To Save a Love - Alexa Aston Page 0,17
eavesdropping. It’s rude—but something your mama and I did when we were your age. It is a good way to find out the interesting things adults try to keep from children.”
“That uncle is dead. Ham, Mama calls him,” Arthur said. “Though why anyone would want to be named after meat is ridiculous.”
“It was our nickname for him. Which he hated.”
The boys giggled.
“His name was Hamilton. My name is Desmond but I have always gone by Dez.”
“Do you like us, Uncle Dez?” Harry asked.
“Of course, I do. You are family.”
“But why didn’t Ham like you and Mama?” the boy pressed.
He took a deep breath. “Sometimes, a person is not very nice.”
“Uncle Ham was an earl,” Arthur said helpfully.
Dez nodded in agreement. “Even then, not all earls are good. Just because a man holds a title doesn’t mean he is good.”
“Papa is very good,” Harry said. “He’s a duke. But Arthur and I won’t have titles. Mama says that Reid is the next duke.”
“Title or no title, I hope you are the best boys you can be and grow into the best men you can be.”
The pair exchanged a guilty glance.
Before Dez could ask what was wrong, Dalinda sailed into the room. “Dez!”
As he went to meet her, he couldn’t help but think what a beauty his sister had grown into. She had always been a pretty girl but now she had a maturity and air of authority about her. Being a duchess and giving birth must have added to her bearing. He embraced her, inhaling the scent of roses.
“You look wonderful,” he told her as he released her but took her hands in his, happy they had finally reunited after so many years apart.
“You are as handsome as ever but where is your officer’s uniform?”
Dez didn’t want to reveal in front of his impressionable nephews that he had thrown it in a garbage bin.
“Now that I have left the army, I had to leave my uniform behind. I bought these clothes.”
Dalinda eyed him, frowning, and then he saw she realized the truth. “Well, you must certainly see a tailor soon. No one would guess you are an earl.”
The door opened and a servant rushed in, the color high on her cheeks. “Oh, Your Grace, I am so sorry. I lost track of the little lords.”
“That’s quite all right. My boys have just met their uncle.” She looked at her sons. “It is time for your riding lesson.”
“Can Uncle Dez come with us?” Harry asked hopefully.
“Not this time,” she said. “You have gotten to visit with him. It is my turn now.”
“You won’t leave without saying goodbye, will you?” Arthur demanded.
“No. I promise to see you after your ride. I will depart for Torville Manor after breakfast tomorrow. Perhaps we could share that meal together.”
“In the schoolroom?” Harry asked, his eyes growing wide. “That’s where we eat each morning.”
“Then I will join you there,” he assured them.
“Go along,” Dalinda urged.
Harry gave Dez another hug while Arthur merely nodded at him. After they left, Dalinda said, “They are a whirlwind.”
“Shouldn’t they be in school?” he asked.
“They are . . . between schools at the moment,” she said. “We have so much to talk about. And you are staying overnight?”
“Yes, Bellows suggested it.”
“Bellows is most efficient,” she said. “For now, I would like you to come and meet Gilford.”
“Is he up to it? I know you have mentioned he has been in ill health.”
Dalinda slipped her arm through his and led him from the room. “He will never be strong again. He has had two heart attacks. The doctor said a third would kill him. Because of that, he spends most of his time in his rooms. That’s where I was when you arrived. He is eager to meet you, though.”
As they went down the corridor, Dez asked, “Have you been happy with him?”
“Gilford saved me,” she said. “Plain and simple. He was a good husband to me in our first years together. He taught me so much, about art and politics and farming. He was a good father to the boys, as well. Those years will always be special to me.
“Now, though, is my time to take care of him as he did me. We live a quiet life at Gillingham. We read together. Sit in our garden. I play the pianoforte for him.” She sighed. “I am content, Dez. I live a peaceful life. One of my own choosing.”
“Not the man Father would have bound you to.”
“Exactly.”
“Did you go to Ham’s funeral?