Chapter 20
Twenty
“He needs arms.” Alistair frowned at the snowman they had built.
Tobias nodded, looking around to see if there were any suitable twigs nearby. The bare branches of the tree sagged beneath the weight of the snow.
Georgie and Rowen were nowhere in sight, but from the armless state of their snowman, Tobias suspected that they were also looking for suitable appendages. He let out a puff of air, watching as it fogged in front of him.
“What about that?” He pointed to a low-hanging branch with several breakable sticks. “Do you think you could break those off if I lifted you?”
“I think so.” Alistair nodded and walked towards the tree. “If we are quick, then we can finish our snowman before Mother and Georgie get back.”
“Then we should hurry.” Tobias waded through the snow, clearing a path for the boy. As they neared the branch, he lifted him onto his shoulders. “Can you reach?”
“I think so.” Alistair leaned forward, and a moment later, Tobias heard a crack. “I got it!”
“Careful, I do not want you to fall.” Tobias shifted as he felt Tobias wobble on his shoulders.
“I won’t. Don’t worry.” Alistair dropped the stick on the ground below them. “I think I can reach that one.”
Tobias moved so that the boy could get a better reach. There was another crack, and this time the bough shifted, dislodging not only Alistair but the snow that sat atop the tree. Tobias only had a second to react; he dove forward to catch him.
He flung the boy clear, as a deluge of snow fell in the place he had been and Tobias plunged face-first into a snow drift.
“Are you all right?” Alistair called.
Tobias rolled over and sat up, brushing the snow from his head and shoulders. “I am fine. Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Alistair nodded.
It was at that moment that Rowen and Georgie re-emerged. Georgie was holding a stick in each hand and skipping beside her mother. Rowen’s cheeks were flushed from the cold. The sight of the two of them made Tobias’s heart flutter.
“We leave you alone for five minutes, and this is what we come back to?” Rowen’s eyes danced in the sunlight, and Tobias could hear the amusement in her voice. “You know, when I said we should build snowmen, I did not expect you to take me so literally and become a snowman.”
“I was trying to get some sticks,” Alistair explained, puffing out his chest and pointing to the sticks he had broken off, which were just poking out from the snow a little ways away. “I found some good ones, too. The snow is just hiding them.”
“I’ll help you pull them out, Alistair,” Georgie offered, and the twins moved away and set about digging out Alistair’s buried bounty.
Tobias watched them briefly before his eyes returned to Rowen. “Are you going to stand there watching me, or are you going to assist me?”
“And what assistance could a frail thing like me offer a big, strong man like you?” Rowen batted her eyelashes at him as she pressed a hand to her chest. “Besides, I like looking down at you.”
“Do you, indeed?” Tobias grinned and leaned back. “You could always join me in the snow. After all, you would look down at me from my lap.”
Her cheeks flushed scarlet just like he had hoped, and her laughter rang out.
She shook her head at him, her smile tugging at his heart like a string. “You will need to make a better offer to tempt me, dear Tobias.”
“Am I not tempting enough?” He got to his feet and shook, sending snow flying everywhere.
Rowen laughed and ducked out of the way. “Oh, yes, what woman does not want a man who shakes like a dog and covers her in snow?”
“Well, you do look rather lovely in white.” Tobias winked at her as he moved towards her.
“Not as lovely as you.” Before he could react, something soft collided with his chest, and he realized that she had thrown a snowball at him. “You see?”
“I think it suits you better.” He flung his own snowball at her.
She let out a shriek and dived to the side. Georgie and Alistair looked between them, then at each other.
Rowen pointed at Tobias. “Avenge me!” she cried theatrically, clutching at her chest. “He has slain me.”
“And you call me dramatic.” Tobias laughed.
Georgie and Alistair grinned and rushed towards him, hurling snowballs as they approached. Tobias caught one and threw it back. He saw the twins’ eyes widen in a mix of shock and awe, and then the snow collided with Alistair’s chest.
Georgie leapt towards Tobias, and he caught her easily, spinning her and throwing her up in the air. She giggled and clapped her hands.
“I have you captured, Georgie. Do you wish to be my prisoner or join me and rule at my side?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice, as though he were a hardened pirate.
Georgie grinned up at him and then looked at Alistair and her mother. “Let’s get them!”
Soon, the air was thick with snowballs and laughter. Tobias felt a weight he had not realized he had been carrying shift as he ran through the drifts of snow, ducking and weaving and throwing snowballs back.
The sound of Rowen’s laughter warmed him, burrowing into his chest and filling him with warmth. He caught her eye briefly, and in that moment of distraction, she tripped and tumbled over.
He darted forward, catching her in his arms. Her breath tickled his face, and he breathed in the scent of her violet perfume. He held her steady as her eyes danced in the winter light.
“Are you ready to surrender, Duchess?” His breath was a cloud of fog that hid her grey eyes.
He could feel her breathing heavily as he held her in his arms. His own breathing was ragged, and he could not tell if the pounding heart he felt was his or hers. His eyes drifted to her lips.
She curled a hand around his neck, her lips parted. His breath caught as she leaned towards him. “Never.”
Cold snow trickled down his neck, and her laughter rang in his ears as she moved away from him. Or at least, as she tried to.
“Such dishonorable behavior,” Tobias growled, though he could not keep the amusement from his voice. “I think you deserve a taste of your own medicine.”
“That would hardly be gentlemanly, Tobias.” Rowen tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
He leaned closer. “As you so frequently remind me, Rowen, I am no gentleman.”
He let her go, and she fell in the snow. Her fingers closed around his shirt, pulling him down with her. They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, rolling down the hill together. When they stopped, she was on top of him.
Every muscle in his body tensed, and his breath caught. He felt heat rush to his face as their eyes met. Her breath tickled his lips.
He swallowed, shifting slightly. The movement only made him more aware of her weight.
“What are you doing?” Georgie’s voice came from above them.
They hastily broke apart, and as Tobias saw the flush spread across his wife’s face, he was sure that his own was just as bad.
He cleared his throat and gestured up the hill. “We fell.”
Georgie and Alistair exchanged a look and then grinned at them. “That was silly.”
“A little,” Rowen agreed.
Tobias noticed that she was shivering and the blue tint to her lips. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. “I think your mother is cold. Shall we return home? I will have Cook bring us all some hot chocolate, biscuits, and cakes.”
“Can I ride on your shoulders?” Alistair asked as he skipped towards him.
“I want to ride on his shoulders!” Georgie frowned.
“I think I should be able to carry you both if you stand.” Tobias helped the twins climb onto him and held them steady as they all made their way back to the house.
Once they were inside, Tobias fetched them all warm blankets, and Rowen ushered them into the drawing room to sit by the blazing fire.
Tobias stood by the door for a moment, watching as Rowen curled up in an armchair, sipping from a steaming mug of hot chocolate. At her feet were Georgie and Alistair. Their hair was a mess, and their cheeks were rosy. Their smiles were bigger and broader than he had ever seen.
He sat in the armchair across from them, and to his surprise, Alistair moved from his spot on the floor to sit by Tobias’s feet. His heart felt as though it might burst.
“Maybe tomorrow we can all go out for a ride? If it is not too snowy.” Georgie looked hopefully between Rowen and Tobias.
Tobias saw Rowen swallow. “His Grace might be too busy to come riding with us, darling.”
“If you want me to join you, I will make time.” His eyes met hers, and he canted his head, making his statement more of a question.
Do you want me there?
“Of course, we want you to come!” Alistair frowned. “Don’t we, Mama?”
“Yes, we do,” Rowen murmured, not taking her eyes off her husband.
Tobias felt warmth flood through his chest, and his lips curled into a smile. “Then it is settled. If the weather holds, we shall all go out riding tomorrow. It will give me a good excuse to get out of the house and escape my boring duties.”
“And what if the weather is bad?” Alistair asked. “What will we do then?”
“I am sure we can find a way to entertain ourselves.” Tobias ran a hand through his hair. “We could play charades, or I could teach you some card games.”
“No, he is not going to teach you how to gamble.” Rowen gave Georgie, who had opened her mouth as though to ask a question, a hard look.
Tobias managed to stifle a laugh at the crestfallen but impish expression on her face, turning it into a cough. “I think Bridge is a more suitable game.”
“Maybe we could go to the theater together?” Alistair cocked his head, making his words a question rather than a statement, his gaze cautiously hopeful.
“If that would be all right. I promise I won’t let it distract me too much.
I know I still have lessons and lots of schoolwork, and I need to be ready for Eton and—”
“Alistair, it is all right.” Tobias gave him a reassuring smile.
“I can see how hard you have been studying, and I think, in my concern for you, I was a little too ambitious with your schedule. You both need some time to relax; that is just as important as your studies. Besides, the theater is educational. Reading a play is one thing, but watching is quite another.”
“Maybe this time I will not fall asleep.” Alistair smiled shyly.
“If it is very dull, I would not hold it against you. You would hardly be the first nor the last person to do so.” Tobias gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I have slept through my fair share of plays.”
“What about fencing?” Georgie looked between Rowen and Tobias. “Mr. Grey will be angry with us, won’t he?”
Rowen stiffened as she wrapped protective arms around her daughter. “Mr. Grey and his anger are not your concern. If he ever sets foot in this house again, I will set the dogs on him.”
Her eyes were fierce in the firelight, and Tobias felt a surge of pride.
She would tear him to pieces.
That was if he did not beat her to it.
“He won’t be teaching you any longer,” Tobias added. “He will not teach anyone ever again, for that matter. No one should experience what you have. And I am sorry I did not realize it sooner.”
“It’s all right. Alistair wanted to tell someone, but I didn’t let him. I didn’t want my lessons to stop, but… it seems like they are going to stop anyway.” Georgie’s lip trembled.
“Do you want them to continue?” Tobias asked gently.
Georgie nodded. “Yes.”
“But not with Mr. Grey.” Alistair glared at her as though daring her to challenge him.
“Not with him. No.” Tobias leaned forward in his seat. “I am not sure we will find you a tutor—not one that I trust anyway. But how would you feel about being taught by me?”
Georgie’s eyes widened. “Can we use real swords?”
“Absolutely not,” Rowen said at the same time Tobias shook his head and said, “I do not want you getting hurt.”
“But—” Georgie began.
Rowen shook her head. “No. A sword is a weapon, not a toy.”
“Your mother is right,” Tobias interjected. “And all the swords are too big for you anyway.”
“Fine. But maybe one day?” Georgie asked hopefully.
“Let us see how things go first.”
Rowen gave Tobias a look that clearly said she would not be letting any of them play with real swords while she still had breath in her body.
Tobias nodded his agreement to her. He had no wish for anyone to end up hurting themselves by accident. He made a mental note to lock his study when he was not in it, lest the children be tempted.
“When will our lessons start?” Alistair asked.
“Tomorrow. If your mother agrees.” Tobias looked at Rowen, who had a smile on her face.
“I think that sounds like an excellent plan.” She met his gaze and, as the twins fell into excited chatter, mouthed, “Thank you.”
And for the first time in a long time, Tobias felt like he had done something right.