The Portrait of Eisenhart House

“Who is he?”

Aurelia Moreau had meant to ask the question casually, but her voice came out hushed, almost in awe.

She tried to tear her attention from the portrait on the far wall and look at her hostess, Chloe Eisenhart, but all she could do was stare.

“That’s my ancestor Lucien Von Eisenhart, the first and the last duke of Eisenhart.” Chloe stepped briskly up to the picture and wiped the speck of dust off the ornate gilded frame. She was a small elderly woman in her seventies who had surprised Aurelia with her youthfulness when they had finally met in person half an hour earlier.

“Isn’t he wonderful?”

The portrait was larger than life and looked quite old. In it, a man stood beside the desk in that very room, the study in the suite Chloe had designated as Aurelia’s for her visit. The large desk was made of dark, burnished wood carved with intricate geometric designs.

But the desk was not the picture’s focal point.

Oh, no.

The man was.

The colors in the antique oil painting had faded, but the man it depicted was still utterly impressive.

Handsome, yet far from perfect.

Gracious, yet undeniably arrogant.

His hair gleamed like sunlight at the ocean’s edge. He wore a flowing black velvet jacket it’s edges adorned by a row of glit buttons.

But most arresting were his eyes.

Framed by thick, unruly brows, they were as blue as the sapphire set in the ring on his index finger. They held a sadness as though he had endured the greatest human suffering, yet were so piercing, it felt as if he were asking Aurelia a deeply personal question.

She felt her cheeks flush.

How silly and ridiculous.

Imagination had never been her weakness.

Chloe tilted her head back to look up to admire the duke’s portrait, her sable brown hair marked by a striking white streaks.

“Handsome, isn’t he?” Chloe continued.

“And quite a nice man, from everything we know about him. He was a doctor like you. He lived during the time of the Great Plague. He risked everything to help people, and yet he got into some kind of trouble with his friend the king, poor dear.”

She spoke as though she had met and known him personally.

How wonderful, Aurelia thought, to take such pride in one’s family.

Then, many people were proud of their families. Maybe most people.

She would be, too, if only her sister had—

Aurelia shook the though away.

Not a good time to think about that. “What kind of trouble did he get into?” she asked.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Chloe replied “although I believed it was tied to his heroism. You see, during the plague, the law required that uninfected family members be quarantined with the infected to prevent the disease from spreading. That doomed the healthy ones to catch the disease, too, and die.” Chloe sighed.

“The duke apparently saved dozens of uninfected children by secretly removing them away from their quarantine early, even though that was considered a crime.”

“I see” Aurelia said thoughtfully. She understood the risk to the duke as well, especially in those days where even the most basic understanding of sanitation and other methods was lacking. He could have caught the plague himself.

“Isn’t his dog wonderful?” Chloe added.

In the portrait, the duke’s hand rested on the head of the black and white frost hound. The animal resembled the lively one who scrabbled playfully around Aurelia’s feet.

“The Frost Hound of that era don’t look quite the same now” Aurelia said. “They are little bit smaller.”

“Yes, there are differences. For one thing, they didn’t have such complicated breed names. They were just simply called Eisenhart Frost Hound, as the duke was fond of them. But I’ll bet the dogs had the same sweet temperaments.”

Chloe glanced at her diamond-circled wristwatch. “That’s enough for tonight. It’s late. You’ll want to unpack and get ready for bed.”

In truth, Aurelia didn’t. She had arrived in England that very morning for the medical conference that had brought her to this country for the first time. Though jet lag had nearly overtaken her during the endless lecture, somewhere between the conference, the taxi ride, and arriving here, she had found her second wind.

Still, she obediently followed Chloe as the older woman finished showing her around the suite, carefully stepping around the frost hound as it bonded playfully at her feet. Now and then, Aurelia bent down to pat the sweet looking hound. She had always loved hounds.

She had lost her own named Kattie, only a few months earlier.

The study was part of an expansive suite filled with antique furnishings, including a grand bedroom and a spacious bathroom with a porcelain sink trimmed in gold. The place could easily have been the mansion’s master suite.

A troubling thought struck Aurelia. “This is all wonderful, but you haven’t given up your own rooms for me, have you?”

Chloe chuckled.

“Of course not, Aurelia. I’ve always kept and reserved this suite ready for you.”

The remark seemed an odd thing to say, but kind.

Thank you,” she said, setting down her oversized bag, which looked embarrassingly shabby against such opulence. She had noticed a pair of maids upon arrival efficient and discreet, judging by how quickly her belongings had been delivered.

“Thank you,” Aurelia replied, putting down her oversized bag, which looked embarrassingly shabby against such luxurious surroundings. She had noticed a couple of maids upon arrival, efficient and discreet, judging by how quickly and quietly her belongings had been delivered.

Chloe led her back to the suite’s study. “Now I’ll leave you.”

She held out her perfectly, manicured hand. When Aurelia took it, the older lady unexpectedly pulled her into a firm embrace.

Aurelia stiffened.

She wasn’t used to such close contact with anyone. It made her uncomfortable, especially when it stretched on for several long seconds.

Chloe felt fragile in Aurelia’s arms, her small frame barely reaching Aurelia’s shoulders as her hand only just managed to reach Aurelia’s face.

“You don’t know how long I have been waiting for your visit.” Chloe murmured, her voice was intense with an emotion Aurelia couldn’t interpret.

“I’ve been looking forward to it as well.” Aurelia replied

But Chloe’s words seemed strange and unsettled Aurelia.

The anticipation seemed deeper than it should have been. Chloe had been looking forward to her visit far longer than she needed to.

Aurelia had originally planned to visit the year before, but a last-minute work emergency forced her to postpone; to her great disappointment, Chloe delayed rescheduling until now almost exactly a year later. Coincidentally, the timing turned out perfect, aligning with the London medical conference Aurelia had long wanted to attend.

“Good night, Aurelia,” Chloe paused at the doorway.

She was undeniably a pretty lady, with high cheekbones and a delicate chin, though faint wrinkles framed her hazel eyes, and fine veins traced her pale cheeks. Her smile sweet yet knowing carried a meaning Aurelia could not decipher.

“Sleep …. Well.”

Her gaze flicked briefly over Aurelia’s shoulder before she hurried out, her dog following close behind

Aurelia turned slowly to see what she had been looking at. There was only one thing Chloe could have been looking at. Behind her loomed the portrait of Lucian von Eisenhart, duke of Eisenhart.

Aurelia stared again for a long moment.

The man had certainly been Imposing.

Noble.

Handsome.

And had lived a long, long time ago.