Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mark's house was filled with feminine giggling as teacups were placed back in their saucers. His mother and Lady Elizabeth seemed to be getting along like a house on fire.

The two women had always enjoyed each other's company. In fact, his mother had voiced her fondness for Lady Elizabeth with an excited shimmer in her eyes. Then again, his mother had liked his first wife, too. And she had turned out to be an adulteress.

Mark pushed that thought from his mind as he stroked through his blond hair into place. He needed to focus on the conversation. He needed to be a good host for the tea party. After all, the Duke of Blackwood had a reputation to maintain. And, if there was a story to be spread, Lady Elizabeth was the one to do it. The last thing he needed was for society to believe that he, the son of the great Caroline Goldenthorn, the dowager duchess of Blackwood, had trouble socializing.

The sun filtered into the tea room, and the space felt warm. That didn't mean much to Mark, though. He knew that his mother wanted him to remarry. He wasn't entirely against the idea and didn't mind entertaining people at home.

He had a warm and welcoming home, largely thanks to his mother and his late wife. They'd spend hours choosing every item of decoration and colour to make it the most welcoming home possible.

It got many compliments, so Mark made sure to keep it just as it was.

However, Mark was not the kind of man to be forced into anything he didn't want to do or something that didn't feel like a perfect idea to him. He'd always been stubborn that way.

His daughter, Evangeline, stifled a yawn as she reached for another cake. He caught her eye and winked, causing her to break into a wide smile.

"I don't see how they could ever be finished with that by the end of the year," Lady Elizabeth said. "That construction has been at a standstill for months now. Rumour has it that they've run out of money."

Mark's mother shrugged. "There are always many rumours, aren't there?"

That was just like his mother. She couldn't be bothered by gossip, although she was always happy to listen. The women were discussing the construction of a large house down the street.

It had stalled construction some months ago. The builder was an Italian man, building a manor for himself where he could spend a few months on holiday. What the women didn't know was that Mark knew the truth.

"His mother died," he explained, and he bit his lip when his daughter winced.

"I beg your pardon?" Lady Elizabeth asked.

"The house, down the street," Mark said. "His mother died. So, he has halted construction and gone back to Italy to mourn."

A flicker in the lady's eye told Mark she didn't particularly enjoy being corrected. That didn't matter to him, though. Mark liked the truth. He valued that above all else. That was something his ex-wife, Violet, had changed in him.

She had lied to him many times during their marriage and caused him a lot of pain. He would do everything in his power to return truth to the world.

"He's been back an awfully long time to mourn," Lady Elizabeth said.

"He loved his mother dearly," Mark said. "And she died rather unexpectedly. He was completely torn apart. It won't surprise me if he never comes back."

His mother shook her head. "That's so sad," she said softly. "Well, someone will complete the house one day, and I'm sure it will be magnificent."

His mother then shot Evangeline a glare as she yawned loudly. That's when Mark realized what about Lady Elizabeth bothered him so much. It was the fact that his daughter was bored.

Lady Elizabeth paid her no attention. She behaved as if Evangeline wasn't even in the room. It was difficult enough for a three-year-old to sit still and behave like Evangeline was expected to around guests.

Most people would at least attempt to converse with the young girl or entertain them somehow. There wasn't anything seriously wrong with Lady Elizabeth.

Mark just didn't see what his mother saw in her.

"I suppose you could buy the property and complete it," Lady Elizabeth suggested. "I mean, you clearly know the man well. I'm sure it would help him and dramatically improve your portfolio."

"I could," Mark agreed. "But that would take up a lot of my time. Time that I could be spending with Evangeline."

Lady Elizabeth's jaw tightened, but Mark could not let his daughter struggle through boredom another moment longer.

"We like to go to the park, don't we?" he asked in her direction.

Finally, Evangeline lit up. Her face got colour, and she sat upright, her soft blonde curls bouncing with excitement.

"It's my favourite thing ever," she answered. "There's so much to do there. My father takes me every week."

"That's right," Mark said with a smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. And the new puppy certainly makes it more exciting."

"He's the best dog in the world!" his daughter cried.

"Dogs," Lady Elizabeth said with an unsatisfied smirk. "They leave fur everywhere. And paw prints, and they have to sniff everything, don't they?"

"They also make brilliant companions," Mark added. "It took some convincing, but Evangeline twisted my arm into getting one. I must say, the little guy is growing on me."

"That's lovely," Lady Elizabeth mumbled.

His mother smiled brightly at everything that Lady Elizabeth said. He had to admit that Lady Elizabeth was beautiful, with hazel eyes and brunette hair. She sat upright and slender. While her words gave a fair impression, her face hardly ever changed. She managed her expressions carefully.

She was a perfect lady. But something was missing from her. Nothing about her truly enticed Mark. He didn't mind her company at all, but he didn't long for it either. Still, he knew the tea wouldn't last much longer, and the company would make his mother happy.

So, he made sure he stayed. Even if his mind was elsewhere and his mother had to carry the bulk of the conversation. By the time Lady Elizabeth left his home, everybody was happy.

Or at least so it seemed. Lady Elizabeth didn't smile often, so he had to rely only upon her words to make such assumptions.

*

It was a perfect weather day at the park. The sun dappled through the leaves of the trees as Evangeline dragged her nanny and her friend along with her from place to place. Her friend's nanny followed closely, too, fussing over anything and everything along the way

"So, you bought her the puppy, but you're the one who has to walk it?" Hugh asked.

Mark chuckled. "She's three, Hugh. Asking her to walk a dog for longer than two minutes is a tall order."

The men laughed. "Well, someone once told me it was an excellent way to meet women. They can't get enough of the cute things," Hugh explained.

"In that case," Mark mumbled. "Julia!"

Evangeline's nanny looked up from where they were picking some flowers, and the two came over.

"Julia, I think it's your turn for the dog, if you don't mind," Mark said. "Here, come get Spot."

"Of course, Sir," Julia said with a smile, taking the lead from him.

Hugh shook his head as they walked a short while further. "The Duke of Blackwood," he said. "Mark Goldenthorn! Afraid of having to meet women in the park."

"Don't even get me started," Mark said with a laugh. "You've been my best friend for the longest time. Surely this doesn't surprise you?"

"Not in the slightest."

The two men had been best friends since school. Hugh had been there for every major event in Mark's life and had seen him through the best and the worst times of everything. And still, after all of it, they enjoyed each other's company. Mark had always thought Hugh to be the more attractive of the two of them.

They were rather contrasted when they walked side-by-side. Hugh had dark hair and brown eyes that seemed to absorb light when one looked into them. While Mark had neat blond hair with icy blue eyes that did little to hide what he was thinking at any given moment.

The girls laughed and squealed loudly as a frog leapt out from one of the bushes and towards them. Mark enjoyed the quiet of the park and the sun on his skin. It was one of the few truly peaceful parts of his week.

While he was there, he didn't have to worry about the house or his work, or his mother's insistence that Evangeline would be permanently damaged if she didn't have a strong female figure in her life soon.

"How was tea with Lady Elizabeth?" Hugh asked as if reading his mind.

"A little boring," Mark answered honestly. "She's a very beautiful woman, don't get me wrong. But I don't think she's a good fit."

"I've heard you say that a few times," Hugh teased. "Is there going to be anybody out there who is a good fit for you and Eva?"

Mark smirked. "I like to believe that we're just fine, the two of us," he said. "But she's not going to be this young forever. She's going to get older, and I'm afraid there are just some things that I'm not equipped to deal with."

"She has Julia," Hugh said with a shrug.

"She does," Mark agreed. "But I'd like her to have something a little more stable than that. My mother is right about that, at least."

Hugh gave a quiet nod that he understood. It was a busy day in the park, but there was space enough for everyone. A pleasant moment of silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of two women who chattered up ahead.

They sounded cheerful and as eager for the day as Mark felt. He looked up to greet them. A small and curvy woman with strawberry blonde hair walked side-by-side with another woman who stood taller with darker hair.

"Good morning," Hugh greeted them, and the women looked up.

"Good morning," the taller one greeted in return.

The blonde woman's golden-brown eyes looked straight up at Mark, and something stirred within him. She walked as if she were floating on water, as if the world moved around her, and she was the anchor that kept it all together.

There was a look to her that appealed to him and something about the way that she carried herself that had him suddenly worried about his hair and worried that the buttons on his waistcoat were done incorrectly.

She smiled at him, and it was as if she'd blossomed. As she walked past, Mark fought the urge to turn his head and look after her. He wanted to, though. Just so that he could commit a little more of her to his memory.

"What about you?" Mark asked. "Would you like to take the dog? Perhaps then you could finally meet someone."

Hugh let out a light groan. "I feel so trapped in that, you know?"

Mark nodded. "Your uncle's rule is pretty clear, though," he said. "You get his entire estate, provided you find yourself a good woman to marry."

He turned to glance back at the woman who had passed him. Mark wanted just another look at her, but there were people between them.

"I know," Hugh said. "But I just don't want to rush things. Not even for the money. What good is all that wealth if I can't stand being at home?"

"You've got a point there," Mark said. "We're both feeling the pressure a bit, aren't we?"

Hugh laughed. "This feels like when we were younger, doesn't it? Figuring out ways to get the attention of pretty women?"

"Except now we're both avoiding it despite it being inevitable," Mark teased. "Your uncle just wants to see you happy."

"So does your mother," Hugh retorted.

The two men fell quiet as they walked until, eventually, Mark let out a loud and laboured sigh.

"Things will work out," he said. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself of that or Hugh.

"My aunt always used to say that the answers come when we're not looking for them," Hugh said with a smile. "She and my uncle were so close. I've never seen love like that. It's no wonder he wants me to be married so eagerly."

"Well, not all marriages are like that," Mark said. "Trust me, I know."

Hugh nodded. "Not all women are going to be like Violet, you know," he said. "Some of them are going to make you as happy as my aunt made my uncle."

"I hope so," Mark said. "Otherwise, I don't know what I'll do. I can't go through that again. Eva can't, either."

"I'm worried I'll get married, and it's like my mother and father," Hugh said. "They have a terrible marriage. They hate each other."

"They're still together," Mark offered.

"Out of spite," Hugh joked. "Each is trying to outlive the other. I'm amazed my uncle still believes in a happy marriage after seeing the two of them together."

"See?" Mark asked. "That's what I'm worried about. I don't want Eva to have the experience that you had. I want her to see her father and mother happy. Not fighting."

"Trust me," Hugh said. "She's better off without a mother than with two unhappy parents in the house."

"I'm the second son in my family," Hugh said. "I don't need to be married. I could travel and see the world. But, as you said, my uncle has a pretty strict rule."

"Maybe you get lucky and find a woman who wants to travel with you," Mark said with a smirk.

"We have a lot ahead of us, don't we?" Hugh asked.

Mark nodded, and the men walked in silence for a while. Neither of them had the answers, and neither of them wanted to face what was necessary.

"I've learned that even the most intricate plans are torn apart by fate," Mark said. "I think we're just going to have to let this play itself out."