimlessly, madly.
Isabella turned to Anthony, and smiled widely.
“Do you see what I have?” she grinned. “This wench here used to think herself above me. She would laugh melodramatically at what I said at parties, with the intention of mocking me. She would smile at me, but I saw behind the smile. Yes, I saw behind the smile!” She let out that awful giggle.
"Isabella,” Anthony said, directing his gaze at his sister. “Have you brought Rebecca in here for a reason?”
Isabella sighed. It was clear that Anthony was ruining it. He was supposed to – in her estimation – laugh at the lady with her. Ha, ha! he was supposed to say. Look at the lady, who has no friends, no family, no hope. How funny!
Isabella waved her hand, and nodded at the door. “You can go,” she said, and turned back to Anthony.
Rebecca’s gaze lingered on Anthony for a moment before she left the room. Anthony realized, that he was, in fact, interested in the maidservant.