“Whatever she needs,” Thomas said, handing the papers back to the butler without even reading the second one drafted by his housekeeper. “Ensure that she gets.”
Mr Johnson bowed deeply, “As you wish, Your Grace.”
The man left Thomas to his thoughts and his mind recalled how his heart had been thrilled to hear Reuben speak. He had been... ecstatic, beyond words and immensely relieved, but he did not wish to startle the child or disrupt the gentle air that surrounded his son and the duchess.
But still, it was almost miraculous, how far Jane had managed to get in such little time by Reuben’s side. A part of Thomas felt... bitter, that a stranger had achieved what he could not, despite the fact that he was Reuben’s father.
Was he really so inferior? He supposed he should hardly be surprised, since he had been a disappointing child. It was only fitting that he made an equally disappointing father.
“Perhaps my time and presence would be better served elsewhere today,” he mumbled to himself, looking out of the window by his desk.
The sky was clear and the weather had been breezy all day. It seemed a good a time as any to go for a ride. Thomas rose up out of his seat, ignoring the itch in his fingers that longed to hold a brush between them as he headed to his room to change into his riding breeches and boots.
“He approved of my idea?” Jane stared at the housekeeper in surprise.
“Without a fuss, I hear. We have already contacted the necessary professionals to help with the redecoration. As soon as you have relayed your plans to them, we can begin right away,” Mrs Greene told her with a grin.
Jane felt utterly giddy with anticipation. She had hoped the duke would see reason in her plan, but she had expected some sort of resistance. To hear that he had trusted her with his home as much as he trusted her with his son made her heart happy.
She wanted to ensure that she did a great job, so that both Reuben and his father would feel safe and happy within their home.
“Well then,” Jane said, raising her chin. “I suppose we should get started then.”
In less than an hour, a Mr Paul Barete arrived to provide his advice and expertise on Jane’s choices and suggestions concerning the redecoration.
“Such finesse, such eye for detail!” he gasped after she had taken him around the house and pointed out the places she wished to change and what furniture and decorations she intended to use. “Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must say, you are a visionary ahead of your time! Have you done this before? You seem to be well-versed on the subject of home making!”
Jane felt her smile wilt slightly, but she forced herself to appear cheery.
“No... I supposed I learned most of what I know from my mother. She put her best foot forward in every way, when it came to decorating our house. She was quite wonderful to watch,” Jane explained quietly.
“Oh, goodness. I did not mean – I am sorry, Your Grace. I did not know she had passed. May her soul rest –”
“Oh, no. No, no,” Jane coughed, startled by his implication. “She is not – my mother is very much alive. She is just... we are somewhat estranged, is all.”
“Ah,” Mr Barete nodded sagely. “I understand completely. My father and I do not speak because he does not approve of my occupation. He thinks it is not ‘manly’ to care so much about homes and how they look. So, while he and my brothers wilt away, balancing musty old books, I have the pleasure of witnessing the most beautiful forms of architecture and helping families bring their dwellings to life with something as simple as the right kind of wallpaper. They might not approve of us, but as long as we fully intend to be happy with the choices we have made and are content with the lives we lead, we owe them nothing, Your Grace.”
His words were like a soothing balm over her soul. Truly, Jane had idolized her mother when she was young. She thought the world of how capable and adept her mother was at cooking and ensuring the house practically glowed whenever her fatherwas to have guests. But every time the guests arrived and sang Harriet’s praises, Arthur would inevitably take credit for her efforts.
“I very nearly had to teach her every thing about the importance of colours when matching draperies, furniture and carpets together. And my wife can be as stubborn as a mule, at times. It had taken her ages to learn such simple concepts,” Arthur said when a lady had sung her praises about the impeccable colour scheme of the drawing room.
“She has such dull taste buds. It took years for me to refine her palette because I refused to less than elegant meals, much less serve them to my guests,” he had scoffed when a gentleman complemented the chef’s cooking and commended Harriet on her excellent choice of menu.
It was always like that. Her father beat her mother down until she had become a shadow of herself, moving behind him and echoing his thoughts and opinions. No matter what Harriet did, she would always be inferior in Arthur’s eyes and as Jane grew older, he began to see her the same way too.
And Jane could not stand it, couldn’t understand why her mother had chosen to take it all without even flinching. She had learned early on that there were battles that could not be fault if the one being attacked no intention of defending themselves.
“Why, thank you, Mr Barete,” she replied earnestly. “I do intend to be happy here. In whatever way I can hope to be.”
It surprised Jane to find out that she meant it. She did not know what lay ahead of her in the next three months, but she hoped to be able to make the most of the time she would spend here.
“I am sure you will do just fine,” the man grinned, then he gestured with his hand. “I have taken note of what it is you need for your rooms and corridors. The wallpapers look good, so you might only have to replace certain ones for specific rooms. Some of the furniture you wish to replace are available, and the ones that aren’t will have to be custom made and that will take a few days. Nonetheless, quite a number of things you desire will arrive this afternoon, so you can begin to work on your soon-to-be gorgeous home! Not that it is not lovely as it is.”
Jane smiled it him, “Thank you very much, Mr Barete. You have been a tremendous help. I am truly grateful.”
As he had promised, many pieces of furniture had arrived that afternoon and Jane got to work with the servants, instructing the footmen to carry the furniture into the rooms they were meant to be in while the maids arranged them properly.
Jane had even replaced the chairs and table in the dining hall, hoping to suggest to the duke that he and Reuben start having at least one meal together every day. She had hoped to build some semblance of trust between them and foster some softness as well.
