“How do you know that?”
“I can feel his happiness,” her son said solemnly.
“As it is our mission to be happy, Henry, I think today we have achieved that,” she whispered in his ear.
He gave her one of those rare smiles she treasured. “Yes, we have.”
His words filled her chest with heat. Finally, she was breaking through some of the trauma her husband had created inside their son.
“Can Henry come with me?”
“Where is it you want to take him, Ella?” she said to the little girl who now stood before them.
“There is an area that the Duchess of Yardly, who likes animals and children but not adults, set aside for us to play in.”
Iris followed the little girl’s finger and saw several staff members milling about with children. There was a table with food, and a long piece of rope was being used for tug-of-war. Other activities had children crowding around them. Other people who she thought could be nannies were there as well.
Neither she nor the Devilles appeared to have brought a nanny with them.
“Do you want to go, Henry?” It surprised her when her son nodded. “Very well, but if you need me, just ask one of the staff to locate me. I will not wander far and will return to check on you often.”
“Yes, but I have Oscar.”
“Walter and Oscar can come with us. They will enjoy it too,” Ella said. “And I will not leave Henry’s side.”
Her son nodded solemnly. Ella then grabbed his hand and tugged, and soon Henry was running away from her with the dogs.
“Ella will ensure Henry is all right,” a deep voice said from over her shoulder.
Turning, she found a man Iris had not met before. But she knew whose family he was part of. The Deville genes were strong, it seemed.
“I am Forrest Howarth. Ella is my daughter. A force of nature but exceedingly kindhearted. I assure you, your son will be safe with her.”
He was tall like the other Devilles she’d met.
“Thank you, and I know she is a kind, sweet girl. She taught Henry to ride the velocipede the other day.”
“Kind, sweet, and mischievous,” he said. “It is a wonderful contraption. Ella has mastered it way quicker than any of us.”
“Children do that,” Iris said. “I am Lady Challoner.”
“My family told me I had to call you Iris, so if you don’t mind calling me Forrest, we shall do as they directed. After all, they are not the type of people one wishes to cross.” His smile told her he was only joking.
“We seem to have acquired a dog from Lord Montgomery,” Iris said, her eyes on the children still running away with Walter and Oscar. “Your family convinced me to take him.”
“I’m sure you were coerced. However, I do believe greyhounds are very gentle and make wonderful pets,” Forrest Howarth said.
“It’s my hope you are right.”
“One thing you need to know about my family, Iris, is they can be forceful and leave you feeling dazed,” he added. “But I assure you, they are the very best of people. However, if you disagree with them, then tell them so, otherwise they will simply walk right over the top of you.” He smiled again. “But because of them I learned what happiness was and found my wife.”
“Oh… ah, that’s nice,” Iris said. She wasn’t used to people speaking to her so openly. Before her husband’s death, the only other people she’d talked to besides him were the household staff and her aunt and uncle when they called and demanded to see her.
“One thing my family has taught me is to be candid. Forgive me if that has upset you, Iris.”
“It didn’t upset me,” she said. “I’m just not used to… well, to conversing actually,” she finished lamely. “I lived an isolated life until my husband’s passing.”
“Exposure to my family will help you with that, I promise you. Will you walk with me to meet my wife? She is with the rest of the family.”
