Well, no surprise there. He didn’t go around trumpeting the fact he was the brother of the Duke of Gilchrest. It wasn’t a secret. But he wasn’t a gentleman of the ton any longer, and he preferred to keep his background quiet. He also preferred being assessed by others based on his business acumen, his leadership onboard ship, and his skills in the field. He worked hard to become the man he was today.
Setting eyes on Vivian this afternoon reminded him of just how long he had been without female companionship. Always selective with his lovers, he kept his affairs brief and satisfying physically. He never entangled himself emotionally. When he met Vivian last year, her wit and courage struck a chord with him. The friendship she extended to him through her letters reminded him there was more to life than merely work and responsibility. He hated to admit it, but he was lonely. Smiling, he thought of her charcoal-smudged fingers. At least not everything about her had changed.
He glanced over as the clock chimed. He brooded long enough-time to go down to dinner.
“So how long will you be in town this time, Jack?” Andrew asked.
“Several months, I think, perhaps until the end of the year,” he replied. Andrew raised his eyebrows in surprise. And Caroline clapped her hands together in delight.
“Really?”
“Yes.” Jack glanced at his mother. “I haven’t any voyages planned for now, and I have a good second-in-command in Nassau who can take care of things in my absence. Everything else business-wise can be handled through correspondence.” He turned to his sister. “Barring any disasters, I am at your disposal as an escort if you like.”
“That is good news,” Andrew said. “I won’t mind bowing out of the social scene for a while. Let my little brother cart Caro to balls and house parties.” He raised his glass of wine to Jack, downing the wine in one gulp. He signaled to the footman for a refill.
“You can start next week. Lady Downing always has one of the last balls before everyone leaves for the country. Vivian and Gabrielle will both be going as well. Vivian hates balls because she is hopeless on the dance floor. You can dance with her, and it should boost her spirits. God knows, Andrew never dances with her.” Caroline sent her other brother an exasperated look.
“To be fair, I never dance with anyone. Lydia did not like me to dance with other women, and since I am in mourning, it wouldn’t be proper.” He took another long draught of wine.
Everyone at the table fell silent. Jack looked at his brother. “I haven’t yet said how deeply sorry I am about the death of your wife. I didn’t know she passed until I returned home from the Mediterranean and received mother’s letter.”
“Yes, well, everyone is deeply sorry for me, but you should feel sorry for the boys. They miss her terribly.” He stared down into his wine, his face haunted. “If you’ll excuse me.” He abruptly stood and left the room.
“You see what I mean?” his mother said. “Now he’ll disappear into the study and drink himself to oblivion.”
“The man did just lose the woman he loved. He has a right to mourn in his own way,” Jack observed.
“Humph.” His mother frowned and then changed the topic. “I thought we should start the summer off properly with a house party of our own at Stoneleigh. It’s been six months since Lydia’s death. I think it is time we entertained again. I will insist Andrew and the boys repair to Stoneleigh with us. The fresh country air will be good for all three of them. We will give it a couple of weeks and then invite all our favorite families out for a summer soiree. What do you think?”
“I think you are plotting already to match me with some eligible gentlemen,” Caroline said. “But since I promised Vivian I would help her scout out possible matches, I guess it could be fun. What about you, Jack? Are you up for such an event?”
“I am not sure, honestly. It’s been a long time since I moved in society. But I agree Stoneleigh might be good for Andrew and the boys. They are about the right age to have ponies, yes?” His mother nodded. “And there is always good fishing and swimming in the lake. I have lots of fond memories of summers at Stoneleigh.”
“Then it’s settled. I will start writing invitations tomorrow.” She stood, and Jack did as well, trying to remember his good manners. “I will retire for the evening. Good night.”
Caroline and Jack ended up in the drawing room at her suggestion of a game of cards.
“You’re much better at this than you used to be, Caro,” Jack said as she beat him handily for the third hand in a row.
“I have been playing with Vivian.” She smiled at him as she shuffled the cards for the next hand.
Jack laughed. “That explains it then. You are learning from an expert.”
“So, you got to know her well on the voyage over?”
Jack had fallen neatly into her trap. “A bit,” he hedged.
“But you have been corresponding with her this past year, haven’t you?”
“Yes, she has been writing to me about her adventures in society. She wrote about her new friend last summer, but didn’t mention your name. I am glad you befriended her, Caro. I know she worried about fitting in here.” He leaned in and squeezed his sister’s hand. “How did you two become friends?”
“Last summer she came to Stoneleigh with her aunts to visit for a week. We were having a day of games, and I was paired up for the scavenger hunt with the odious Viscount Canton, no doubt orchestrated by Mama. He is considerably older than I and quite generous with his hands, if you know what I mean. He had me pinned up against a tree, trying to convince me to kiss him when Vivian came up and hit him behind the knees with a pall-mall mallet. When he crumpled to the ground, she grabbed my hand and we ran.”
“I had never met someone so brave. She didn’t care a bit about Canton’s title. He left quite suddenly afterward, giving his excuses to Mama. Vivian just stood beside me staring daggers at him as if daring him to tell what had really happened. We have been fast friends ever since.”
“First, let me add Canton to a short list of men I am going kill with my bare hands next time we meet. Second, that sounds just like her. On the voyage over, she saved my cabin boy during a storm. She was swept overboard in the process of pulling him to safety. She managed to cling onto a rope, as she dangled from the side of the ship. I have never met another woman like her.” He discarded a seven of spades, and quoted a psalm from his formative years, “She may be small, but she is fierce.”
Chapter Thirteen
