KATHERINE

"I'm just taking a look around the facilities. I can manage on my own, you may leave," I replied firmly, though inside, my heart was pounding.

"I insist, you really shouldn’t—"

"Who are you to tell the Duchess where she can or cannot be on her own lands?" The Duke’s authoritative voice made me let out a breath of relief.

I had been just about to scream at the top of my lungs.

"Duke… Your Lordship, I wasn’t—I was only trying to help…" The man turned, lowering his head and dropping his