Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Richard somehow knew that dinner with the Brightons would be a chaotic affair.
It reminded him once more that his wife had many family members who truly cared about her. It was a satisfying thought. However, it also reminded him that he was now mostly alone in the world on his end. He was simply slipping into Victoria’s family.
It was easy to see that her sisters’ husbands had been welcomed into the brood; the Dukes of Oakmere, Talleystone, Redmoor, and Wolfcrest might be all formidable men in their own rights, but were putty in the hands of their Brighton wives.
He sat at the same table with them, expecting to be ignored.
The two ladies in his life had already decided to ignore him.
While Victoria was conversing with her siblings, Melody had fallen back into a deep slumber after stirring for a few minutes. So, he would not be able to connect with the little one, either.
“I must say, Hawksford,” Gerard, Duke of Talleystone, remarked while raising his glass. “You have handled your household quite admirably as of late. Other men would have already hidden in the clubs for most of the month, or more.”
“I know what you mean, Talleystone,” he replied.
He felt more relaxed conversing with his brothers-in-law than he had before.
It must be the recent development with Victoria that has made him more open to everyone else.
“It does help that my duchess has enough energy for three people. I am merely one of the reinforcements.”
“Do you believe so?” Wilhelmina asked, passing by their table. “Victoria needs someone who can tame her. Her boldness is legendary. As a young girl, she was always in trouble.”
“In trouble. Are you talking about me, Mina? Right behind my back?” Victoria asked, walking toward the table, as well. Her tone was teasing, though, as she sashayed even closer.
“Well, ’not anymore, since you are here now, Vicky,” Wilhelmina said. “I have some interesting stories to tell about you, and you should hear them.”
“Oh, no, Mina,” Victoria groaned, covering her face with both hands. “Not tonight. Please.”
“Tell everyone, Willa!” Daphne urged, ambling toward them, too. Richard chuckled. It looked like Victoria’s sisters were eager to tell him and the others what a hellion she used to be. He didn’t doubt it and would love some stories. “Hawksford must know who he has married.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too late for that now?” Adrian asked, laughingly.
Wilhelmina sat at the table next to her husband, Gerard, and proceeded with her story.
“Victoria always got into trouble. Marianne might try to get our father to look the other way, but Victoria always made herself conspicuous no matter what. When she was only ten, Father had punished her by having her locked in her room. He was in a foul mood. So, it was actually the better option in terms of punishments. She would not wait inside to find out what he felt about her behavior later on in the day. No, she was not like that. She made a rope made of bedsheets to climb out of her room and managed to swing it into the library below.”
Richard laughed. Then, when he saw Victoria’s red face, he stopped, arching his eyebrow at her.
When he pondered the situation, though, he could not help but notice the detail about locking Victoria in her room.
That was abuse, and yet there was no chance she would admit to it.
She would not want to be seen as a victim.
“A bedsheet? Escaping your room? It looks like you had a more adventurous childhood than I did.”
“Well, there’s more to that. She dropped herself into the library where our father was meeting with a solicitor.
Suffice it to say, she was in even bigger trouble, embarrassing him like that, and on purpose, too.
She was wearing Daniel’s old clothes. So, you should know that she is used to wearing boys’ or men’s clothes even at a younger age. ”
There was laughter all around the table. Dominic, Duke of Oakmere, shook his head in amusement.
“I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Richard said with admiration, as he looked at his wife. “Your father should not have locked you in. Children should not be punished that way.”
“You’re right, of course,” Wilhelmina said, her eyes widening.
“But you see, throughout our childhood, we’ve come to think of those punishments as ordinary.
Victoria was the one who knew how to fight back.
Marianne was the one who defended us and usually took beatings for us.
Vicky didn’t like anyone else being blamed.
She was considered troublesome, but she was also brave. ”
“Oh, Mina,” Victoria murmured. “You don’t have to paint me as a heroine. I was also a menace to everyone else and not just our father.”
“She is not a menace at all,” Richard clarified, shaking his head, to which everyone just laughed.
Deep inside, he felt like he was the one who brought more trouble to their marriage. The thought of Penwike arose once more, but he shook it off. They were there to be happy. To celebrate just being a family.
After dinner, the hosts and guests moved to the drawing room. The men seemed to move together to the decanters of spirits without having to invite each other. Meanwhile, the woman lingered next to Melody’s basket.
Daniel, who had not said much earlier, stood by the fireplace, regarding everyone else in the room. His eyes seemed to focus on Richard. The duke wondered what the young marquess was thinking. Daniel seemed to have a calculating look in his eyes, or perhaps it was only his imagination.
“You’re certainly a better man than I thought, Hawksford,” the marquess remarked. “I thought you would find someone to pass the child to and simply rid any evidence of her having been there.”
“Impossible in our society,” Richard retorted.
“True. But still, you saw how my sister has become fond of the child, and has made a narrative that will allow her to keep the baby.”
“Whether we keep the baby does not depend on me, Grisham. If we find the mother and she wants her back, we may not have a choice but to let go of Melody, even if it means getting questioned by the ton.”
“Ah. It is that way. I can see you are honor-bound, and I do like that. Do you think Victoria will fight for the child?”
“She knows right from wrong,” Richard insisted, his jaw clenching. He did not mean to be on the defensive, but Victoria seemed so different from the stories he’d been hearing from her family. She was still spirited, but not a spoiled hellion, some might think her to be.
“Of course, she does. However, she can be a lot to handle, too, Hawksford. I know that. She is my sister. However, the same conditions still apply. If you hurt her, you have her whole family to go against. You know that, right?”
Richard recognized that Daniel had somehow tempered his tone. His brother-in-law wanted him to see that while he was still wary of him, he had learned to accept him.
“Our marriage did not start right,” Richard admitted.
“However, I am now determined to make it real. No woman should have to endure a marriage. She must find something real in it. Victoria is the mistress of Hawksford House. That won’t change ever.
I won’t hurt anyone who is part of my house.
I will protect her just as fervently as she wants to protect a child who is not even her blood.
She will never have to feel small as long as I am still around. ”
Daniel narrowed his eyes at Richard for a moment. Then, he exhaled sharply and nodded.
“Good to know. My sisters are precious to me. I’ve already let them down before. I can’t do that again.”
“Cheers, Grisham,” Richard said.
It was a conclusion, but not of the whole conversation. The two continued to talk about things beyond their families. The other dukes joined them for drinks and hilarity.
Something pricked at Richard’s chest. He remembered his brothers, then, and how he would have loved to see them.
It looked like he was given another opportunity at brotherhood.
The time seemed to have flown. Victoria was flushed with pleasure from the conversations with her sisters. Melody whimpered in the corner as Mrs. Hughes tried to soothe her. She was finally stirring.
Victoria picked up the baby and rocked her gently. She loved how Melody felt warm and still drowsily heavy. Her full cheeks were pink. A healthy baby girl.
“She’s awake!” Daphne exclaimed, walking to the grand piano. “I have been waiting for her to wake up.”
“Because?” Victoria prodded.
“Her name inspired me to write a piece of music for her. She has such a beautiful name, so reminiscent of music. Of love. Of dreams. Her name begs for a composition. So, I thought of her these past few days, and a tune popped into my mind. I wrote the notes down. I’d like everyone to hear it.”
“That’s exciting!” Marianne exclaimed. “Do play, Daphne. It’s always been a pleasure to hear you play.”
The room fell silent except for Melody’s babbling. Richard moved to stand next to Victoria, his hand on the back of her chair. His thumb reached to rub the skin above her dress. It felt so natural. He liked this kind of comfort—giving and receiving.
Then, Daphne began to play.
It was an original piece, nothing they had heard before. It wasn’t grand, either, but it conveyed something intimate and knowing. It was a lullaby. It was meant to soothe the senses and placate the soul.
Subtle rhythms seemed to follow a child’s heartbeat. Even Melody was affected, as she stopped fussing. Her big, innocent eyes were focused on Daphne. She knew where the lovely music was coming from, and it left her cute mouth gaping in wonder.
Richard felt a sense of peace, as well.
He was not looking at the piano at all, though. Instead, he was looking at Victoria. At Melody. Somehow, the soft music intensified the feeling of peace he had with the two ladies who had become his life.
After a few more hits of the key, the music reached its resolution. The last note lingered in the air, sounding like a benediction. Melody babbled, raising both hands while the rest clapped enthusiastically.
“It’s perfect!” Victoria exclaimed, praising her twin sister.
“Of course,” Daphne said, uncharacteristically cocky. “It’s her. The music is Melody.”
Later that night, when they walked back into Victoria’s bedroom, Richard followed like a shadow. Neither pulled away from the other. They were close. So close. But nothing was awkward. It all felt natural.
“We looked like a family at Daphne’s, didn’t we?” Victoria asked, embracing him and resting her head on his chest.
“Looked?” Richard asked, raising an eyebrow. He closed his eyes and imagined the three of them and Mrs. Hughes leaving the Wolfcrest estate. “We don’t just look like a family, Victoria. We are.”
Then, he bent to kiss her forehead.