Page 32 of Second Chance Prince
His early years had been spent with tutors or in the nursery, alone. There were visits from those children his father deemed suitable companions, but Niki had never felt close to any of them. And then there was Ernest. As the youngest son, he was allowed a great deal of leeway. Perhaps it was because his mother had been at the Holtswig court too, a lady-in-waiting to Niki’s mother, and held some prestige, whereas Karl’s mother had been a housemaid.
It seemed there was a hierarchy to be observed even in illegitimacy.
He took a step away from the door and searched rather desperately about him for Roberta. He realized then that she was down on the floor, building some sort of construction of blocks with a small boy and girl. Hearing his arrival, she looked up with the beginnings of a smile, only to still when she recognized his panic. He couldn’t hide from her what he was feeling, and that shocked him too. He wasalwaysable to hide his emotions.
Rising quickly to her feet, she came to greet him. “I know it’s a lot,” she whispered as she took his hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. “Once you say hello to everyone, we can go for a walk.”
The warmth of her hand in his, the kindness in her eyes…She understood, and it calmed him. Some of his anxiety melted away. “I am not a social animal,” he said bluntly. “I was never taught the art of chitchat.”
“You’re just not used to us. We’re not that terrifying,” she responded quietly. “Come on, let’s get it over with.”
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and led him toward the tea table. It was groaning with food as well as a teapot and cups. One of the children had returned a half-eaten piece of cake to the plate, and Niki swallowed uneasily.
He wanted to say that this would never happen at home in Holtswig but stopped himself. He did not want to sound like a prig; he did not want to spoil this moment for Roberta. He told himself that if this was his home, this his family, then he might grow used to the informality. Maybe.
The current duchess, Vivienne, had picked the little boy up and was holding him on her lap. She smiled a friendly greeting at him. “Will you try some of cook’s queen cakes? And her seed cake is very good. Or there are jellies and cream, if you have asweet tooth.”
Niki nodded, and before he knew it, he was holding a plate loaded with food. Roberta found him a place next to Ernest and Edwina, and he was able to relax a little. His brother shot him a wicked grin.
“You will get fat, Niki,” he said. And then, as if his words had jogged his memory, “My pony is very fat.”
“That is because you never ride him,” Niki retorted, relaxing even more. Banter with Ernest was familiar—he could do this.
“I’m not like you. I don’t like riding. I prefer to climb trees. There are a great many trees around the castle in Holtswig,” he added for the benefit of the others, and received smiles for his trouble.
“Have you climbed all of the trees?” Edwina asked, wide-eyed.
“I think I probably have,” Ernest replied thoughtfully.
“And fallen out of quite a few of them,” Niki added, taking a bite of the seed cake. It was delicious, just as he’d been promised.
Ernest was pretending to be wounded. “I only fall if the wind is making the tree sway. And I have never been hurt. Karl says I bounce.”
That had everyone laughing, some covering their mouths as if they were not sure they should be laughing, and others not bothering to pretend. It felt as if whatever had been constraining Niki was gone. It was all right after all. Soon normal, relaxed conversation filled the room, and Niki was grateful he was no longer the center of attention.
Ernest leaned in closer. “Did that help?” he asked. “You don’t look quite so green about the gills as you did.”
Niki tried to give him a repressive stare, but he couldn’t quite manage it.
“It’s quite all right, you know,” Ernest went on in a serious tone of voice, as if he was the adult and not Niki. “Lots of people get anxious in social situations. Not me, of course, but others do.”
Niki laughed. He couldn’t help it. Ernest might be sixteen years old, but he wasn’t sulky like Matilda’s son, Tomas. He was a joy, and Niki was very fond of him. He was glad he had given in to the boy’s pleading to come with him on this visit to Grantham. He wondered whether he should take Ernest with him everywhere from now on. It would certainly make social occasions easier.
Niki ended up staying for half an hour before he sought out Roberta’s gaze. She instantly rose, and he followed her from the room for that promised walk in the garden.
He had forgotten just how beautiful the gardens at Grantham were. With the house as a backdrop, they strolled in silence for some time before he felt the need to speak. It reminded him yet again how comfortable he felt in Roberta’s presence. Even her tendency to say things best left unsaid did not concern him as much as it used to.
“Your family has grown since I was last here.”
She beamed as if he had pleased her by noticing. “Gabriel and Vivienne have Austin, who is the heir to Grantham. And Olivia and Ivo have Lily and Baby Edward. Edward is the youngest. Justina and Charles do not have any children so far, and while they’re busy running Cadieux’s, they seem happy without that complication.”
“And you still have three younger sisters.” Niki made his eyes comically big.
Roberta laughed, as he had hoped she would. “Antonia is too young to make her debut yet, and Georgia and Edwina are still children.” She said it dismissively, as if she had been on the townfor years and years, which made him smile.
“Your grandmother must be very proud of her family.”
“She is. She is already telling Gabriel which school Austin should go to. Poor little boy, to have his life already mapped out before him.”
