A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 191 - Hundred And Ninety One

The morning sun had finally broken through the thick, gray clouds, casting long, bright rays across the green lawns of the Kingsley estate.

Inside the grand manor, the atmosphere was entirely tense. The servants moved quickly and quietly, completely terrified of the new, strange dynamic between the master, his angry wife, and the newly returned niece.

Knock... knock... knock.

A sharp, firm knock came on the wooden front door of the manor.

The butler of the Kingsley estate, an older man with a stiff posture, walked slowly across the grand foyer. He unlocked the brass latch and pulled the door open, fully expecting a local merchant or a delivery boy from the village.

A young man stood on the front steps. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a very serious, alert expression on his face. He was dressed in plain, practical dark clothes, rather than the bright uniform of a noble house. He looked strong, capable, and entirely out of place in the quiet country estate.

The young man tipped his flat cloth hat politely.

"Good morning," the young man greeted. His voice was deep and steady, completely lacking the nervous deference usually shown by common servants to a grand house.

The butler frowned deeply. He looked the young man up and down, taking in his plain clothes and his lack of a carriage.

"State your business," the butler demanded, his tone cold and unwelcoming.

"I am Miss Kingsley’s footman," the young man announced clearly. "Mr. Hamish."

The butler’s frown deepened into a scowl of pure confusion. The master’s niece was a disgraced orphan who had arrived yesterday with absolutely nothing but a single, small travel bag. She certainly did not have the money to hire a personal footman.

"There must be some mistake," the butler said, puffing out his chest. As he was about to send Hamish away and close the heavy door in his face, a clear, commanding voice rang out from the top of the grand staircase.

"Let him in."

The butler froze. He looked up.

Delaney was standing on the upper landing. She was wearing a simple but elegant dark green morning dress that Cole had been forced to purchase for her from the village seamstress the night before. Her dark hair was pinned up neatly, and she looked down at the foyer with the absolute authority of the true lady of the house.

She began to descend the stairs, her soft slippers making no sound on the wooden steps.

"I hired him," Delaney lied smoothly, her hazel eyes meeting the butler’s shocked gaze without a single flicker of hesitation. "He will be following me into town to carry the things I need to buy for my upcoming wedding."

The butler was completely shocked. His jaw dropped slightly. He opened his mouth to argue, to say that the master of the house had not approved any new servants.

But then, he remembered what Cole Kingsley had told everyone in the morning. Cole had gathered the entire staff in the kitchens and shouted until he was red in the face. He had explicitly ordered them to give in to whatever Delaney says, no matter how strange or demanding the request might be.

Keep her happy until the wedding, Cole had roared.

The butler swallowed his pride. He stepped back and pulled the door completely open.

"As you wish, Miss Kingsley," the butler muttered, bowing his head stiffly.

Hamish stepped into the grand foyer. He took off his hat and held it respectfully in his large hands. He looked up at Delaney, his serious face giving absolutely nothing away to the watching butler. But his dark eyes conveyed a clear, silent message. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I am here. You are safe.

Delaney reached the bottom of the stairs. She offered Hamish a small, polite nod, exactly as a lady would greet a newly hired servant.

"Come," Delaney spoke, her voice calm and authoritative. "Let me show you to your quarters in the staff wing. You will need to rest before we go into the village this afternoon."

"Yes, Miss," Hamish replied, falling perfectly into step behind her.

Delaney led him away from the grand foyer, walking down a long, narrow hallway that connected the main house to the servant quarters. She made sure they were completely alone, checking over her shoulder to ensure the butler had not followed them.

As they went down the quiet corridor, Hamish quickly reached into the inside pocket of his dark coat. He pulled out a thick, cream-colored envelope sealed with heavy, dark red wax.

He brought out the letter from his pocket and held it out to Delaney.

"His Grace sent this," Hamish whispered, his voice dropping incredibly low. "And my brother, Odis, is the other guard. He is already around the perimeter of the estate, watching over you secretly from the tree line. If anyone tries to harm you, Miss, we will strike before they can even draw a breath."

Delaney took the heavy envelope from his hand. Her fingers brushed against the smooth red wax seal bearing the proud Hamilton crest. A sudden, massive wave of warmth flooded her entire chest. Rowan had kept his promise. He had sent his men, and he had sent his words.

Delaney nodded her head, offering Hamish a genuine, deeply grateful smile.

"Thank you, Hamish," Delaney whispered back. "Tell Odis I am safe. My uncle has agreed to all my conditions, and he suspects absolutely nothing."

"Very well, Miss," Hamish replied, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction.

After showing Hamish exactly where he would be staying in the small, simple room at the end of the servant hall, she turned and hurried back toward the main house.

She practically ran up the grand staircase, clutching the thick envelope tightly against her chest. She did not want anyone, especially her snooping Aunt Eunice, to see the Hamilton crest.

She reached her large bedchamber on the first floor—the very room her uncle had been forced to give back to her. She stepped inside and quickly locked the door behind her, turning the brass key with a loud click.

She was finally entirely alone.