Page 95 of Yours Truly, the Duke
Right now he wasn’t so sure. “I saw the children imitating my behavior. It was like a mirror of my life reflected to me when I saw them. Things that are fine for me aren’t for them. Fredericka is the first person to make me want to change my life.”
“That’s deep, Wyatt. Almost poetic.”
Wyatt scoffed at Rick’s comment, but it was too true for him to argue with his friend about it. Wyatt’s father had always said marriage was a struggle and a necessary evil. For the first time, Wyatt wondered if the reason for his father’s belittling attitude about wives and marriage lay with him and not Wyatt’s mother.
Fredericka had good reason to complain about him. He was probably too lenient with the children and she a little too strict. There had to be a middle somewhere they could compromise.
And a way to bury their demons. He understood how she felt about her past, Jane, and Angela too. Some things just never went away, no matter how much time passed.
Knowing how desperate she was about Jane, he should have done more. He’d start by not giving her his opinion on Jane and her sister when she wasn’t asking for one.
Wyatt had to put to bed some memories about his father as well. The duke had been a good father but was wrong about wives. Wyatt didn’t know why. Maybe he would have known if his mother had lived and he’d had the chance to know her. That had been denied him. It had taken Fredericka to help him understand he didn’t need to be like his father and he didn’t want to be like him. Wyatt wanted to love and cherish his wife.
A roar of laughter from the taproom disturbed Wyatt’s thoughts.
“The reason I wanted to meet you in private rather than with the others was to tell you this is my last tournament. I’ll let the rest of the club know when everyone gets back to London.”
Hurst’s eyes narrowed and he gave a quick glance to Rick before saying, “You sound serious.”
Wyatt nodded, feeling relief and good about his decision to quit the club he helped start ten years ago.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now.”
“It was bound to come to an end for one of us sooner or later,” Hurst replied. “We aren’t getting any younger and the bucks we have to face are getting harder to beat.”
“I’ll continue to help fund the hospital,” Rick said without equivocating. “You don’t even have to ask about that.”
“We both will,” Hurst added.
Wyatt stood up. “I know, but I have something different in mind. I’ll explain it all later. Right now, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before.” He picked up his glass and downed the brandy. “I’m leaving before a tournament is finished.”
Hurst rolled his shoulders and looked at Rick but remained silent.
“You are a gentleman, Wyatt,” Rick said with no condemnation as the front legs of his chair hit the floor with a thud. “The club and everyone who has wagered are counting on you to play your card games and finish the tournament with a total win.”
Fredericka was counting on him too, and it was past time he did what he’d promised her before they married. He’d left her in anger yesterday. That would never happen again. He would stay until they worked out their differences.
“I won my fencing match and we won the cricket game. I’m not leaving you completely without having helped. You two will have to step in and finish for me with the card games.” Wyatt smiled at Rick. “You always said you were as good as I am with a deck. Now’s the time to prove it.”
“I’ll be happy to,” Rick said with a grunt.
“Say whatever excuses you like for my absence. I’m going back to London tonight to make amends with my wife.”
CHAPTER 28
A CLUMP OF DAISIES
—RICHARD DANA
Ye daisies gay,
This fresh spring day,
Close gathered here together,
To play in the light,
To sleep all night,
