Chapter Thirty-One
Lord Kendrick, Duke of Alton
“It is time to say farewell.” I kissed my mother on the cheek and gave her a hug. It might not be fashionable to reveal my emotions in public, but I didn’t care. Society rules often stifled creativity. In my world, I equated affection with inspiration.
“I’ll miss you, dear boy.” She held me a little longer than normal before she released me. The wide brim of her navy hat was askew, and I adjusted the angle.
Colt was escorting Lillian off the ship while I said my final goodbyes. I wished to speak with my mother alone and assure myself she wasn’t blind to what was in front of her. Reverend Lowe. In some ways, she was like Lillian. She’d no faith in her self-worth.
The ship rocked, and I planted my heels into the planked deck. “Before I go, I have deemed it my duty to offer you some advice for once.”
“You wish to offer me advice?” She lifted one arched brow, a quizzical gleam in her eyes.
“Some very sage advice, if I do say so myself.” A smile spread across my lips despite my will to keep my amusement in check.
It was usually me listening to her, not the other way around.
What a strange turn life often took. The tables were rarely turned between us.
She’d guided me in the right direction most of the time.
There had been stumbles on the way, but we persevered. “It is about Lowe.”
Her expression fell, and she glanced over her shoulder at the gentleman in deep discussion with Lord Tapper. “Has he offended you?”
I shook my head, quick to reassure her. “No, on the contrary. He is a very agreeable gentleman.”
Rosiness cast a soft glow over her face at my statement. It was more than apparent that she liked the man. “I agree. I assume you have a point?”
“Yes, I do. My point is you have a potential beau, and I don’t want to see you pass up an opportunity to allow his courtship.”
The blush deepened, and she placed a hand on her neck. The fashionable lace shirt was fastened with a cameo of my grandmother. She fiddled with the ivory, hesitation in her gaze. “He has simply been kind to me.”
“A man doesn’t look at a woman like he looks at you because he is kind.
He is smitten. Why, during our conversation just now, he spoke of nothing but your goodness,” I said.
Lowe had been very vocal in his admiration of my mother and had asked, in a roundabout way, if she were enamored of anyone. I had assured him she was not.
“He is a vicar. He speaks that way about everyone.” Her knuckles on the cameo whitened, showing her uncertainty over my observation.
“I’m sure he is solicitous to most, but he is enamored of you and with good reason.
” It became imperative that I get her to understand what she would miss out on.
My judgment could be off, but I was usually a good arbiter of character.
I liked Lowe, and I wanted her to at least try to find someone new to love, someone who treated her with respect and not condemnation.
“I don’t wish to push you in his direction if you are opposed, but I think you need to allow him to prove himself to you. ”
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her bottom lip quivering. “You are sure he, um, is interested in me romantically?”
“I can tell you with emphatic confidence that he is interested in Helen the woman, but it isn’t my life to live, Mother.
It is yours. You have done your duty and married off your son.
It’s time for you to find happiness.” I clasped her hands in mine and held them tight.
“You needn’t jump in headfirst. Perhaps just dip a toe in the waters and see if you wish to take the plunge. ”
She smiled at my teasing, the tiny lines around her eyes creasing. “I’ll try for you.”
“Don’t try for me. Try for yourself.” I lifted her hand and gave it a perfunctory kiss. “I shall leave you to it. I love you.”
“You are my heart,” she said with great affection.
“Safe travels, Mother.” I trotted down the plank, pleased I had taken the opportunity to have a discussion with her on matters of the heart. My own was in turmoil. I desired Lillian and Colt. Our play in the boudoir was the best I could recall, but it was temporary.
A couple of workers were lingering on the long, planked dock, coiling the thick rope that moored the ship. I was the last guest to depart. With my status as duke, the captain hadn’t rushed me, although the constant toot of the whistle had given me a broad hint.
Carriages, pedestrians, and dray wagons lined the streets, a festiveness in the air. The steamship was more impressive viewed from the ground. I would forever carry a fondness for the HMS Bonfire and made a mental note to book passage on it for my first anniversary with Lillian.
The ducal crest was emblazoned on the side of a shiny black carriage, the red-painted wheels splattered with mud. While it wasn’t raining, the skies were overcast. A groom met me at the door and offered a bow in recognition. “Your Grace. Her grace and Sir Colt are awaiting your arrival.”
“Thank you, my good man.” I entered the lush interior upholstered with maroon silk over horsehair stuffed bench seats. Colt sat with his arm on the window sill. Lillian had removed her hat, her pretty mouth slackened in slumber.
“I see her lack of sleep has caught up with her.” I took the seat next to her, looped my arm around her shoulder, and drew her to my side. She curled into me, the fragrance of lilies teasing my nose with the soft floral scent.
“She worked hard, and I think it will pay off.” He tapped his thumb against his trouser leg, staring out the window. The carriage dipped from the weight of the driver before it righted.
“You and she collaborated well.” I inspected his profile with his straight nose and trimmed sideburns.
Per usual, not a hair was out of place. There was a spot beneath his ear that I had sucked on, leaving my mark on his skin.
Sensations flickered in my groin at the mere memory.
We had an hour’s drive to our destination .
.. I quashed the notion. It was broad daylight where anyone could see us.
Unless I closed the drapes. “You were our inspiration. I must admit, it was some inspiration.” He flashed a sensual smile, his eyes sparkling with overt desire.
I offered him a slow wink, grinning back. “I have that effect on people.”
“I shouldn’t admit it, but yes, you do.” He shifted his booted foot, long legs stretched out. The twill trousers hugged his thighs. “Your wife is also talented. Her new material is outstanding.”
It was still odd to see him look at me in such a compelling manner.
I grinned back, eager to explore more intimacies with him.
“I have read the new material she wrote, but not the old. Was it unfortunate?” I glanced down at my bride, not wishing to insult her in case she was awake.
“She did mention being passed up by twenty-nine publishers.”
“Not being a publisher myself, I can’t say for certain. I liked the premise of her book, but it lacked the same maturity it has now.” He shrugged his shoulders and plucked at a stray piece of lint from his knee. “Like all forms of art, it’s all subjective.”
“My earlier works were laughable. I have since honed my craft.” I was itching to get my fingers in clay once more.
Alton Castle had a great kiln in the west garden, and I had converted one of the greenhouses into my studio.
“I have an idea for a new collection of urns inspired by nature. I’m especially interested in the exotic wildlife.
” I rubbed my thumb along the silky skin of Lillian’s bared wrist. Sooty eyelashes created black crescents on her pale cheeks.
A smattering of freckles dotted the bridge of her nose.
“My wife is one of the most alluring of them all.”
He lowered his hand and cast me a roguish grin. “I can guarantee she’ll not be flattered by the comparison to an animal, no matter how adorable.”
I leaned my head against hers, my hand dangling over her shoulder. The movement of the carriage had settled into a steady rhythm as it hit the toll road. “The first time I saw her, I thought of the gazelle; all long limbs, with eyes that cut into your soul.”
His amusement dimmed, and he shook his head. “Pray tell me you never told her such claptrap?”
“It isn’t claptrap, and no, I have not said a single word to her.
You know how sensitive she is. I would never hurt her intentionally.
” I cared for Lillian and would rather hurt myself than harm her.
My views of the world were often at odds with the norms, and I straddled a fine line in my bid for freedom.
“I know. It is what I like about you. Well, that and a few other things.” He stared pointedly at my crotch. I had to spread my legs to brace myself and keep Lillian upright. My cock stirred at his lustful inspection.
“You have buggered me, and I have yet to bugger you.” I cast him a questioning stare, pleased by his growing color.
His cock in my arse had been divine. Not since Gavin had I been fucked with such thoroughness.
The actor had turned out to be a nightmare, but he did possess some excellent skills in the boudoir.
Gavin was in the past. I had moved on with Colt and Lillian and would never look back.