Duke of Disrepute (Dukes of Distinction #3) - Alexa Aston Page 0,14
eventually inheriting the farm after Katie’s father passed. With Digsby’s own father dying, the farmer returned to his childhood home for a brief spell. His older brother inherited the title and estate but Digsby received one hundred pounds in the will, which made it well worth his trip.
Weston had stayed on with Neal and Katie, who belonged to the handful of farmers in the area. Most men who lived this close to the coast were fishermen, sailors, or shipbuilders. Neal had tried to hire on a hand to help and couldn’t convince anyone to stay on land. When Weston heard about his plight, he offered to remain for a bit. He’d rebuilt fences and repaired the roof of the family abode. Learned to milk a cow and how to slaughter a pig. Building a new barn had been the biggest task and now that it was complete, a sense of pride filled him. All it would need now were a few coats of paint.
He went to the well and washed up, knowing as it grew dark that the family would be eating soon. Though the food was plain and simple, with none of the fancy sauces he was accustomed to, Katie was a fine cook. He enjoyed her company as much as Neal’s. Though he’d given up all trust in women long ago, he found himself wavering, seeing no guile in Katie.
More than that, he’d fallen in love with the two Digsby children. Maisy, at eight, had golden ringlets and more enthusiasm than a dozen children put together. Mark, her brother and younger by two years, was dark-haired and quiet like his father. Both children were intelligent and polite. As Weston entered the cottage and took his seat at the table, a deep yearning filled him. He wanted to be at his own table, with a wife and children. He realized it had been foolish to let Juniper Radwell ruin his life for so long. Why should a dead woman still rule his world, making his heart as heavy as a stone?
His former fiancée had spread so many lies about him that it was hard to tell where the truth actually began and who Weston really was. Like George, he’d suddenly tired of playing a role and being placed in a cage for all of Polite Society to gawk at. Once, he had been loyal and honorable. He had wanted to be a good duke and care for his tenants and workers. He’d believed in the good that lay within men. Until he’d seen Juniper with her brother. The sight had broken something within him. But no longer. He’d hit rock-bottom, dragging George down to the depths of despair with him. They had risen as phoenixes from the ashes, each creating a new persona and living up to their nicknames of Disrepute and Charm, debauchery becoming not just their way of life but a way to survive all the pain and frustration.
The concerns George experienced after years of such a wasted existence had planted seeds of doubt within Weston, which had driven him away from his friends. Truly alone for the first time in his life, the solitude had given him clarity, which was reinforced by seeing how loving Neal and Katie were toward one another and how devoted they were to each other and their children. Desire grew within Weston, along with hope that he could make the radical changes necessary. He would never be able to be the same young, idealistic man he’d once been—but with experience and maturity, he thought he might return to one who was honorable. Gone would be the shame and humiliation and ennui. Instead, he would find purpose in life.
And a wife.
The right one, of course. He’d partaken far too long in the pleasures of the flesh. He didn’t want to live like a monk. It would take a special woman, though, to cause him to commit to her and her alone. If he were to have children—which he wanted very much—he wanted not only to be a good father to them but a good example. That meant no catting about. True, a majority of the married men of the ton had mistresses. If Weston wanted to alter his entire life and become totally separate from the man he’d been for years, he would need to commit fully to change. That meant promising himself in both word and body to one woman.