She glanced quickly at the boy to offer him her support and found that he was staring at his feet as his body trembled. Yvette might have done the same, but she was determined to provide a stalwart of support for Hugh. To be brave where the boy could not be.
Easier said than done…
“Miss Norleigh, I wish to start by thanking you.” The Duke stepped onto the lower landing and crossed quickly to where Yvette and Hugh stood waiting. Such was his size and presencethat she felt an immediate urge to take a step back. “For doing this, and on such short notice. It is commendable.”
“I did not –” Yvette caught her tongue. Still, the Duke raised an eyebrow at her, and the sheer power behind that single gesture made her feel smaller than she ever had. “I am happy to serve,” she finished in a whisper.
“I am glad,” he said with a single nod. Then, he turned his attention to Hugh. “Now, let me take a look at you.”
The Duke observed his son, who still looked at his feet. Yvette could feel the boy tremble, which did not surprise her, as the Duke was doing nothing to try and make him feel comfortable or more relaxed.
“Look at me, thank you,” the Duke said.
Slowly, Hugh forced himself to look up. His blue eyes were wide in terror, and he was barely able to look upon his father for more than a second before snapping his head back down.
“You are more downtrodden than I expected,” the Duke said. “Those clothes… your hair…” He clicked his tongue. “And that smell. Stanley!” He looked at one of the valets who hovered nearby. “Take the boy to the washroom and have him cleaned and made presentable. A haircut. New clothes. He is my son, and I would like him to look the part.”
“At once, Your Grace.”
“Hugh, stand straight when I address you.” His tone was not cold and demanding, but it was not soft either. “And you should try and make eye contact at all times, where possible.”
Hugh winced and looked at Yvette for support.
She smiled. “Go with Stanley,” she said. “I will come and see you shortly.”
Hugh could not have looked more terrified, but he allowed himself to be led away. Yvette kept an eye on him as he went, noting how he continued to tremble and noting how he did not once look at his father.
Alone, finally, the Duke sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“This is not at all what I…” He spoke to himself, as if he had forgotten that Yvette was there. “How am I supposed to… what a mess.”
Until that moment, all of Yvette’s thoughts had been on the well-being of Hugh. Now that he was gone, she refocused her attention on the Duke.
He stood over her, tall and physically imposing. He wore a frown as he looked where his son had vanished, disappointment evident behind his dark blue eyes. At first, Yvette had been intimidated, but now, having adjusted to the Duke, she felt something else swirling within her.
She felt annoyance.
Having spent several years with her drunken father, Yvette had developed a streak of fierce independence, paired with a short temper when it came to voicing her opinion. Around her father and his congregation, she was able to get away with it. But for a Duke…
“Might I suggest that you redirect your judgment somewhere else?” she said before she could stop herself. “He is just a boy, and it is not his fault that he does not know any better.”
The Duke started in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“Hugh is clearly terrified,” she continued, struggling to keep the sharpness from her tone. “Confused, also. No idea what is happening or what he should think. His entire world has changed overnight, and all you can do is judge him for it. As if you are not the cause.”
Her objection was met with a hushed gasp from the valets who loitered about the foyer. Indeed, she felt the air turn cold as if winter had suddenly come.
The Duke did not appear as upset as he might have been. No doubt he was not used to being spoken to that way, and she saw the surprise filter behind his dark blue eyes. It was as if she spoke an alien language, and he was not sure if he should be insulted or not.
“What did you say?”
“I…” Yvette balked, having only just realized what she said… and who she said it to. She forced her tone to soften. “All I meant was that this situation is new for the both of you. And it might serve you well if you were to remember that. Sorry,” she added.
The Duke continued to look at her strangely.
“As my father likes to say…” She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her feet; the weight of the Duke’s gaze was such that it seemed to force her eyes downward. “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar…”
“I appreciate the sentiment.” He spoke dryly and with extreme disinterest. “Just as I appreciate your being here.”
