Such a small and silly thing, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if the Duke loathed him for it.
“You probably should have.” The Duke chuckled as he scooped Hugh into his arms. The boy looked so tiny and fragile compared to his father’s large frame, but the Duke was gentle, even tender. “But this is how we learn.”
“L – learn?” Hugh stammered.
“Has anyone ever told you what is to be done when you fall off a horse?”
Hugh frowned. “N – n – no.”
“It’s quite simple, really. You get back on.”
Hugh’s brow furrowed. He looked confused. But the Duke continued to smile at his son, and it was enough to see a smile take Hugh’s face too.
Yvette stayed back on her horse and watched the moment closely, her heart soaring and her chin even wobbling at how touching the scene was. Once again, everything that she had thought about the Duke when she first met him proved false. He really did have a softer side.
More than that, he is clearly capable of being a good father.
“Come on then.” The Duke kept his son in his arms. “You look fine but let us get you home so we can be sure. Miss Norleigh…” He turned to Yvette, and she balked because she had been staring. “Can you guide my horse back?”
“Me?”
“I’m going to carry Hugh,” he said. “The house is not far but I don’t want to risk riding with him in this condition.”
“Oh.” She blinked as she came into herself. In the back of her mind, she could still hear screaming, but she did her best to ignore it. “Y – yes, of course.”
“Thank you.” With that said, he stalked across the paddock, his son in his arms. As he did, she heard him say something to Hugh, which caused laughter in the young boy.
Yvette gaped… and then smiled. This might not have been what she imagined or planned, but the result was the same. The Duke was growing closer to his son, a bond was developing between them, and her heart soared to see it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You were lucky today.” Yvette pulled the blankets up to cover Hugh’s body and chest, tucking him in nice and tight. “You could have been seriously injured.”
“I know,” he said with a wince. “I just… I just got excited.”
She laughed. “Didn’t we all. But from what I was told, your injuries are little more than some deep bruising. And boys your age should be covered in bruises.” She winked. “It’s how you know they’re having a good time.”
Hugh was tucked into bed. The fire in the hearth simmered softly. It was getting late, Yvette was starting to feel tired, and she could tell from Hugh’s demeanor that he was the same. But there was something else wrong… something that clearly sat on his mind so that he could hardly bring himself to look at her.
“Hugh, is something the matter?”
“No,” he said a little too quickly.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Shall we try that again? Without the lie this time.” She laughed and stroked his cheek; a natural inclination she had to show him that she was there for him.
He sighed and looked away. “The Duke… he heard me stutter.”
She noticed that he still called his father ‘the Duke,’ but she chose not to bring it to attention.That will change… in time.
“I know,” she said gently.
“Did he say anything?” Hugh looked at her desperately. “Did he… do you think that he’s… ashamed of me?”
“Listen to me.” She made sure to be looking right at Hugh when she spoke, needing him to see the truth in her eyes. “The Duke is your father, Hugh. He loves you, no matter what.”
“But –”
“But nothing,” she cut him off. “Stutter or no, he does not care. Do you want to know what I saw today? I did not see shame. I did not see disappointment. What I saw was a father who was terrified that his son would hurt himself, as well as relieved when he realized that he hadn’t. That is all.”
