Chapter Two #2
“He understands he’s leaving here and will be living with me?”
“Yes, I believe he does, and once he meets you it should make more sense to him. I told him to pack what he has to have, and the rest will be shipped to him.”
“He’s okay with this?”
Denton shrugged his shoulders. “He seemed to be, though as I mentioned, it’s hard to tell what he understands much less comprehends.”
“Right,” Arthur replied. He was beginning to wonder just how much contact Denton actually had with Charles. Perhaps there was a man, a footman or someone, who communicated with Charles.
“I’ll be sure to have my man send you an accounting and bill for anything owed.”
Now came the actual truth. For young Denton this was nothing more than a financial transaction.
“From my understanding, money was added to his account once a year. Nothing further is due. The money from the publisher is put into a separate account and everything else comes out of the account our fathers set up.”
“Our fathers are no longer here. The deal ended with my father’s death. I am not under any obligation for your brother’s care.”
Arthur was not going to get into a financial discussion with Denton. The man saw this as a way to make money. He didn’t seem to be a man of integrity. Instead, he simply nodded his head. He’d take care of this after he had Charles away from here.
“No, you’re not under obligation to see to my brother’s care. That’s why I am here. To take my brother home.”
Denton turned his attention to a clock on the mantel. He was obviously very precise and took his schedules seriously. “He’s late. Probably forgot all about this meeting. He has a habit of forgetting time.”
“If you send me in the direction of his cottage, I could introduce myself and see if he needs help packing,” Arthur replied.
“No need,” Denton said, shaking his head. “The estate manager seems to have taken Charles under his wing years ago. He told me earlier that your brother was packed and ready to go. There’s a good chance he’s taken a walk. That’s something he enjoys immensely.”
“Good to know. He’ll enjoy walking on my estate in Kent.”
Denton nodded. He was obviously not liking his day being changed. “Did you bring a wagon?”
“One was supposed to be here this morning. We could check and see if it arrived. If they’re not here today, they’ll come tomorrow.”
That wasn’t the answer he was looking for. “Let me see if it’s arrived. If it has, we can see it’s loaded and sent on its way to London.”
Arthur was amenable to that, but he wanted to see where his brother had been living. “Please do. I’ll ride with them. Perhaps Charles might have returned by now.”
“As you wish.”
His host stood and walked toward the door.
A footman opened it, and Denton disappeared.
Shaking his head, Arthur stood and walked to the French doors and looked out.
His host was rather rude. While Charles had been Denton’s father’s responsibility, the man was rude and acted as though his brother was a burden and couldn’t wait to have him gone.
The door opened and Arthur turned to see Denton standing there. “Wagon has gone on to the cottage. It’s not too far a walk or I can have a horse brought.”
“No need. I’ll walk. Just show me which way to go and I’ll head out. I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
Denton chose to ignore Arthur’s comments. “Come then; I’ll show you the way. Not hard to find.”
Following his host through the house to the front door, Arthur wondered how much Charles may have been in the house.
He’d been a young boy when he left his parents’ care.
He had so many questions and few answers to them.
With his parents gone, Arthur had only what other people knew of Charles and his personality.
Even then there weren’t that many people who knew of his existence.
It made him wonder about a lot of things.
Things he would soon have the answers to.
Once outside, Denton pointed to a path. “Just stay on this path. It’ll take you right to his cottage. His cottage is just inside the tree line.”
Arthur thanked him and was on his way. The path seemed to be well worn, and he could make out the wheels of a wagon which had recently driven by.
It was odd that Denton seemed to want nothing to do with the situation.
Arthur shook his head. Perhaps he and his father didn’t have a good relationship and even though the family was in mourning, it seemed Denton was ready to move ahead.
It wasn’t long before he found himself at the cottage. The structure was a good size, and there were outbuildings to the back of the cottage.
As he stood absentmindedly watching as men loaded boxes and trunks into the wagon, a red-headed gentleman approached. The closer he came, the bigger the grin on his face.
“Your Grace,” the man said with a slight bow. “I’m Frazier, Lord Charles’s valet.”
“Frazier. It’s nice to meet someone who’s actually been around Charles. You’ve served him long?”
“I’ve served him since he turned ten. His father thought he needed someone to help him out,” Frazier replied.
“Then you’ll be accompanying us to London?”
“Aye, unless you have other plans, Your Grace.”
Arthur shook his head. “You’ve been with my brother far too long to replace you. He trusts you or else you wouldn’t still be around.”
“That is true.”
“Tell me about my brother.”
“Not much to tell. He’s the smartest man I’ve ever met. His memory is like nothing I’ve ever encountered. He walks when he’s uncomfortable or needs to think something out. Crowds do make him uncomfortable. That’s why he isn’t here. He’s either walking or he’s watching what’s going on.”
“Interesting. I understand from Lord Denton that Charles is aware he’s moving. Does that upset him?”
“At first it upset him, but he and I have discussed it many times and he seems more comfortable knowing he’s finally going to be among family.”
“He’ll have his own suite of rooms when we return to London. Do you think he’ll be okay with that arrangement? When we return to my estate in Kent, we can re-evaluate things and see what he might want.”
“I think he’ll be fine. Just a word of advice… don’t rush him. Let him adjust to changes in his own time. This is a huge one for him.”
Arthur nodded. “You’re absolutely right. I might need you to remind me of that at first.”
“Not a problem.”
“Did you set aside a case to go with us on the carriage?”
Frazier nodded. “I did.”
“I suppose we ought to find my brother and see if we can’t be on our way.”
“I know exactly where he is. I’ll get him. That’s probably easiest and then the two of you can meet.”
“Thank you, Frazier. Whatever you think best. You’re making this a lot easier than I imagined.”
Frazier grunted, turned, and went in the general direction he’d indicated moments ago.
Arthur knew he still had hurdles to overcome, but just the fact that someone who knew Charles was going to stay on made him feel more at ease. He would find out what the man was making in this position. Surely not enough. A raise would probably be needed for everything he did.
He walked in the direction Frazier had gone. How would this go? Would Charles accept him, or would he need help to overcome his fears? He was about to find out.