Tree trunks whizzed by in a blur.
She leapt over exposed roots and fallen branches, ducked around and under low-hanging branches and elaborate spiderwebs with the grace of a panther.
Her worries had no time to haunt her here.
She continued running forward, letting her body move through the forest floor with little effort. How long had it been since she had last sprinted through difficult terrain like this? Heart hammering against her ribcage, she finally stopped when she came to the edge of a large clearing.
Arthur, the butler, had said that just beyond the clearing was the boundary of the Duke’s estate. There would be a fence of some sort. Artizia had no interest in going up to the end. She turned and looked at the hilly terrain she had descended.
If her father had been here, he would have nagged her about looking after her knees better. She could feel the grin on her face as she saw Beth approaching her at a much more sedate pace. The young maid’s bangs were stuck to her forehead from sweat.
Artizia could feel the sweat running down her back. Somehow, the sensation pleased her, and her grin grew. Her own heavy breathing was drowned out by Beth’s gasps for air once she arrived by Artizia’s side.
“That felt good,” Artizia huffed, taking a big inhale of clean air.
She had the impression that Beth wanted to say something, but the girl was still trying to catch her breath so all she got was a weak smile. It almost looked like a grimace.
Artizia let her eyes wander around the clearing. The grass had recently been mowed. It would be a surprise that the groundsmen were maintaining a spot so far away from the mansion if not for the ornate pavilion located a short distance to the left of where she was.
Leaving Beth to recuperate, Artizia strolled over the lawn towards it.
It was a rather large structure. A number of seats were clustered in one corner, with a fully kitted prep kitchen at the other end. In between both areas was a dining table that could easily seat a dozen.
This was a pleasant discovery. As this was a holiday estate it made sense that there would be an interesting spot for entertaining.
Artizia was delighted to see that the fridge was fully stocked with a variety of drinks. She pulled out a cold bottle of water and a can of something fizzy.
She was impressed. It was hard not to be.
After waving Beth over, she settled into one of the seats with a happy sigh. This had not been a part of the plan, but Artizia had always been good at going with the flow.
She gestured for Beth to take the canned drink and waved her into a nearby seat. The maid did so with relish. She had packed a bottle of water for the Duchess, but it was much nicer to drink something cold after sprinting through dense forest for an hour.
“The Durichs know how to have a good time,” Artizia observed. “I wonder what went wrong with my husband.”
Beth took a few gulps of the carbonated soda before responding. “Perhaps work is his idea of a good time.”
Artizia let out a huff of laughter. “Maybe. He would get along well with Mikhail.”
“Master Mikhail is not that bad, though.” Beth said. “I heard that His Grace works from seven a.m. to midnight. And that it used to be worse – Mister Theo started locking the office door a year ago because the Dowager Duchess made a fuss about his working hours.”
“You’re right, Mikhail sounds like a normal person in comparison,” Artizia replied. “And I see that you have become good friends with Theo,” she turned a knowing smile to her maid. “I’m always amazed at how quickly you work.”
Beth smiled shyly in return. “Everyone is friendly here, so it’s not hard to get along with them.”
Artizia hummed. “So, what have you heard?”
“Nothing unexpected,” Beth said as she straightened slightly. “Since this is a holiday estate, they don’t often see the Duke. His Grace’s parents visit quite often, though.” She paused. “It seems that he really just works incessantly. He hardly interacts with the staff, mostly sending his instructions through Mister Arthur or Mister Theo.” She took another long sip of her drink.
“Those that have encountered him say that he’s polite but distant and has never lost his temper in front of the staff.” She continued, looking off into the distance thoughtfully. “Oh, and he typically only takes a break for lunch and doesn’t have breakfast or dinner unless it is for a social engagement.”
Artizia shook her head in disbelief when Beth was done with her report. “Is he a man or machine?” She tapped a finger on the armrest, pondering something for a while. “Why does he need to work so hard anyway? Is Theo his only aide?”
“I don’t know – but Mister Theo is the only one who deals directly with His Grace.”
“The poor man,” she sighed. “I assume he lives in the Duke’s estate?”
“Yes, his chambers are on the same floor as the Duke’s office. He told me he hasn’t had a day off in nearly three years.”
“The poor man,” Artizia repeated, a tinge of amusement in her voice. “Even if he’s being paid well, there’s no point having money without being able to spend it.” After a short silence, she asked, “Is there anything else to note?”
Beth shook her head.
“Well, if either of you find out anything interesting, let me know. Otherwise, just go about business as usual.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Artizia pushed to her feet, grimacing slightly at the heavy sensation in her body. She was far from feeling like her normal self, but the physical activity was helping her ground herself. Stretching lightly, she nodded at Beth who had also stood up and was looking reluctantly at the incline they had to scale. “Shall we go back? I’m starting to get a little hungry.”
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