She looked down at Thomas who was starting to feel a little too comfortable against the pillows, feeling his strong sense of responsibility grow muted with each moment that passed.
“Will you be all right by yourself, Your Grace? We will only be gone for a little bit, I think.”
Thomas waved a hand nonchalantly. “Take your time. I will remain here, indulging in the overexaggerated spread you had curated for this activity.”
To emphasize his point, he picked up a miniature sandwich and took a bite.
“Enjoy your adventure, Jane. Safe travels, Reuben.”
To his surprise, the boy waved at him, before dragging Jane off in the direction of where he had spotted some birds clawing at the dirt. A surprised chuckle bubbled out of his throat and he leaned further back, unwilling to take his eyes off of them.
Perhaps he had been too rigid when they had breakfast last time. He should have not expected so much then, and he had no right to be upset at Reuben for failing to meet his expectations. The child owed him nothing, and Thomas needed to try to meet him halfway, at least.
Although he was jealous because it was evident Reuben prepared the company of a woman he had known for only a few weeks over his own father’s, after a moment of reflection, Thomas realized he could not blame the child.
He had given up too easily on crafting a bond with him, and as such, it was much harder to do so now. But he was determined to keep trying.
For Jane’s sake, especially, so that her efforts would not go to waste.
“Oh, look, a small patch of wildflowers! Aren’t they just lovely? Oh, for me? Why thank you!” he heard Jane exclaim as Reuben plucked a flower from the ground and offered it to her.
She smiled softly at Reuben, reaching out to adjust his had so that his face was sufficiently hidden from the sun, and Thomas was struck by how close they seemed. Jane had done a wonderful job caring so adeptly for him, easily leaning into the motherly expectations placed on her suddenly. And as a result of her efforts, it looked as though she had borne Reuben herself.
As much as it disappointed Thomas to still fall short of Reuben’s attention, he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would have been like if he had married a woman like Jane.
The thought was sudden, and it caused him to sit upright abruptly, and he quickly dismissed the thought. It was evident that he was beginning to get too distracted by the comfort he was obtaining from this moment.
Reuben found something he liked and Jane raised her hands above her head, cheering him for his find, her dark blonde curls bouncing prettily. Reuben was clearly pleased that she shared his enthusiasm and put his hands up to mimic her actions.
There was something quite remarkable about how full of vibrant and excited Reuben was that made Thomas feel his heart threaten to burst with fondness.
Intent to make the most of this opportunity Jane had provided them with, Thomas stood up and walked over to where they were standing. Reuben was still engrossed with his find – a smooth, small rock – whereas, Jane faced him as he approached, her blue eyes sparkling with interest.
“Have you come to join us, Thomas?”
His lips quirked upward slightly and he nodded.
“You were both gone for longer than I thought you would be, so I thought it would be better to join you. Might I propose a game?” he suggested.
Almost instantly, both the duchess and young lord faced him fully, their eyes sharp with rapt attention. Thomas chuckled as Jane stepped closer.
“What sort of game?” she asked.
“Well...” Thomas mused, looking down at Reuben. “Tag?”
The boy stared up at him, a frown gracing his young features, while Jane clapped her hands.
“Oh! Excellent! Reuben,” she paused until the child had shifted his attention to her. “We’ll pick one person to be ‘it’ and that person has to chase the others. When you catch one, that person becomes ‘it’ and chases everyone else. Do you understand?”
Reuben nodded eagerly, only to shake his head moments later, rather hesitantly. Jane chuckled, patted his hair fondly as she offered.
“To show you how to play this game, I volunteer to be ‘it’ for this round.”
“A valiant offer,” Thomas nodded, gesturing at Reuben to back away. “Prepare to run. You shouldn’t let her catch you.”
As it turns out, Reuben was excellent at applying the rules they had told him. He ran as fast as his little legs could get him, darting behind the valet who had accompanied them to hide. Jane laughed at his commitment, setting her sights on Thomas since he was closer.
And suddenly, he was faced with a conundrum. Although he could flee, he found it hard to do so, because he had never done anything like this before. Idealistically, it sounded easy, to simply avoid Jane’s touch. But when the time came to do so, he found himself darting about awkwardly, looking unsettled every time she came even closer.
