Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Thoughts of a duchess

The daughter had heard of the late Duchess. She caught snippets from the maids’ conversations. Mostly she heard them discuss the mysterious circumstances surrounding the Duchess’ untimely death. These were simple people, who found the most pleasure in scandalous gossip and untruths. I am above such things, the daughter thought. And yet, considering her father’s errand today, gone to the Duke’s Hall, she could not help but be very interested in anything concerning the late Duchess and her sudden demise. She turned from the window overlooking the gardens, where she had been considering the gardener below, working among the roses. He rose with difficulty from his overworked knees and dusted the dark earth from his clothes. It was a lost cause; his clothes were covered in dark patches of soil from the many hours of his life he had spent among the green leaves and blossoms.

Was the Duke the cause of the Duchess’ death? My soon-to-be husband, she thought with a shudder, if my father is succesful today. She crossed the sunlit bedroom and sat by the mirror, studying herself. The maids had described the late Duchess as a carefree, young girl with a ready smile for anyone. Golden hair and green eyes. Lovely. The daughter wondered if those smiles had always been sincere or if they had only been a mask, hiding an inner sadness. Like my smiles do, she thought, as she studied the curve of her own lips and the angle of her jaw. The maids had whispered in corners about the Duke’s severe disapproval of the Duchess’ welcoming nature. The daughter surmised that he was of an easily jealous nature, if it took nothing but a few misguided smiles from his wife to result in such gossip. The daughter awaited the return of her father with trepidation.

1 comment:

  1. A classic intervention- the next Duchess. Well-written in terms of good description ("unnecessary" details render the scene more real), and in terms of making the protagonist smart (unlike the previous Duchess). Very good!

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