Her Lord's Desire (The Forbidden Saga #3) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,3

spacious study. Upon his return home from his afternoon ride to check on the estate, Henri, his servant of many years, had informed him that the day’s post had been placed upon his desk. Thanking him, Edward had spent the earlier part of the evening enjoying dinner with his two girls. After the meal, he had spent an hour in the library playing a game of Jack Straws with his wife while his ward struggled with some sewing. Edward knew Lucille had spent the greater portion of her day at her task. He also knew she was worrying about the appointment she had been given to attend him in his study before she retired for the evening. When Mrs. Bremmer arrived to inform Louisa that it was time for bed, Edward helped his wife put away the game.

“Good night, Papa,” Louisa said lifting herself onto her toes to press her lips to his cheek.

“Good night, Louisa, I’ll join you soon,” Edward said as he stroked his fingers down a long golden curl of her hair before giving a gentle pat of his hand against her bottom. He saw Lucille watching them. Her flinch when his hand connected to her twin’s bottom told him just how nervous his ward was. Once Mrs. Bremmer had left the room, Louisa’s hand held tightly in her own, he turned to speak to Lucy.

“Are you almost finished with your task, Lucille?” he asked.

“Yes, sir… this is the last pair,” she informed him as her needle worked through the fabric.

“Good. When you have completed your duty, bring the completed garments to my study. I shall inspect your work at that time,” Edward said, watching her lip tremble and her hand shake. “Lucille, don’t make me wait long. You were naughty today and know what that means, don’t you, little one?”

Lucy’s head bobbed. “Y… yes, sir,” she stammered, her voice barely audible.

Edward could not fault the poor girl for her obvious trepidation because they both knew that, unlike her twin, her evening was not yet over, and when she did find her bed, she’d most like be sleeping on her tummy.

“Good girl, I shall expect you within a half-hour,” Edward informed her before turning to leave the room.

The moment he was gone, Lucy dropped her face into her hands. She did indeed know what happened to naughty girls in this household. Naughtiness was never allowed, or ignored.

Lucy was gradually growing accustomed to life at Wintercrest Manor. She no longer found it strange seeing her twin dressed far beneath her chronological age. Louisa always wore a frilly dress adorned with large bows and ribbons, her dress covered by a crisp white pinafore. Though the sight of her sister dressed as a much smaller child had originally shocked Lucy, she had been extremely pleased to discover she was not expected to dress in the same style. Lucy continued to wear the fashions of the time and thought nothing more of it.

However, this morning, three weeks after she had graduated from school, her life had taken an unexpected turn. She squirmed on the settee, intensely aware of the state of her bottom under her new dress. As her heart pounded, she remembered how her day had begun and what had led to the dreaded appointment.

She awakened with the sound of her door opening. Opening her eyes, she saw her lady’s maid, Molly, coming into her room, followed by Mrs. Bremmer who was the head housekeeper as well as Edward’s most trusted employee. Lucy sat up in her bed, her quilt to her throat as she watched Mrs. Bremmer begin to pile clothing from Lucy’s wardrobe into the maid’s arms.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked as her wardrobe was systematically emptied. Mrs. Bremmer simply added the last dress onto the huge pile before speaking.

“That’s a very silly question. What does it look like I’m doing, Lucille?” Anna asked before instructing Molly to oversee the placement of the dresses into trunks to be stored. Lucy didn’t know what to say, or even if the question required an answer. She watched as her drawers were opened and items pawed through. Her face flushed as the housekeeper gathered chemises, corset covers and silk drawers and handed them to Molly who had already passed her armload of dresses to another servant for packing.

“I… I won’t have anything left to wear,” Lucy protested as several pair of her stockings were also taken from her drawers. Mrs. Bremmer ignored the young woman as she opened the next