Thomas rose out of his chair, cutting her off. Reuben jumped slightly at the sudden movement, and looked up at his father,his expression one of confusion. Thomas stared at him for a moment, then he walked away without uttering a word.
Jane sighed as she lowered her hands, feeling bad as she parted her lips to lie to the child,
“Do not fret, darling. Your father has some urgent business to handle, so he needed to leave. I am certain you will see him later.”
Reuben nodded, reaching for his glass of orange juice, continuing with his meal as though nothing was wrong. They ate together in silence, with Jane occasionally checking to ensure he was doing just fine. Once the meal was over, Miss Becker came to collecting and Jane said goodbye for the moment, promising to find him later.
She had intending to explore the house and see if the changes she had made were looking as good as she had hoped they would, but when she left the dining hall, the housekeeper was waiting for her with a look of pity.
“Do not feel too disappointed, Your Grace. I imagine the duke felt... a little out of depth. He is not used to anyone having expectations from him. He does his best, and he is a wonderful duke, but he has lived quite a sad life. That usually wears down a person’s ability to trust anyone. Even themselves,” she told her quietly as she fell into step by Jane’s side.
“I do not understand,” Jane admitted. “I thought... I thought that without his mother, Reuben would be attached to his father.With the duke being his only living parent, they should be inseparable. But Reuben barely looks at him. If I were his father, I would feel hurt too, but I am also surprised that the duke is not more involved in Reuben’s daily life.”
“I suppose he finds it difficult doing something he’s never committed himself to doing in the past. The late duchess... she was not fond of the duke. Or her son. Each time she crossed paths with the duke, arguments would be heard for hours, consistently. We tried to help her develop a bond with the little lord, but she seemed to detest him as well. In a bid not to upset the duchess, His Grace steered clear of her. They did not share any meals, did not cross paths – intentionally or otherwise. They could not even stand to be in the same room. And because most of the time, Lord Wetherby was close to the duchess’ side, the duke avoided him too. So... you are not wrong. They are quite unfamiliar with each other.
“After her passing... His Grace did try. He did what he could to ensure that Lord Wetherby would not feel alone. But it is a tiring, heartbreaking thing, not to be seen by one’s ward. His frustrations are a humane reaction to all that he has encountered. The duke has endured much more – and I cannot divulge all of his life’s story. But I implore you. Do not give up on either of them. Especially not the duke.”
Once the older woman had said her piece, she walked away, clearly having other things she needed to attend to. Jane sighed, retiring to the library to distract herself for a few hours at least.
When she arrived, she picked a book she had read well over four times, because she needed something easy to give her time to, without it being too difficult a task. And then she settled in the corner she had been told was favoured by the duke.
She had changed the chair because it had been worn out and replaced it with a soft velvet arm chair. Once she sank in into the cushions, her mind wandered off, trying to think of what she could do to bring the duke and his son closer.
Reuben was not used to having his father around much, so she understood his reluctance to simply accept his presence. However, it would be for naught if the duke were to give up instead of trying harder.
“What they need... is a proper chance to get to know each other better. I need to find a means to bring them together. Perhaps a shared interest? No... I barely know them well enough for that to work,” she mused to herself.
She felt frustrated. Although it was not what was expected of her, she did not wish to leave it be. She could not bear to.
Perhaps because she saw her own strained relationship with her mother in them. If someone else had approached her mother and pointed out how much she had hurt – and would likely cause even more pain to Jane, would Harriet have listened? Would their lives be different? She would never know.
But it was not too late for Reuben and his father. The poor child did not need to lose both parents.
“What can I do?” she groaned, rising to her feet.
She wished she could visit her friend Nora. She was wonderful with children, although she had not birthed her own yet. Nora had been a benefactor for an orphanage home for a while and she cared for each of them as though they were her own. Jane knew she might have some invaluable advice for her.
Unfortunately, she had yet to return, which meant Jane was on her own for the time being.
As she paced back and forth by the window, she continued to think, nearly praying to be struck by divine inspiration. Then, she caught sight of something outside the window and her feet came to a stop on the carpet.
She peered through the window, her brows furrowed in concentration, raising when she realized what she was seeing.
There was a lake that ran along the edge of the estate, its water shimmering beautifully beneath the sun. As Jane wondered how she had not noticed it before, an idea formed in her mind.
Maybe... just maybe, that work.
Clapping her hands in excitement, she quickly left the library, eager to begin preparations to carry out her plans.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“We’re all set, Your Grace.”
Jane breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at the housekeeper, accepting the basket the older woman gave to her.
“And everything is in place? The foods they prefer? The blanket?” Jane enquired, just to be certain.
Mrs Greene, who, to her credit, had been rather patient with the duchess since she had begun to prepare for this, nodded sagely.
