“I won’t forget.” He wouldn’t either. Charles had a memory like a steel trap which had so far proven to be quite useful in his life.
The carriage pulled up in front of the buildings which housed Parliament. This was a first. He climbed out ahead of Arthur and waited on him. He glanced up at the imposing sky. When they had left the house, the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. Now a storm seemed to be approaching. He hadn’t paid attention to it when they left Smith’s, probably because he was in a daze as they walked out.
Walking beside Arthur, Charles took his surroundings in. There were people walking in and out and when they did enter, it became more apparent that there was so much more to where laws were passed than he ever imagined.
“Let’s go to the dining room first and get something to eat,” Arthur said.
Charles nodded as they made their way through the crowd. He was hungry but hoped it would be quieter in the dining room. He disliked crowds, always had.
He was not prepared for the large number of people inside the dining room, though it was quiet considering the multitude of men having lunch and discussing whatever it was men in Parliament talked about outside the chamber. The tables were closer together than he liked, but if he had to guess, they were trying to accommodate a larger number of guests. MPs with their wives, or businessmen. Charles knew he had to be careful and ignore what might be going on around him or he’d find himself fleeing.
They were seated at a table in the middle of the room, one of the few empty tables available. Arthur gave the young man their drink and food orders and he quickly disappeared.
“I hope you’re okay with what I chose. Their steaks are memorable. Most popular item, I believe,” Arthur said.
“Yes, that is fine. I haven’t had a steak in a long time and that was when my first book had been published,” Charles replied.
Arthur absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair before he spoke. “That is quite a long time. I’ll ask Daphne to put steak on the menu so you can have it at least a couple of times a month.”
“Please don’t trouble her with something so unimportant.”
“Trust me, it’s no bother. Daphne is still finding her way as duchess, and this is one area she seems to enjoy.”
“What would that be?” Charles asked.
“Making sure the household is at its best, the meals the best. In fact, you’re in for a treat. When we’re in Kent, she makes a point of serving new dishes she might want to serve at some soiree we might be having.”
“The two of you have a unique relationship. You complement each other very well.”
“Thank you, Charles. That means a lot. You’re very observant.”
“I’m told it’s one of my redeeming qualities,” Charles replied with a lop-sided grin.
“An excellent quality to have.”
Trying to keep the noise in the room from overwhelming him, Charles realized he was going to have to work hard to accomplish that. He hadn’t told anyone about it since he left Wight. He didn’t want people making a big fuss over him. It was something Frazier had tried and tried to help him with. Every time he felt he couldn’t take it, people in general, he slipped away. He sometimes took long walks, other times he went to one of his hiding places on the estate. If he was going to stay with Arthur, he would need to find places he could retreat to in times like this.
“Have you ever been to Tattersall’s?” Charles asked his brother.
“Yes, quite a few times. Have you been?”
“Once.”
“We could go if you want to pick out a horse. If not, I have several for you to choose from in Kent.”
An older man arrived at the table with their lunch while another poured each of them a glass of wine. Charles held his breath until they left. It was getting harder and harder to sit with all the noise, but he was determined to.
“I think I’d like to see what you have first.”
Arthur picked up his glass of wine and took a swallow before cutting into his steak. Rare to perfection. “Roxanne’s husband Graham has some exceptional animals, though I’m not sure what he has available. It might be a good idea to see what he has.”
Staring down at his food, Charles nodded. He cut a small piece of steak and pushed it around on the plate. “That sounds like a good idea as well.”
Watching his brother push his fork around on the plate, Arthur couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t particularly fond of rare meat. “If the steak isn’t cooked the way you like, we can have it sent back.”
“No, that isn’t necessary.”
“It’s no problem. They won’t mind.”
