Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It didn't take long to settle Henry. As soon as he was back in his room, he climbed into bed.

He's even got the book ready and waiting on the chair. He's trying to be helpful, even when he's scared.

Henry closed his eyes and listened to the familiar story about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

I suspect that when Henry visits Castle Montbury with its turrets, battlements, and drawbridge over the moat, he will be excited. He might even think it is Camelot.

As he listened to the rhythm and intonation of her voice, he became drowsy and fell asleep within minutes. She kept reading, wanting to be sure that he was fast asleep before she stopped.

Aunt Grace had made the nursery special for Henry. New paint in a shade of forest green on the walls and one of the footmen had painted stars and planets on the ceiling.

A door led through to Tabitha's room, and she was glad she hadn't woken the nursery maid. Henry had not wanted to disturb Tabitha and knew his mama was awake at the party downstairs.

Arabella sat watching her son, the gentle rise and fall of his breathing, waiting to check he had settled into a deep sleep. Her precious little boy. On the day he was born she had cried tears of joy, and she and Edward had promised the tiny person, wrapped in a bundle of swaddling cloths, that they would do their best to make him happy and confident.

Edward had been so delighted to have a son, and the whole household had celebrated the arrival of the heir to the estate.

A thought struck her that chilled her to the bone. She shuddered, trying to shake off this feeling of unease. Could this second incident be used against her?

A few days before, the Duke of Montbury had accused her of not taking proper care of her son, and it was her fault he had almost been seriously injured or even killed. In actual fact, she had only just arrived on the scene, realized that Emma was distracted and Henry somewhere on the forest track, and set off to find him.

No matter, she had been convicted without a hearing of the facts. In any case, she would not have blamed Emma for the incident. Henry had become bored and decided to investigate something. In some ways, Dash hurting his paw meant he did not wander further afield.

What would the Duke of Montbury make of this second incident? Possibly she was unable to oversee a bedroom routine? Or that she allowed Henry to wander around the house at night?

Would he think that her son was a disturbed child? It seemed unsurprising to her that Henry should experience disturbed nights caused by bad dreams after losing his father so suddenly. Some weeks were better than others, and he usually settled quickly if she read to him.

As she gazed at the embers of the fire burning low in the hearth, she felt a wave of intense nausea, imagining what it would be like if she were unable to comfort Henry in the future. If Christopher's scheme, to have her declared unfit to care for Henry, prevailed, then she knew with certainty that he would separate her from her child. This was what had propelled her into leaving Farrington Hall and travelling to this remote corner of the North Riding.

Henry needs me; he needs his mother. He has been so fragile since Edward died, and only I know how to settle him. I'm helping him be confident and emotionally strong; he's doing so well.

This whole sorry mess of legal papers, threats, and a feeling of being watched all the time was intolerable. Yet, as a woman, the reality was that Arabella had little power.

I have to retain my guardianship and keep strong in order to achieve that. If I were to collapse with the vapours, then that would only help prove Christopher's allegations.

She made herself breathe in and out slowly. There was no reason for the Duke of Montbury to discuss her parenting style with Christopher Farrington. She was creating a monster of fear in her mind with no foundation.

She would fight for the right to care for her son, read to him, and tuck him in at night for as long as he wanted her to.

I like the idea of Dash sleeping in the nursery. It will give Henry extra confidence if he wakes at night and help soothe him back to sleep.

She tucked the blankets around Henry before quietly closing the door and returning downstairs. As she descended the grand staircase, the sound of a voice singing a lovely lament floated towards her, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

That's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

She started to cross the hall, then almost jumped when she noticed a figure rise from the chair in the shadows and come over to meet her.

The duke.

"I wanted to wait for you and find out how the little boy was doing," he explained.

"He's fine. He listened to a story about one of the knights of the round table. He loves pretending to be King Arthur with his sword, Excalibur. He fell asleep very quickly. He usually does."

"It's happened before?" he said, with intent interest.

"Every few nights, but only since his father died, and there has been a definite reduction in recent months," she shared. "He heard two of the maids talking, saying he might be taken away from me to live with his other guardian, my late husband's cousin, Mr Christopher Farrington."

"He sounds like a despicable character," said Robert.

She paused, unsure how much to disclose. Her strongest desire was for a new start here, including open honesty about her life and the complicated legal challenge to her guardianship of her son.

"He won't succeed. His claims have no foundation, and Uncle Joseph will support me in fighting the legal case."

"If he has taken the guardianship to court, then he is either a fool or after control of your son's inheritance."

"I suspect he is both a fool and under financial pressure," she told the duke, certain that this was the case.

"You're strong and have Sir Joseph's support. Even if he files a case, it will take many years to work through the courts," he reassured her.

"That's what I tell myself," she confided. "But sometimes I feel cold, icy fear at any possibility of losing my son."

"He's a brave little chap. You must be very proud of him," said the duke, surprising her, as she had assumed he thought Henry a wilful, disobedient child.

"The bravest boy. I just hope he can have joy and happiness here at Horton Hall."

"We'll make sure he does," promised Robert. "Henry must have fun here."

And to think I thought this man might tell Christopher about Henry's escapades and my inability to control my own child. I was so very wrong.

"We ought to return to the drawing room," she told him, changing the subject. I wonder who is singing with such a beautiful, melodious voice?"

"Ah, I can solve that mystery immediately," he told her conspiratorially. "It's my sister Elinor."

"It's sublime singing," she mused. "She is very talented."

They waited for a pause and applause before rejoining the others in the drawing room.

Standing close together, just inside the doorway, they listened to Nathaniel and Emma sing a duet. Their voices seemed to echo around the room, reaching the high vaulted ceiling before falling to the ground again.

As the duet reached a crescendo, Arabella felt the duke's warm and close breath almost touching the back of her neck. The sensation was stronger than anything else in the room; she wanted to relax backwards and be cocooned in his arms.

This won't do. I'm behaving like a young lady in her first season in town. I'm a widow and a mother. I need to push these intense feelings aside. She moved a little to the side, distancing herself from the duke.

Looking across the room at Emma, she noticed how her face lit up when she smiled at Nathaniel. Her cousin was entranced and falling in love. The two voices complemented each other perfectly, singing in harmony, delighting their audience with the traditional Ash Grove song.

"Down yonder green valley, where streamlets meander,

When twilight is fading I pensively rove,

Or at the bright noontide in solitude wander

Amid the dark shades of the lonely ash grove."

She knew this beautiful song well and loved the poetry. By focusing intently on the words, she almost succeeded in distracting herself from the disconcerting sensations created by the closeness of the Duke of Montbury.