Victoria grinned and said, “I am glad you are in mine, Emily. You and Lily.”
“And Edward?”
Victoria blinked, momentarily uncertain how best to answer such a complicated question. Was she glad to have him in her life? Things certainly had not been easy with him and grew increasingly confusing the more time they spent together. Without him, her position would be so much easier to be in. Having him around made her anxious and uncertain.
Yet…she did not think she would want to go back to a time when she did not know him. It was a confusing notion, but she could not deny it.
She wanted Lord Harford in her life…though she could not say exactly why that was.
At length, she managed to say, “Yes…I am grateful for Lord Harford as well.”
Emily squeezed her hand. “Come, let us scoop up, Lily and head back to the manor. It is nearly time for her nap.”
The two women stood, and Victoria stayed back a bit as Emily called out to Lily, who was still chasing butterflies not far from them. Victoria tried to ignore the uneasiness in her belly and the way her heart hammered with some strange excitement. Knowing now what she did about Lord Harford only made her eager to learn more about him, which she realized was a rather slippery slope for her to find herself on.
Still, she could not fight her curiosity about Cressida and what the woman had meant to Lord Harford. What kind of woman must she be, to have made him fall for her…only to discard him as though he had meant nothing?
Chapter 26
She could not stop thinking about all that Emily had told her and stewed on it for the rest of the afternoon. When it was time for her to go to dinner, Victoria was not certain how to feel about Lord Harford. She had far more sympathy for him, knowing what he had been through, but she still was not certain she actually knew what type of man he was.
Was he the arrogant, rude lord who she had encountered on the ship?
Was he the kind, funny man who had played with his niece in a book fort?
Victoria did not know, but she was determined to find out. She made her way down to the dining room and found Emily, Lord Harford, and the Duke and Duchess already there. Emily grinned at her as she entered and immediately crossed the room to her.
“Good evening, Tory,” Emily declared, hooking her arm through Victoria’s. “Come, you are just in time to hear father talk about his exploits in India. He was quite the adventurer in his younger years, you know?”
Victoria raised her brow in surprise and shook her head. “No, I had no idea.”
Emily let out a short laugh. “He is quite excitable when he talks about it. Edward was asking him about India as he has an interest in getting into the lucrative textile trade there, and father has simply run away with the subject. His stories are quite entertaining, though, so you will enjoy them, I promise.”
Victoria let Emily lead her toward the rest of the family. The Duke and Duchess greeted her enthusiastically, while Lord Harford was a bit more tepid. The Duke then launched back into whatever tale he had been telling, but Victoria was only half-listening to him as he spoke. She kept peeking at Lord Harford out of the corner of her eye, watching him carefully to get a better idea of the man he truly was.
He smiled and nodded as his father spoke, appearing truly interested in the Duke’s stories of traversing through India and exploring all the strange and amazing things the country had to offer. Lord Harford asked questions and encouraged his father to go into greater detail, which clearly delighted the Duke. It was clear that Lord Harford cared for his father and his memories and was treating them with the utmost respect.
That was most definitely a good start.
“Darling, you have monopolized the conversation enough,” the Duchess said at length, her tone loving. She laid a gentle hand on her husband’s arm. “We should sit down and have our dinner. There will be plenty more time for stories after.”
The Duke took his wife’s hand in his and pressed her knuckles to his lips with a cheeky grin.
“You are right, of course,” he chuckled. “Let us sit and eat. I will save more of my stories for another day.”
Victoria watched the two in awe as they moved to the table. During her stay thus far, she had noticed how much the Duke and Duchess doted on each other. They seemed completely mad for each other, even in their waning years. They enjoyed being with each other and spoke with obvious affection for one another. It was a rather wonderful relationship to observe.
Her parents had loved each other, and of that, she had no doubt. It was only that her father had always been so busy with his duties at court that he had not been able to be with her mother quite so often as the Duke could be with the Duchess. When they were together in public, they had always been polite and formal, never showing great signs of outward affection, as that would have been improper.
At home, when they were able to be alone, they would always find reasons to touch each other. Even it if was a simple hand on a shoulder, Victoria remembered distinctly that her parents were always connected when in private. As though they could not bear to even be inches apart from one another.
Thinking of her father caused Victoria’s heart to ache. She missed him so much. She had been so concerned with her mother and siblings and then Lily and Lord Harford that she had not had much chance to think of him. Now that he was in her mind, she could not shake his memory or the sadness that accompanied it.
“Miss Clifford, are you all right?”
Startled, Victoria blinked and found Lord Harford watching her with a furrowed brow and concerned expression.
“Oh, I am sorry,” she murmured, forcing a smile. “I was lost in thought for a moment.”
