Thirty Seven Part Three

"I heard him say he is a duke." Sadie smoothed the wrinkles from the sheets as she spoke to her friend, Nora, standing to the other side of the bed.

Nora smoothed her half of the bed also, shaking her head at the situation their mistress found herself in, as the two girls prepared a suite for their new mistresses grandfather.

"She did not even know who he was?" Nora asked.

Sadie liked the new master and his sweet, little wife. They had been nothing but kind to the staff, and they were very loving toward one another.

To a man, the staff was grateful, that the tyrant, Gwendolyn, was gone. They were thankful these two presided over the home, instead. They breathed easier knowing they need never fear Gwendolyn's wrath again. A lighter atmosphere had taken over the old house, one of youth and joy, happiness and contentment.

"The Duke did not even know of Miss Elizabeth until this morn when the King....." Sadie and Nora went about their duties, both of them impressed that in acquiring a new master and mistress, they had now seen the King in the flesh, and they were presently entertaining a Duke who had brought a few pieces of luggage along with him.

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"Well, what do you think?" Violet posed his question to Betsy and the Duke.

Violet, and the Duke, each sat at the end of the dining table, Betsy sat at Violet's right hand, the boys filled in the remaining seats.

Their supper served; all sat with berried custards in front of them, the boys all quite involved enjoying their desserts.

"Only if I can play a part also." Betsy stated, spooning a bit of custard into her mouth.

Violet watched her tongue slip out to lick her lips and forgot he had even posed a question.

"Mm-hmmm, my sweet." Violet sat enraptured with the creature before him. Elizabeth was wearing one of her new gowns, a soft, golden, velvet creation that Violet knew felt almost as soft as her skin.

"Can I shoot my guns?" Betsy looked to him hopefully after his previous affirmative answer.

"Most assuredly, my..... Wait, what?" Violet snapped to, as the Duke sniggered from his end of the table.

"My guns, may I use them?" Betsy asked again, slower this time.

"Now?" Violet asked her; he was completely confused by her request.

"When we go to your uncle's, Violet, may I play a part that will allow me to shoot?" Her eyes lit up excitedly as she considered the possibilities.

"I did not think of you having a part, but I can see the advantages there may be in that." Violet raised his brows, the corners of his mouth turned down as he weighed the possibilities.

"I suppose you will want a part also." Violet looked to the Duke.

"Oh no, my boy, I shall be happy to reside in the audience, a pirate's life is not the life for me. I am old and weak." Gabriel's eyes shone with glee, "Yet, in my younger days I would have taken you up on that offer." The Duke finished his custard, he sat back and listened, as his granddaughter and her pirate made their plans.

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Violet laid everything out upon parchment, sending a missive with the men who delivered the milk to town every morn. That afternoon he received a very enthusiastic reply from his aunt, Amelia, and a date to meet with her in three days.

Violet would be very busy in the days to come, sending missives to his crew, and another to the King.

Discussing it often, he and Elizabeth would throw ideas around whenever either of them would come up with something new. Finally deciding their strategy, they talked it over with the King when he came to hunt with his falcon.

The King stayed the entire morning, sorry to have to leave once the sun rose high in the sky. Betsy had been practicing, and the King had been thoroughly enjoying himself watching her. He, and the Duke, both sat proudly by, impressed by her skills.

"You have a fine girl there." The King warmly spoke of Elizabeth to her grandfather.

"I am aware of that," Gabriel agreed with his liege. "It does not take very long in her presence to recognize she is a very, worthy prize." Gabriel chuckled, remembering the other morn, and the King's description of his granddaughter's damned pirate.

Now that Gabriel had met Elizabeth's husband for himself, he had nothing but respect for the young man, be he a damned pirate or not. He had been smart enough to grab up a worthy prize when he found her, Gabriel could not fault the man for that.

The King snorted. "Petals sure seemed to think so."

"Yes, he seems to be quite intelligent." The Duke looked upon Violet, and Betsy, as she lined up her shot, her doting husband loading her other pistol as she fired away.

"Damned, obnoxious, cheeky pirate." The King snorted again.

"I like him." The Duke stated.

"Aye...... As do I." The King begrudgingly admitted.

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Blessings all!

Until next time :)