Chapter Sixteen #3
In turn, she stuck her tongue out at him but did as he requested. He heard Roxanne launch into a fit of laughter. “She knows you well, Arthur. I can see this marriage is going to be a fun one.”
“What took you to London?” Graham asked, trying to get his wife in line and not have so much fun teasing her brother. “Besides the trial.”
“Parliament and a few other meetings,” he replied.
“At least one of us represented the family,” Roxanne said, shaking her head. “Crenshaw being in possession of Father’s ring is what did him in?”
“Yes, it was probably the one thing that sealed his fate,” Arthur replied. He took a bite of bread and with the next, he dipped it in his bowl to sop up any remaining stew.
“What did you do while Arthur was out and about?” Roxanne asked Daphne.
“I went to my dressmaker and did other shopping. Met with the housekeeper. Just stepping into my role.”
Arthur noted she hadn’t mentioned Black. Probably because there was no reason and he knew his sister well enough to know that it would anger her. She could be quite opinionated.
“Sam want more!”
“He certainly can talk,” Roxanne commented.
“It comes naturally to the larger parrots,” Daphne replied. She turned to Sam. “You’ve had enough. You can have more later.”
“Sam sad.”
Arthur stood, unfolding his tall frame from the chair. “We need to get on the road, I suppose.”
“Yes, it’ll be dark before you know it,” Graham agreed.
After getting Sam’s cage settled on the back-looking seat, Arthur and Graham settled on either side of the parrot while the ladies enjoyed the main seat.
Except for Sam making sounds from behind his cover, the carriage was quiet.
Roxanne had picked up a book she’d been reading earlier while the men fell fast asleep.
Daphne peered out the window at the passing landscape until she could no longer keep her eyes open.
Arthur found himself in the middle of dreams that made no sense to him.
It was a mismatched bits and pieces of him and Daphne.
Nothing bad, always loving and constant.
Still, he wished he understood more of their meaning if there was one.
He cracked his eyes to see her asleep. She looked as though she were almost smiling.
He wondered what sort of naughtiness she was thinking about.
He’d be sure to find out tonight. The trip to London had been so busy, it left little time for spending days in bed with her.
That would be a priority once all the mess with the carriage and its wheel was solved.
They deserved some time alone in bed. Especially because they had put off their honeymoon.
He fell back asleep and did not awaken until the carriage pulled up in front of his home. As the carriage came to a stop, Sam became active, whistling and making odd noises under his cover.
The door opened and a footman lowered the steps.
Arthur exited first and helped his wife down.
All the while, he gave instructions to the footmen about taking Sam out of the carriage.
Saying their thanks and goodbyes to Graham and Roxanne, Arthur followed Daphne up the stairs and into the grand hall.
“Did you tell them to put Sam in the small red drawing room?” she asked, giving her cloak to a waiting young man.
“Yes.”
“After he settles in, I’ll let him spend time in the conservatory. He likes it in there.”
Arthur nodded. “Whatever you think best for him.”
She drew closer to him and planted a light kiss on his lips. “I’m famished. I’ll order tea to be sent to the drawing room.”
“Already taken care of,” Arthur replied with a grin.
“Thank you,” she said, heading toward the drawing room. “Do join me.”
“I shall.”
He watched her walking away. The sway of her hips was more noticeable than usual, leaving him to believe she was doing it intentionally to tease him.
Little did she know what sort of effect it had on him.
In order to keep his control, he focused on a vase of freshly cut flowers sitting on a table in the hall.
Bloody hell! What was wrong with him, lusting after his wife like a randy schoolboy.
Waiting a moment, he gathered his wits around him and walked towards the smaller drawing room.
It was one his mother and father used frequently.
As he’d grown up and became duke, he understood why.
The room stayed warm in the colder months and led out onto its own private terrace, making the summer breezes easy to cool the room.
A footman opened the door upon seeing him. Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was Daphne opening the door to the large, black iron cage. Arthur watched as Sam came out and climbed his way to the top. The parrot flapped his wings and immediately began demanding food.
“Sam hungry now! Feed me!
Daphne accepted a bowl a footman handed her. The young man had unofficially been assigned as Sam’s caregiver when Daphne wasn’t around.
She poured seed into a secured bowl on the side of his cage.
Water was done in a similar way, though sometimes, Daphne preferred the food and water placed on a small table just far enough from the cage that it forced Sam to exercise his wings a little.
But since he’d spent hours confined to his cage, she made it easier on the bird.
Patting Sam on the back, she turned towards Arthur.
“He’s happy now.”
“I guess I would be too after spending all that time in the cold and in his cage.”
Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door and a footman brought in a trolley with tea and food.
Dainty sandwiches, biscuits, and scones prevailed.
At that same moment, a streak of red came running into the room.
Roddy. The setter set his sights on Arthur and jumped up on him, whining and crying the entire time.
A man, his dog trainer and kennel master, followed.
“How’s he doing?” Arthur asked, patting the dog.
“He’s not, Your Grace. He belongs here with you. Every time, he wouldn’t focus on hunting or the game. He was looking for you. So I’m returning him from the kennel to you.”
“Well, you gave it your best try. I guess he’ll stay here. We probably should have started earlier.”
The man nodded. “I agree, Your Grace. He’s a marvelous dog, though, and this will make him happy. He was quite unhappy in the kennel.”
“Thank you,” Arthur replied, and commanded Roddy, “You, sit.”
The dog did as he was told but quickly noticed Sam. Sam noticed him as well and made sure to make everyone know he had.
“Alert! Bloody hell, there is a wild beast!”
“Sam, Roddy isn’t a wild beast,” Daphne scolded as she turned toward the tea cart to fix them both a hot cup of tea.
Arthur grabbed a plate and filled it with cake, sandwiches, and other sweets. He accepted the tea and found himself a place near the hearth to enjoy it all. Daphne chose a sandwich and a piece of marmalade cake before joining her husband.
“I’m glad it didn’t work out for Roddy. I must confess I miss him,” she said.
“I am too. I missed his silly antics and having him with me whenever I went out on the estate.”
Looking down, Arthur spotted his faithful friend lying in wait of something to fall from his plate, his tail wagging all the while. He hadn’t wanted to send him for training. He’d made Roddy into a pet and was glad he had.
“Do you think you deserve something?” Arthur asked him. Roddy’s tail thumped harder.
“Are you going to give him something?” Daphne asked. She’d spotted him studying his plate for what to give his friend.
“Of course I am. I’m not sure what.”
“Just give him this,” she said, passing him a small sandwich made of eggs.
“Thank you,” he replied.
Giving Roddy the egg sandwich, he watched as the setter gulped it down in one bite. “Geez, Roddy, at least chew it.”
The setter’s tail banged the floor, waiting for more.