by Ayles, Abby
The look brightened her face to glowing and the sound of her laughter reminded him that she was a strong woman – or that she would be one day.
He knew deep in his heart he would do anything to see that smile, to make sure Annabelle was happy.
It was strange to see Annabelle pushing him toward Julia. Surely Annabelle was not rejecting him? She had a reason why she was pushing Julia to him.
Without thinking, he said, “I wonder why?” aloud, under his breath.
“What is that?” Duke Cartwright looked up at him from his seat by the small iron table. Duke Colbourn glanced at him.
“I apologize, your Grace, I was deep in thought. I did not realize I spoke aloud.”
“It is quite all right, my Lord, but please, what do you have on your mind, if you do not mind sharing?”
"There are times when thoughts are not appropriate spoken in mixed company, your grace,” Duke Colbourn replied. He turned to the Balfour brothers.
“Are you attached to any ladies, my Lords?”
The two brothers looked at each other. It was Gilbert who replied. “No, your Grace. Right now, I am directed to follow my brother while he does his apprenticeship in a little church in a little unknown town in England.”
The slight jab at the home of his hose gave Duke Colbourn an uneasy feeling.
It was the third time he’d felt such a way when in Lord Gilbert’s presence. His snide remark about Annabelle’s Cribbage playing, implying she was cheating somehow but had laughed as if it was a joke.
Duke Colbourn thought it was mean and from the look on the women’s faces, they were not amused.
He tried to let the jab slide, as it was not his home, but the older duke caught the barb and did not look happy about it.
“How long do you plan to stay?” he asked in a blank voice, as if he had no intention of telling the boy he was not welcome with a bad attitude and did not want it coming out through his voice.
“I believe I will be here with Lord Leonard for the next three months, is that right?” he looked at his brother for confirmation. Lord Leonard nodded.
“If he lasts that long,” he said, giving the other men a sarcastic look. They smiled uneasily. Duke Colbourn moved his eyes to the Reverend. How was he feeling about the two men in his care? He had an apologetic look on his face but was saying nothing.
“I find that the more people I meet, the more reason I have to stay,” Lord Gilbert replied to his brother. “You have a lovely home, my Lord, and your family is equally lovely.”
“Those are kind words, Mr. Balfour. Thank you,” Duke Cartwrigh nodded at the young man.
Duke Colbourn was unsuccessful in keeping the conversation steered away from politics. It seemed as soon as he stopped speaking, they went back to the original conversation. Boring of it quickly, he decided to take a walk around the garden, which was lit by torches placed at the top of tall, black poles.
The poles almost disappeared in the darkness of the night, making the torches look like flames burning in the middle of the air. The affect struck The Duke of Cardinal with a sense of the surreal and he stopped for a moment to stare at it.
He moved his eyes around the garden, from one corner to the other, following the lights. It was an oval. In the middle of the oval was a small hill, carved with valleys and tiny “roads” that led up to the very top, which was eye level for him.
At the top was a castle carved out of stone. Tiny flowers and decorations surrounded the castle, the pathways that made a waving circle all the way around the small hill and the stream of water that ran alongside the pathways. The light from the torches around the garden flickered off the running water, making it sparkle.
To his left and his right, paths wound around the garden to different two or three person white iron benches. The paths continued on and would lead the person directly back to the beginning and the iron entrance gate no matter where they were in the garden.
It was elaborate and beautiful. He put his hands comfortably behind his back and walked to the left. No matter where you were in the garden, if someone was walking on the other side of the fountain, they could not be seen. He kept his eyes on the fountain, barely watching where he was going.
Several times he strayed from the path into the grass and had to look down in surprise and hop back on the path. He was fascinated by the hill fountain, which it was called by everyone he’d heard talk about it. Mostly it had been servants, expressing concern for the maintenance of the structure.
“Excuse me,” he heard directly in front of him and came to an immediate halt. He looked down into the eyes of Annabelle. She was amused and smiled at him.
“You were quite lost in thought, my Lord,” she said, softly. Julia was standing next to her, pretending she was not there.
Duke Colbourn reached up and scratched the end of his nose self-consciously.
“I do apologize, my Lady. I did not see you there.”
“That is because you were not looking where you were going,” Annabelle scolded him in a gentle voice.
“I apologize, my Lady.” Duke Colbourn stepped to the side.
“I was admiring this hill fountain.” He put his hand out, once again taking in the beauty of the object.
Annabelle and Julia shared a look.
“Hill fountain,” Annabelle repeated. “You have been speaking with the servants.”
“I have heard them speak of it, yes. I have not had a chance to admire it at night until now. It is truly magnificent in the light of the torches around the garden. How did your father come up with such a wonderful idea?”
“It is my mother who suggested it be put together this way,” Annabelle said, turning to look at the small hill.
“She collects miniature objects and wanted a small hill to represent the hill we live on. Much of what you see there is actually on this hillside we live on.”
Duke Colbourn raised his eyebrows. “You are making fun.”
Annabelle looked up at him and shook her head. She pointed as she spoke.
“That group of trees there is a representation of those that you see when you are going down the pathway to the main road, which is there.” She moved her hand to where she was indicating.
“And that road in the one that leads from the mansion to the ground. Mother did not want to use a mansion. She chose the castle because she says if she was able to, she would rid herself of the house and build a castle in its place.”
“Castles are known to be cold and damp,” Duke Colbourn smiled. “I would not want to live in one. They are nice to visit. But I would not own one.”
They both chuckled. “Thank you for telling me about your mother’s creation, Miss Cartwright. It gives me insight into how you became artistically inclined.”
“I am not,” she protested softly, turning to walk down the path. He followed quickly behind, leaving his hands clasped behind his back. Julia came up behind them, keeping a watchful eye but trying not to listen at the same time.
“I cannot draw a stick man, much less paint a beautiful picture.”
“You give yourself no credit, my Lady,” Duke Colbourn said in a confident voice, taking long strides to catch up and walk beside her.
“I saw the painting you did this morning and was amazed by its beauty.”
Annabelle could not tell if he was sincere. Knowing the beach scene she had painted that morning was not a work of art by any means, she decided it was an empty compliment, said only to make her more amiable toward him. She frowned.
“I painted nothing of any excellence this morning, my Lord,” she said in a resentful tone. It took him by surprise and he stopped walking for a step.
He caught back up when she did not stop and said in a low voice, “I meant no disrespect, my Lady, I assure you. I meant to say that when it comes to painting of any kind, I myself, cannot draw or paint in any way. I have an eye for the beauty but it is not something I can represent with brush strokes of my own.”
“I am in the sam
e predicament, your Grace,” she replied. Had she come down too hard on him? She had assumed he was making fun of her but perhaps it was not the case. It did not seem to be.
Annabelle was so confused. The Duke was bringing someone else to appraise the value of the artwork and she was standing in the garden with him at night talking about how neither of them had any skill in the area.
She should have stayed with her original plan to have him look Julia’s way. She felt as though they’d just had an argument.
They walked back with the Duke to the front porch, where the men were still gathered, chatting now about their historical backgrounds.
Duke Colbourn said a silent prayer of thanks.
Chapter 9
Much to the surprise of the girls, Joanna had joined her father and the men on the porch and was sipping tea. She was sitting in the porch swing on the other side of the deck.
The torches that were lit all around the porch made her thick white robe stand out. She looked like an angel. Her feet were encased in large furry slippers.
She smiled when she saw her sisters, Duke Colbourn, and Lord Gilbert coming up the porch steps. It was a weak smile and hidden behind her glass but it was there.
Julia and Annabelle smiled back at her. They went to where she was sitting on the porch swing and sat beside her on either side.
“Your Grace, I would be interested in hearing about your background,” the Reverend was saying. “The Duke of Cardinal was a very distinguished man, I believe. And you have quite a remarkable reputation yourself.”
Duke Colbourn smiled. “It sounds like you have done your research, Reverend Stovington.”
“Charles, please, your Grace. I heard something about you from his grace before you came.” The reverend indicated Duke Cartwright.
“You donated money to the welfare of the immigrants in New York, did you not?”
Duke Colbourn’s chest tightened. It sounded like this was going back to the political realm.
He desperately wanted to avoid debating with anyone. It was not one of his strong suits because of his passionate beliefs. “I did, yes.”
“That was very noble of you. I know for a fact that the money you donated went to help quite a few children who had been left impoverished when their parents died and left them too young to fend for themselves. You saved a lot of children, my Lord, and I admire that in a person.”
Duke Colbourn was relieved. As long as no one else brought up anything political, he was in the clear.
“Thank you, reverend… Charles. That is nice to hear.”
“I suppose you have heard the opposite on many occasions.”
Duke Colbourn nodded, a painful look on his face. “Yes, it is not a subject I care to speak about.”
“We shall not speak of it then. Tell me, the Duke of Cardinal was a kind man at home?”
Duke Colbourn leaned back against the huge pillar behind him, crossing his ankles and his arms.
“He was. He had a fatherly way that made me look forward to being a father myself.” Duke Colbourn inadvertently lifted his eyes to look at the women when he said it, his eyes falling on Annabelle.
The young woman was turned to face Joanna and the three were talking to each other in whispered animation. She looked happy. His heart soared.
When he turned his eyes back to the men, they were staring at him with amusement. The older men looked amused, anyway. Lord Leonard and Lord Gilbert looked a bit disgusted. He grinned.
“I apologize. I believe I strayed off into my own thoughts for a moment.”
“That was quite obvious, my Lord,” Duke Cartwright laughed. “Please, take a seat. You have been on your feet a lot today. You must be ready to give the dogs a rest.”
“I am but I will stand for a while longer. The more I do, the better I will sleep.” He looked at Reverend Stovington.
“My father was very distinguished. He had many friends. He traveled extensively to give advice to others. He was wise and very… he was very intuitive. He was good at solving problems.”
“It is sad that he did not live longer. He had many friends and was a very good-hearted man.”
“He managed to change the world he lived in,” Duke Colbourn replied. “And that was really all he wanted, I believe.”
The reverend nodded. “Understandable, my son.”
“The hour is growing late,” Duke Cartwright said, shuffling in his seat as if he was about to stand up.
“Your grace, I do not want to go inside yet,” Julia called from the swing. “Please stay for a while longer.”
“I am sure the reverend and these fine gentlemen have something to do tomorrow that will require them to sleep tonight,” Duke Cartwright reasoned, looking at the reverend.
“I do not want to leave yet, either, your Grace,” Lord Gilbert said. “I am not tired.” He looked at Lord Leonard for support. His brother shrugged.
“I am fine with your decision, Reverend,” Lord Leonard said.
Duke Cartwright looked from one man to another before finally settling back in his seat with a laugh.
“All right, we will give in to the women this time. But just this once.”
The other men knew that would most likely not be the only time the loving father gave in to the young women he considered his daughters.
From the moment they sat down next to her on the porch swing, Annabelle and Julia held a conversation in front of Joanna, including her whenever they could because they had her trapped and she did not have a choice, in the parlor.
They made her laugh and told funny stories they’d heard from the children that morning. Annabelle reenacted the reaction of one of the little girls to the picture they were to paint, jabbering on about swimming in the ocean and how much fun it would be to get away from a place with so much rain.
“She must have been about six. I have never seen a child so precocious in my life!” Joanna laughed at the looks Annabelle was making to show the little girl’s reactions.
Joanna was giggling, her cup of tea bouncing lightly in her hands.
Julia engaged her sister in conversation and Annabelle began listening to the men. She heard the tension in Duke Colbourn’s voice when the reverend mentioned the donation he had made to the immigrant children in New York. America was filled with orphaned children, apparently.
She was always hearing about the orphanages and other facilities used to keep the children from dying in the streets.
It sounded horrible to her but at least the Americans were doing something about it.
She herself was interested in visiting someday. She wondered if the donation Duke Colbourn made included making a trip there himself. If he had seen the state of New York himself, she wanted to hear about it. She wanted to know what it was like.
He sounded testy when the reverend spoke of the donation, as if he was expecting to be soundly judged for it. When the reverend complimented him, he sounded relieved. She agreed with Reverend Stovington. It was a noble gesture.
When her father prepared to go inside and Julia stopped him, she was relieved. She wanted to spend a little more time in Duke Colbourn’s presence before going upstairs to dream about him.
She was not in control of her dreams and she was glad about it. There was never anything inappropriate in them. He was just there with her.
Julia took her attention away just before Duke Colbourn mentioned being a father. When he’d looked at her, she was not looking at him. If she had heard his statement, he was sure she would have reacted to it.
He would have loved to have seen the look on her face. It was not Julia he wanted to have children with. It was her.
If he had the choice to make.
He was growing weary and losing track of the conversation. He’d done a lot of walking that day.
The only thing keeping him on the porch was the fact that Annabelle was nearby. All he had to do was glance over and he would see her pretty face. He hoped someday he would see her every day.
He g
rinned. Like he was now. But different.
His time at Norrend was going to be cut short any time now. As soon as Mr. Covington arrived, he did not expect to be there for much longer than a few days. How was he going to handle leaving, now that he would be going without his heart?
He would think up some kind of excuse. He would make up a reason. He would write home and tell them he was going to stay for a while longer. Maybe he would never go back.
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
“You are lost in though often, your Grace,” Lord Gilbert said, smiling up at the young duke. Duke Colbourn looked at him through tired eyes.
“I get this way when I am tired, Mr. Balfour. I cannot help it. I believe I must go inside and shut my eyes.”
“It is perfectly fine for you to go when you want, your grace,” Lord Gilbert said. “The young ladies will be there tomorrow, as well.”
Duke Colbourn could not help grinning. He nodded. “You are right. I will see you on the morrow?”
“Yes, my Lord,” Lord Gilbert said, returning the grin.
Duke Colbourn excused himself to go inside. He boldly walked to the swing and bowed to the three young ladies. He held out his hand to Julia first and kissed the top.
“It was lovely seeing you today, Miss Rickman. You have a wonderful countenance about you.”
“Thank you, your Grace,” Julia replied, lowering her head, with a smile. He nodded and moved to Joanna.
Kissing her hand, he said, “Miss Joanna, I did not spend a lot of time talking with you today but I would like you to know that I will make more of an effort in the future. I have fallen short of my duties and I apologize to you for that.”
“No, you have done nothing wrong,” Joanna protested softly. “I isolate myself often. Please do not think another thing about it, your Grace.”
Duke Colbourn turned to Annabelle with purpose. He had chosen to say goodnight to her last because he was going to take his time about it.
He did not want to separate himself from her and go sleep alone in his bed. But he was certainly going to do just that.
