Page 69 of Love, the Duke
“No. I went back to live with my father for a couple of years before that.” He looked at her as if he were going to say something more but then turned his gaze back to the landscape again.
“Was it London where you lived with him or elsewhere?”
“London. I’ve made it clear I don’t like talking about my father, or my childhood.” Hurst gave her a low, throaty chuckle. “I lived with him from time to time before my schooling. After he died, my aunt Sophie took pity on me and arranged for my education.”
“That was kind of her.”
“And a good thing she did. I am grateful and look forward to you meeting her. At the time there was no chance I’d inherit the title, but through an unfortunate sickness that went through my uncle’s family, the dukedom fell to me four years ago. Thanks to Aunt Sophie seeing I was properly educated, and my close friendships with Wyatt and Rick, who were already dukes and offered help, I was adequately prepared to assume the duties expected of me as head of the family.”
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to talk about that and tell anyone the story. I find it’s uplifting.”
“Only that part is,” he murmured, and nodded a greeting to a couple of gentlemen passing by them.
“Tell me more about your father.”
Ophelia felt the muscles in his arm flex again. He was uncomfortable, but a lovely day in the park with warm sunshine and a pleasant breeze was the perfect time to talk about uncomfortable subjects.
“There isn’t much to tell. His heritage was much like your father’s. The younger son of a younger son who was taken care of by the titled uncle of the family. Where your father decided to go into the clergy to supplement his allowance to properly take care of his family, my father didn’t. An adequate allowance from his uncle was an acceptable lifestyle for him. We could have had a good life. His problem was that he didn’t use his allowance well. As I got older, we argued about that and many other things almost constantly. Does that satisfy you?”
“At least I know more than I did,” she answered honestly.
“It’s enough, Ophelia. Believe me.”
As they made their way closer to the fair, the crowdsincreased; the music and chatter grew louder. She could see the tents, stalls, and tables not far away.
“Come on,” he said, taking longer strides. “I’ll buy you a sweet cake to eat while we stroll. Later we’ll head down the way to see the elephant.”
“Do they have one here?”
A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. “I heard mention there might be. I don’t know for sure, but if they do, we’ll see it.”
Ophelia smiled too. “I’d like that.”
The closer they came to where the fair and amusement area had been set up, the more festive the atmosphere seemed. It was the biggest fair Ophelia had ever been to. There were rows of tables lined side by side and covered in what looked like most anything a person would want to indulge in browsing or buying. Some tables were filled with trinkets while others had clothing, baskets, and fabrics on them. Booths housing puppets singing and dancing were mixed in with tables laden with cheese, bread, and various types of preserves.
Two men were walking along merrily as they each clapped two cymbals together. Ophelia didn’t realize she shouldn’t have smiled at them until she had already done it. Suddenly they were walking alongside her continuing with their banging the instruments together. She and Hurst laughed and ducked into the first tent they came to so they could get away from them. It was filled with herbs, seeds, and other plants. Happily, the cymbal men didn’t follow them inside.
Farther down the park, the acrobats and tightrope walkers drew the largest crowds and she and Hurst stopped to watch for a while. Card tables had been placed on a grassy field where gentlemen and ladies were already playing chess, whist, or other card games. Croquetand horseshoes had been set up near the same area and people were lined up waiting for their turn to play.
Ophelia was enjoying herself immensely, taking time to stop and to look at a table of beautifully fashioned dolls while she and Hurst enjoyed a sugar-coated apricot tart and cup of spiced punch.
“I do enjoy being outside and going for long walks,” she told Hurst while putting her gloves back on. “I’ve missed that since I’ve been in London. Maman hasn’t been up to outings during the day, and I can’t walk alone as I could in Wickenhamden.”
“I’ll see to it that we’ll do more of this.”
“I’d like that, and you were right. This is a pleasant diversion from the stress of just waiting around, pacing the drawing room floor.” She laughed softly as they started walking toward the place that had been set aside for the animals. “It’s been much better to pace at the fair.”
“The countryside is beautiful at Hurstbourne. We’ll go come summer. You’ll enjoy walking there and riding.” He glanced over at her. “Do you ride?”
“No, but whenever I’ve been near a horse I’ve felt a kinship of sort. I would love to learn.”
“I’ll teach you,” he replied with a casual air. “I’m surprised Winston didn’t teach you how.”
“Don’t think I didn’t ask him. Neither he nor my parents thought it a proper thing for me to do, so I was denied the opportunity. However, one of my earliest clear memories of my brother was him teaching me to swim.”
Hurst stopped and looked at her with a strange expression. “A girl? Did he?”
“Yes. You might not remember, but there was a deep pond not too far behind the vicarage where I grew up.”
