“I am certain you will be able to do so, Your Grace. He is mostly indoors – either in his private chambers or in his playroom. Whenever he feels like it, he will trail after the maids as they do their chores or go to the stables to see the horses – chaperoned by his nanny to keep him safe. He doesn’t go into the garden. Not after what happened three years ago.”
Jane recalled what the duke had told her about Reuben finding his mother’s body and surmised that was where she had been found. She wanted to know more about it, but perhaps in time, she would be able to ask.
Mrs Greene continued on, informing the duchess about the child’s preference for food and games. Jane listened attentively, hoping to find multiple ways she would be able to connect with him.
When she had finished her breakfast, she rose to her feet and asked,
“Would it be all right if I see him now?”
“Certainly, Your Grace. Follow me,” Mrs Green prompted as she led the way.
Now that Jane was more alert, she got a better view of the house. The tall windows in the hall allowed the space to fill with light quite nicely and she could tell that what it lacked in warmth, it made up for in tidiness. There was nothing out of place, nothing worn out. Everything looked perfectly cleaned and maintained, telling Jane that the staff were quite adept at their tasks.
“He should have finished his breakfast by now and is likely picking through his collection of books for a suitable story for the morning – oh, good morning, Your Grace.”
Jane came to a stop as she noticed the duke standing before a door. She quickly lowered into a curtsey, surprised to see him so early. She had not expected to see him so soon and when she stood straight, she was not surprised to feel the familiar weight of his gaze.
“Did you rest well?” Thomas questioned, addressing Jane.
“I-I did. Thank you, Your Grace,” she nodded, blushing deeply.
He hummed, glancing at the door before him. “I thought it might help if I was present during your introduction to him. Perhaps it might ease him into the change. I did try to inform him about it but... I received no response – which did not come as a surprise – and I wonder if he properly understood what it was I attempted to convey.”
That... was rather thoughtful of him. Once again, Jane was struck by the mysterious nature of the duke and how different he seemed to be from her expectation.
Jane nodded and walked to stand by his side as the housekeeper opened the door, cheerily greeting as she walked in.
“Good morning, Lord Reuben! I see you have set out your books for the day. Might I take a look at what the options are?”
The duke finally looked away from Jane and walked into the room, leaving Jane to silently trail after him.
Almost instantly, she was enamoured by the child seated on the floor, surrounded by some books. He was clearly engrossed, even with the housekeeper gently speaking to him and he did not look up from what he was doing.
There was another lady standing by the door and she curtsied at the sight of the duke and duchess, and Thomas introduced,
“This is Miss Becker, Reuben’s nanny.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.” The young lady said.
“Likewise,” Jane smiled a little, shifting her attention back to the duke, who was staring at his son.
And when she looked at the child again, she was surprised to find him already staring at her. With a nervous smile, she waved at him a little, but he looked away after a moment, shifting his attention back to his books.
Thomas stepped closer to him and cleared his throat, speaking up even though he had not been acknowledged,
“Reuben, this is your new mother. I had told you about her, a few days ago and she has now arrived to care for you. I hope that you will trust and respect her during her time with us.”
The child did not glance up once while his father spoke, and as undoubtedly discouraging as it was, Thomas did not look in the least bit upset. He merely sighed in exasperation and glanced at Jane.
Taking that as her cue, she walked towards the child, speaking as softly as she could.
“Good morning, Reuben. My name is Jane.”
The child looked up at her, silently as she stepped closer to him. She glanced down at his books, smiling when she recognized some of the titles.
“I heard that you liked to read, but I did not know you had such exceptional tastes! Quite the refined young man, you are.” She said, pointing at one of the books. “I had this one too, when I was much younger. I read it when I was ten years and I loved it, so very much. It was all I could talk about for days on end. I am quite impressed that you are interested in such a story at such a young age!”
He said nothing, simply continued to watch her with a curious light in his eyes. Jane could feel her courage fading, but she tried to keep her spirits up.
