Chapter 20
“Additional Allowance” (Summary)
The Duke reviews Anje’s report on Hildegard and notices it seems overly complimentary at first glance. Words like “selfish” and “cunning” slip in among the praise, which makes him suspicious. Elliot, reading alongside him, asks if something is wrong. The Duke half-jokingly wonders if Anje is a swindler, but Elliot defends her reliability.
When Anje enters, the Duke scrutinizes her appearance, asking if she’s wearing makeup. She’s baffled—she owns only basic skin care, not cosmetics. Elliot teases that spending so much time at Lady Mariana’s tea gatherings has left Anje healthier and with a rosier complexion.
Since moving into the ducal household, Anje’s life has become unexpectedly wholesome: regular meals, set schedules, and encouragement to finish her food. She’s sleeping and eating well, which has softened her look despite her perpetually blunt expression.
The Duke grumbles that Anje seems to spend more time chatting with Mariana than working. Anje explains that Mariana invites her and she simply listens to the young lady’s chatter over tea and sweets. The Duke complains about paying Anje plus an “additional allowance” for such duties. Surprised, Anje insists she never asked for extra pay. It turns out Mariana herself demanded that Anje receive additional compensation for spending time with her.
The conversation shifts back to the report. The Duke shakes it, annoyed: it doesn’t clearly advise whether he should marry Hildegard or not. Anje calmly replies that it’s not her place to tell him to marry; the report is objective and she assumes he’ll marry Hildegard regardless. She admits to softening certain details and omitting some of Hildegard’s flaws, reasoning that the Duke will wed her anyway and that helping both parties find happiness is more important than a harshly honest report.
Privately, Anje reflects that the Duke’s “manse-calendar” (a chart of his birth and fate) signifies a cosmic destiny at odds with her own life; she senses his world will ultimately destroy hers. She knows she must eventually leave before she becomes too entangled.
Their talk turns to noble politics. The Duke points out that everyone investigates potential spouses—Mariana’s family is probably digging into his background, too. Anje muses at how nobles can spy on each other and still marry.
The Duke remains pragmatic: marrying Hildegard benefits his family and their standing, and any social rivalries like Mariana’s tea-party drama can be handled discreetly.
A knock interrupts them. Elliot admits it’s likely Hector, the estate steward, here with last year’s tax report. Hector, a friendly middle-aged man in fine winter clothes for someone of his rank, enters and bows respectfully.
The Duke reviews the papers and notices that despite a larger harvest, tax revenue has fallen. Hector explains that while war spared the duchy, the general economy has been poor. The Dowager Duchess lowered the tax rate for a season, but things should improve next year. Elliot confirms this. The Duke signs the documents and thanks Hector for his service, while Elliot praises Hector’s broad connections and popularity.
Anje quietly observes Hector’s quality clothing and expensive accessories, noting that his birth chart shows strong “peer” energy, fitting his reputation as a well-connected, sociable man.
