“What do you mean?”
“You look just like him. That could confuse him. I tried to explain he was a twin, but I’m not sure he grasped what I meant,” Denton replied.
“He understands he’s leaving here and will be living with me?”
“Yes, I believe he does, and once he meets you it should make more sense to him. I told him to pack what he has to have, and the rest will be shipped to him.”
“He’s okay with this?”
Denton shrugged his shoulders. “He seemed to be, though as I mentioned, it’s hard to tell what he understands much less comprehends.”
“Right,” Arthur replied. He was beginning to wonder just how much contact Denton actually had with Charles. Perhaps there was a man, a footman or someone, who communicated with Charles.
“I’ll be sure to have my man send you an accounting and bill for anything owed.”
Now came the actual truth. For young Denton this was nothing more than a financial transaction. “From my understanding, money was added to his account once a year.Nothing further is due. The money from the publisher is put into a separate account and everything else comes out of the account our fathers set up.”
“Our fathers are no longer here. The deal ended with my father’s death. I am not under any obligation for your brother’s care.”
Arthur was not going to get into a financial discussion with Denton. The man saw this as a way to make money. He didn’t seem to be a man of integrity. Instead, he simply nodded his head. He’d take care of this after he had Charles away from here.
“No, you’re not under obligation to see to my brother’s care. That’s why I am here. To take my brother home.”
Denton turned his attention to a clock on the mantel. He was obviously very precise and took his schedules seriously. “He’s late. Probably forgot all about this meeting. He has a habit of forgetting time.”
“If you send me in the direction of his cottage, I could introduce myself and see if he needs help packing,” Arthur replied.
“No need,” Denton said, shaking his head. “The estate manager seems to have taken Charles under his wing years ago. He told me earlier that your brother was packed and ready to go. There’s a good chance he’s taken a walk. That’s something he enjoys immensely.”
“Good to know. He’ll enjoy walking on my estate in Kent.”
Denton nodded. He was obviously not liking his day being changed. “Did you bring a wagon?”
“One was supposed to be here this morning. We could check and see if it arrived. If they’re not here today, they’ll come tomorrow.”
That wasn’t the answer he was looking for. “Let me see if it’s arrived. If it has, we can see it’s loaded and sent on its way to London.”
Arthur was amenable to that, but he wanted to see where his brother had been living. “Please do. I’ll ride with them. Perhaps Charles might have returned by now.”
“As you wish.”
His host stood and walked toward the door. A footman opened it, and Denton disappeared. Shaking his head, Arthur stood and walked to the French doors and looked out. His host was rather rude. While Charles had been Denton’s father’s responsibility, the man was rude and acted as though his brother was a burden and couldn’t wait to have him gone.
The door opened and Arthur turned to see Denton standing there. “Wagon has gone on to the cottage. It’s not too far a walk or I can have a horse brought.”
“No need. I’ll walk. Just show me which way to go and I’ll head out. I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
Denton chose to ignore Arthur’s comments. “Come then; I’ll show you the way. Not hard to find.”
Following his host through the house to the front door, Arthur wondered how much Charles may have been in the house. He’d been a young boy when he left his parents’ care. He had so many questions and few answers to them. With his parents gone, Arthur had only what other people knew of Charles and his personality. Even then there weren’t that many people who knew of his existence. It made him wonder about a lot of things. Things he would soon have the answers to.
Once outside, Denton pointed to a path. “Just stay on this path. It’ll take you right to his cottage. His cottage is just inside the tree line.”
Arthur thanked him and was on his way. The path seemed to be well worn, and he could make out the wheels of a wagon which had recently driven by. It was odd that Denton seemed to want nothing to do with the situation. Arthur shook his head. Perhaps he and his father didn’t have a good relationship andeven though the family was in mourning, it seemed Denton was ready to move ahead.
It wasn’t long before he found himself at the cottage. The structure was a good size, and there were outbuildings to the back of the cottage.
As he stood absentmindedly watching as men loaded boxes and trunks into the wagon, a red-headed gentleman approached. The closer he came, the bigger the grin on his face.
