Fitz was making his way across the lawn toward them, and Grace noticed Henry with him. They must have been returning from an outdoor adventure, as they appeared with hair mussed and faces glowing.
Grace noticed the men had removed their coats—likely due to the heat—and Henry had rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms. She was transfixed and watched the muscles and tendons dance under his lightly tanned skin as he gesticulated while sharing a story with Fitz. The men’s laughter brought her out of the moment, and she turned away from them to hide her flushed complexion, focusing on the children instead of the duke.
Miles, Moira’s eldest, was playing with a young striped tabby cat he found in the barn, and four year old Emily was giggling in her mother’s lap. They were both beautiful children who had their mother’s coloring, and from what Grace had seen, they were loving and well-behaved. Moira was an adoring mother and played a more active role in her children’s lives compared to many of their peers.
Noticing the men approaching, Miles began jumping up and down, much to the displeasure of the cat clutched in his arms. “Uncle Henry!” he shouted. Having had more than enough, the cat leaped from his arms with a hiss, leaving a long scratch across his hand. Miles yelped from pain, his eyes welling with tears as the men reached them.
“What is all this?” Carrington asked gently, kneeling before the boy, and lightly taking his injured hand.
“The kitty hurt me,” Miles said, lips trembling. His voice wobbled as he continued, “I was just trying to pet him. I love him, but he was mean to me.”
“I’m sorry that you are hurting, Miles,” Henry said, comforting the child. “We’ll be sure and clean the wound down at the creek when we go fishing and you will feel better in no time.” All of this was said with a soothing tone that had a calming effect on Miles. Henry never let go of the boy’s hand as he continued to sooth him. “Do you still want to go fishing with your father and I?” he asked. Sniffling, Miles gave an enthusiastic nod. “Good,” the duke continued. “But before we go, I want you to go over there and make friends with the kitty again,” he said, pointing toward the corner of the patio where the cat now crouched.
“But what if he hurts me again?” Miles asked with more than a bit of trepidation.
“If we treat them with care, animals like cats won’t hurt us,” Henry told the young boy. “But we have to be gentle with them. Do you think you were as gentle with the kitty as you could have been?”
Miles looked down, shaking his head. In a defeated voice, he said, “Are you upset with me, Uncle Henry?”
Placing his hands on Miles’s shoulders, Henry said, “Look at me, Miles.” The boy raised his head, noticing the soft expression on his face. Henry continued, “I am not upset with you, and you can never disappoint me, do you understand? But I think this is an important lesson that we need to treat our animal friends with kindness. Animals help us in many ways, and they also give us comfort and love. We need to give them the same love and treat them with care.” Miles smiled, nodding in agreement. He wrapped his arms around Henry, who seemed to melt into the boys embrace, then ran off to make up with the cat.
“Well done,” Grace murmured, staring at the duke and feeling a tug at her heart. The sentiment spilled from her before she could think about what she was saying or doing, mesmerized by the scene. He would make an excellent father. Looking up from his crouched position, their gazes locked, Henry beamed at her. Every inch of his stunning face lit up as the smile crawled across his face, and she could not force herself to look away. The moment held as he slowly returned to standing and bowed his head.
“Lady Harcourt, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he said.
Fitz cleared his throat, breaking the tension, while Moira looked on wide-eyed. “Well,” Fitz said, “we better head toward the fishing hole if we want enough time to catch something for the children’s supper.” At that pronouncement, Emily slid off her mother’s lap and took Fitz’s hand. Miles stood in the corner petting the cat as it basked in the sun.
“I want to go fishing, but I don’t want to leave the kitty alone,” Miles said. “I want to take care of him and make sure he’s alright, like Uncle Henry said.”
“Why don’t you bring the kitty to me, and I’ll take care of him while you are gone?” Grace offered. “I have a fondness for cats,” she added with a smile.
“Really?” Miles said, now eager to be off fishing with his father and Henry. He scooped up the cat and delivered it to Grace’s waiting arms. She snuggled the tabby, watching as the boy scampered over to the men and took Henry’s outstretched hand. As she nuzzled the cat’s soft head, she could feel the duke’s eyes on her, scorching her in their wake. She didn’t look at him again, fearing her expression might be too telling, so she turned her attention to Moira.
Before departing, she watched as Fitz leaned over and kissed Moira on the top of her head in a practiced move. Seeing her friend happy filled her with warmth, and she longed for that kind of affection herself.
Moira watched the group amble off with a slightly dreamy smile on her face before abruptly turning toward Grace. Looking like the cat who got the cream, she delightfully exclaimed, “And just what was allthatabout?”
CHAPTER17
Grace’s instinct was to claim ignorance and respond that she didn’t know what Moira was talking about. However, that would defeat the purpose of coming out to talk with her about the duke and try to gain some insights on how to proceed. Feeling herself blush, Grace placed a hand on the cat and stroked him gently, gathering her thoughts before explaining.
“Oh, no,” Moira said while shaking her head, “don’t use the cat to ignore me. I saw that look between you and Henry, don’t you try and deny it.”
Taking a deep breath, Grace affirmed her friend’s statement. “I’m not trying to deny it, I am just trying to figure out where to begin . . . This is what I wanted to talk to you about . . . His Grace has asked me to marry him.”
Moira looked as stunned as Grace had felt that morning when the duke had first proposed the idea. Swallowing her nerves, Grace explained to Moira how he had first laid out the prospect that morning and recounted their conversation. She described her fears as well as Henry’s justification for the match, and Moira listened in rapt attention. Finally finished, the cat’s rumbling purr provided Grace comfort as she waited for her friend’s reaction.
“Well, it’s not what I believe either of us was expecting, but what an answer to your prayers,” Moira finally said. “You now have a solid option for your future, much better than working for another, don’t you think?”
“It’s all just too much,” Grace cried. “What should I do? I understand why he thinks this is a good idea, a wife would truly be able to help him in his circumstances. And I also empathize with his fears about having his choice of partner taken away from him,” she said, recalling her own marriage. “But I have no desire to remarry, and even if I did, who am I to be a duchess?”
“Grace, what is it you are truly resistant to?” Moira asked. “Forget for a moment that Henry is a duke. Do you object to him as a man? Do you think you would be unhappy married to him?”
“No, I think he would be quite kind to me, he has been nothingbutkind and helpful in the short time I have known him.” Grace paused, deciding to omit Henry’s confrontations with Thomas. “I think he would be a rather remarkable father and husband, and I admire how seriously he takes his role as provider for all those who rely upon his estate management,” she said wanting to be fair in her assessment of the man. “But it’s not as simple as whether I like him. This would change what I imagined for my future. And even if I did want a husband, forgetting that he is a duke is not possible, it’s inherently a part of who he is now.”
“So, you do like him?” Moira pressed.
“Yes, alright, I like him.” She said, giving Moira what she wanted to hear. “Are you happy?”
