Daphne smiled at him. “I know, and you’re doing splendidly. What did you do when you were on Wight?”
“I wasn’t included in any social events, if that’s what you’re asking. It was a rare time if I went to the village. Frazier and I usually would go, but it was mostly for purchasing needed items. We would go walk along the beach from time to time, but that was all.”
“That’s a pity.”
“That’s the way my life was. I was considered an oddity, and it got worse once the lord’s son inherited.”
“That’s in the past. Look forward, take your time, and you’ll settle in nicely.”
Charles finished his glass of lemonade and poured another. “I thought I might go for a walk.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Enjoy yourself. I need to get back inside and go over menus with the housekeeper.” She rose and, as she began to leave, she placed her hand on his shoulder and patted it.
“You’ll be back for tea?”
“I don’t know. I’ll make sure to take my pocket watch so I don’t lose track of time.”
“Enjoy yourself.”
Charles finished his drink and sat back in his chair for a moment. From the position of the sun, he figured it to be mid-afternoon. Still plenty of time for a walk, but where to? There was so much to explore, he didn’t know where to start. First off, he would take his books back to his rooms and retrieve his pocket watch. Then he’d take a leisurely walk. He remembered a path that appeared to go up to the top of a hill. He used to go there to hide but had no idea how he knew that bit of information.
Frazier was nowhere to be found when he entered his bed chamber. Going to the dressing room, he still didn’t find the valet, but instead found his pocket watch and stuck it in his pocket and walked out of the rooms and out on to the terrace.
He found the stairs leading down into the gardens. Walking through, he gave himself time to see the various types of flowers and plants. A lot of the plants were older and had been in their places for years. Others may have been newer but from the older ones. That was what he learned from the gardener on Wight.
Leaving the formal gardens, he found beds of wildflowers and wondered who had thought to plant them. It certainly would keep the garden refreshed as this was an extension of the formal garden.
Continuing, Charles found the path which led to the top of a hill. For some reason, he was sure it was one of the tallest, if not the tallest, spot on the estate. From what he could see, the path had been kept neat and tidy, which made him wonder if Arthur came here. At the top he found a felled tree which had also been cleaned up and one could use as a spot to sit and gaze out on the view of the estate.
He sat there on the tree, looking about the land below him. The house was not in view and the stables were off to his left and were just barely in view. Charles wondered how many years it had taken to get the entire estate looking as good as it did.
He’d never had time to put much thought into his sudden departure from Wight, the only home he’d really known. Really, it hadn’t been a home since he’d been placed in a cottage on another part of the estate where he lived with Frazier. Apart from the occasional visits from a doctor or priest, he’d been isolated. His caretaker came to check on him at least weekly and to see if there were any needs he might have. Other than that, he was alone. People were afraid of him, plain and simple. Thought he was mad, they did.
Now he was back on his family’s ancestral land, and he was trying to make sense of it all. Here he was, a duke’s brother, a second son. He was an adult but had no job. His schooling had been by tutors. He knew how to speak French, Italian, Spanish, and German. He could play piano like any maestro, and he could write better than most. Charles chuckled. He was a genius when it came to math. Calculating sums in his head was a strong point of his.
Sighing, he rose and walked around for a moment before sitting back down on the fallen tree. Though he had wanted to move into the cottage, he chose to stay in his own wing of the house. He was forcing himself to live among his family and household staff. Learning to socialize was an important part oflife now. If he had chosen the cottage, he would have isolated himself, and that wouldn’t be good.
He pulled his watch out of his pocket and looked at the time. He’d been on his walk for over an hour, and he should start back. There would be time for him to take his walks and learn the estate’s secrets. To cover that, he remembered he had found a book in the library about the family and estate. He would have to pull it out and read it. It should give him a timeline of when things were built or happened over the years. See how far the book came forward. Something he would be very good at doing. Details, statistics.
He retraced his steps and went back on to the path where he kept walking until he saw the house come into view.
Chapter Seven
Graham and Roxanne’shunt party came quickly. He’d ridden the bay several times and felt quite comfortable with the beast. Arthur had sent their mounts over to his brother-in-law the day before so they could acclimate to their new surroundings.
The trio of Arthur, Daphne, and himself rode over to the nearby estate in one of the duke’s carriages. Arthur had insisted the horses be fresh and ready to go for the hunt. It was a perfect day for outdoor activities.
He watched as the countryside changed ever so slightly. The ride wasn’t that far and upon turning down the long driveway, Charles noted a couple extra carriages, their occupants having long left and were most likely inside.
As the carriage stopped, Arthur jumped down and offered his hand to his wife. Charles followed. The heavy oak door opened and there was the butler and his sister, Roxanne. Seeing him, she rushed over.
“I’m so glad you came. I think you’re going to enjoy the hunt.”
“It sounds like a lot of fun.”
She turned and looked back. Her brother and sister-in-law were walking behind them. “Lunch is a buffet on the terrace.”
“We should share a table,” Daphne said.
