Chapter 247: The Valet
Chapter 246: The Valet
Baron Redwick could not quite believe what was happening.
The boy—Tommy, the Duke had called him—was looking at him with polite expectation, waiting for an answer to his question. There was no fear in his bearing, no deference beyond the formal address he had employed. He spoke to a Baron as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
And why was he staring directly at him? It was known that no commoner was to gaze directly upon a noble, yet Tommy did so, and the Baron allowed it because the Duke was standing right beside him.
And though his words had been polite, as he had noted previously, this was not the expected behaviour of a valet.
He adjusted his spectacles, studying the boy more closely. His clothes were neat but not ostentatious. His posture was correct but not rigid. He carried himself with confidence. One look at him and one would not actually believe he was under the employment of the Duke.
"Who," Baron Redwick said carefully, "are you to His Grace?"
Duke Valenridge laughed at the question as though it were the funniest thing he had heard in quite some time.
"You see, Tommy?" he said. "The way you speak has gotten the Baron quite confused."
Tommy’s face reddened at that, and he quickly bowed to the Baron. He had grown so comfortable speaking with the Duke that he had forgotten that, in the presence of other nobles, he was expected to behave like a normal valet—one who did not speak while looking directly at a noble.
"My Lord," he said, "I apologise for speaking out of turn. I did not mean to cause offence."
Baron Redwick shook his head.
"That is not the issue," he said. "I was merely... taken aback. I had assumed you were His Grace’s valet."
Tommy straightened, his composure returning.
"I am, my Lord," he said. "I have been in His Grace’s service for several years now."
Baron Redwick nodded slowly.
He turned to look at Duke Valenridge, his expression thoughtful. The Duke was, he reflected, quite full of surprises. A man who defied convention at every turn, who surrounded himself with servants who spoke to him as though they were friends rather than employees, who seemed entirely unconcerned with the opinions of others.
"Perhaps," the Baron said, "we might finish our conversation."
Duke Valenridge shook his head.
"Another time, Julian," he said. "I have said all I wish to say to you for now."
He paused, his pale green eyes sharp.
"Rather than trying to be so straight-laced, you need to see more. Not everything is as it seems. The people around you are not always what they appear to be. The situations you find yourself in are rarely as simple as they first appear."
Baron Redwick frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The Duke smiled.
"I mean," he said, "that you should stop being so naive. There are numerous secrets in the palace. Even the most naive people are not as naive as they seem. And the sooner you begin looking beneath the surface, the sooner you will understand what is truly happening here."
He turned to go.
"I need to leave," he said, "before my people have an apoplexy."
Baron Redwick spoke before he could take a step.
"Thank you," he said.
Duke Valenridge paused.
"What for?"
Baron Redwick adjusted his spectacles, a gesture that had become habit.
"For what you did for the Princess," he said. "I am still cross with myself for not noticing her condition earlier. I saw that she was not herself, but I did not press. I did not insist. I let her smile and deflect and walk away."
He paused.
"You noticed in a single glance what I had failed to see, despite spending more time with her. If not for you fighting for her, she might not be with us now. Or she might be in even worse condition."
Duke Valenridge was quiet for a moment.
Then he smiled, though there was a touch of sadness there.
"I notice things that others fail to notice most of the time," he said. "I am quite gifted like that."
Baron Redwick doubted that, but he did not say a word.
Duke Valenridge tilted his head.
"What I did does not require you to thank me, but since this is the first time you have done so, I shall accept it."
Baron Redwick chuckled.
"I shall see you later, then," he said.
The Duke nodded, and then Baron Redwick turned and began walking away, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished marble.
Tommy watched him go, then walked up to the Duke, closing the little distance between them.
"What did you tell him?" he asked.
Duke Valenridge sighed.
"Something that will make him have a rethink," he said.
He began walking toward his chambers, and Tommy fell into step beside him.
"I need you to gather information for me," the Duke said.
Tommy’s voice dropped, becoming quiet and serious.
"About whom?"
"A woman named Kathryn," the Duke said. "She is a physician. I need to know what happened in her past. What made her the way she is. Why she hides in the infirmary and refuses to involve herself in courtly matters."
Tommy nodded.
"I will find out what I can," he said.
"There is more," the Duke continued. "I need you to find Robin. Tell him to meet with the Head Maid. It seems," he said with a smirk, "some changes may occur in the palace."
Tommy gave him a look.
"Are we starting trouble?" Tommy asked him.
Duke Valenridge rolled his eyes.
"No, Tommy. We are merely preparing for what is to come."
Tommy nodded.
Then he stepped back, moving behind the Duke as a valet should. His posture shifted, his bearing becoming more deferential, his presence fading into the background. To anyone watching, he would appear to be nothing more than a servant accompanying his master.
But what no one knew—what no one could see—was that when they reached the Duke’s chambers, Tommy did not follow him inside.
He melted into the shadows instead.
His footsteps were silent against the stone floor. His breathing was controlled, barely audible. He moved with the ease of an expert, slipping through the corridors unnoticed.
