“I should like to paint them into a portrait together. Something you can hang on the wall and admire whenever you want. Would you grant me the honor of doing this for you?”
“Oh, I am not sure.” She looked towards Marianne and the dowager duchess, both of whom were nodding excitedly.
“I promise to return them to you as soon as I have rendered their faces. What say you?”
“It is such a lovely gesture. How long do you think it will take?”
“I can’t give you an exact amount of time, but I would say no longer than a fortnight at most.”
“You would not want him to rush it, would you?” This was from Marianne.
The dowager put down her needlework. “Pish posh, two weeks is nothing, my dear. I had to sit for a whole month when we had our wedding portrait done.”
Could she live without them for two whole weeks? She had taken to studying them before she went to sleep, but to have an actual portrait she could hang in her room was too good to pass up.
“I accept your offer, Lord Dunstan.”
He put them in his bag, and she instantly regretted not having one last look.
“Excellent. I will ensure they are kept safe. I know how much you treasure them, Miss Lucinda. I hope I may call you that.”
“You may and can I know your name?”
“It is Phillip Donahoe. No one seems to be able to pronounce it correctly. Lucky I have a title that is infinitely easier to say than Donahoe.” He laughed and so did she. Lucinda Donahoe, Countess Dunstan, was not so bad. “I know the result will be worth it. I will have a Donahoe on my wall, and everyone shall be envious.”
“I care only that you will treasure it. It will be my gift to you.”
“A gift? No. Surely you must give me the honor of paying for your time, at least.”
He put a hand up. “I will not be swayed. It must be a gift. I insist.”
“Very well.” The look of relief on his face was enough to make her feel like she had done the right thing.
The rest of the afternoon, he spent asking her questions about her parents. She was embarrassed to say there was not much she could tell him, only that she had loved them even though she had not known them long enough. He was particularly interested in her father, but she was to disappoint him again as she knew nothing about his political alignments or his appointment as an emissary.
Chapter Fifteen
It had takenTony longer than expected to reach Lord Shorten’s estate just outside Richmond. The roads were bumpy, and he regretted not taking his horse. He had told no one about his trip, so he needed to be back no longer than tomorrow night.
The estate was quite small compared to the ducal Ashtonvale, but it was a neatly kept two story building with ivy growing up one side that softened the otherwise sharp edges of the house. As he had sent a message the day before, there were servants waiting when he arrived. Lord Shorten’s butler greeted him and ushered him inside, took his hat and coat, which he passed on to a footman, and ushered him down the hall and up a set of stairs. As he followed the butler, Tony took note of the family portraits and asked, “Are any of these of Edwina Shorten?”
The butler stopped short and turned to face him, his expression somber. “Lord Shorten had them all removed when she married. He wanted them destroyed but we had them stored in the attic. We hoped he would one day want them back.”
“I see. Hopefully, my trip may cheer him.”
“I certainly hope so, my lord. These last years have been hard on him, now his wife has passed.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“This is his favorite room; it has a lovely view of the lake. He spends most of his days here now.” The butler then opened the door and announced Tony. He followed the butler in to seea stooped old man sitting in a chair near the window with a blanket on his lap. This was not what Tony had imagined, but of course he must be in his seventies by now, perhaps older.
“My lord.” Tony bowed. “Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.”
“Your note was intriguing. There is not much that intrigues me these days.”
The butler brought over a chair for Tony and a maid appeared with tea and some little cakes. Tony sat and accepted a cup of tea before he spoke again. He wanted the servants to be gone before he told the old man his news.
When the butler backed out and closed the door, Tony put down his cup. “Lord Shorten, are you aware that you have a granddaughter?”
