Chapter 4 #2
Jane followed her closely, glancing around at the décor. The house bore no signs of a child living there, lacked the brightness or warmth one would expect within a home that gave a child solace.
It only added to the list of things Jane was curious about, regarding the child.
They walked past a door that was slightly ajar and Jane spotted the duke seated inside behind a desk. The questions burning in Jane urged her impulsively and she swiftly turned around and headed into the room.
A conversation was required before she was to meet her husband’s son tomorrow and it was better to get it done as soon as possible.
The duke looked in as she walked in, clearly taken aback by her presence, but he said nothing as the door closed behind her.
“Forgive my intrusion, Your Grace,” she apologized timidly, raising her chin and an effort to express her seriousness.
“I think we need to have a conversation about your son. If I am to care for him and help him through whatever problems plague him, I should be made aware of what to expect. I need to know more about all of this — before I meet him.”
Thomas stared at her silently for a moment and just as she had begun to fear that she had overstepped, he gestured at the chair on the other side of his desk. His eyes followed her as she took the offered seat and they remain fixed on her until she cleared her throat, silently urging him along.
“My son’s name is Reuben. He is six years old, and his mother — my late wife, passed away three years ago.
During that time, Reuben had not said a single word, despite my best efforts.
He has seen several physicians — many of whom claim to be specialists in their field but none of them have proposed a solution on what might be the case” Thomas explained.
“I… I am sorry. For the loss you both suffered,” Jane spoke earnestly. “But how can you be sure he has not lost his voice?”
“He frequently has nightmares. Occasionally, his screaming wakes up the entire household, so I am certain his voice is not impaired,” Thomas replied somewhat dryly.
“I believe that he might have been somewhat traumatized and scarred by his mother’s death.
He was the one who found her body, after all and it was his cries that alerted us of the discovery.
I think he misses her greatly and that perhaps if someone were to care for him as a mother would, he might open up and speak again. ”
Jane nodded in understanding, unable to deny that there was certainly some logic to his decision. Her heart aches for the poor boy, wondering how he must have felt to have discover his mother, lifeless and unresponsive.
She hoped she could help, even just a little bit. He was too young to spend his life haunted.
Jane started to speak, but she choked on her words when her gaze met the duke’s unblinking stare. He had not taken his gaze off of her the entire time they conversed and his attention was starting to make her squirm.
“Why… why do you keep staring at me?” She queried quietly, feeling heat settle in her cheeks.
Thomas leaned back into his chair, shrugging casually as he stated,
“At first glance, you look like her. My late wife. You have the same hair and your eyes as well are the same color. But after a moment, it becomes clear how different you are from her.”
Jane did not know how to feel about that. Was he trying to say that she did not hold a candle to his former wife? And could that be why the housekeeper had been staring at her in shock earlier?
“Do we really bear such close resemblance?” she couldn’t help but ask, feeling nervous.
Thomas paused for a moment, then he pointed towards his left. Jane followed the direction and found a portrait on a wall, so she rose to her feet to take a closer look.
It was a family portrait, of the duke and a young woman with a small child clinging to her skirts. The woman’s eyed were cold as she stared ahead and something in Jane felt unsettled as she realized the child was being ignored.
Jane peered closely at the woman’s face but she really couldn’t see any similarities between her and the former duchess.
“I can’t see any resemblance between us,” she admitted softly, as her gaze strayed over to the duke’s face in the portrait.
He looked scarier than he did in reality, but his eyes seemed rather… lonely.
“Neither do I,” he replied, suddenly by her side. “Not anymore, at least. But all I need is for your presence to offer him some comfort. At least for a moment.”
Jane understood what his intentions were and it struck her how surprisingly pleasant it was to discover that he cared so deeply for his son. As she turned to tell him that, she found him staring at her still, his fixed gaze sending shivers down her spine and eating away at the words in her throat.
There was something about him, about the way he looked at her that made her feel incredibly strange. Jane had met many men, had faced and dismissed many suitors, but none of them had made her feel this way, ever.
“I-I shall take my leave now, Your Grace. Thank you, for speaking with me,” she quickly said, stepping away from him and the portrait.
He looked as though there was something he wished to say, but he seemed to change his mind and nodded.
“Of course.” He replied simply.
Jane bowed quickly and hurried out of the office, inhaling deeply once she was in the corridor.
“There you are, Your Grace.”
Jane gasped, startled as a voice addressed her. She turned to find the housekeeper looking rather alarmed.
“I — I’m sorry. I needed to have a quick word with the duke.” She apologized, keeping a hand over her chest in an effort to soothe her panicked heart.
“Oh, it is quite all right. I was merely shocked when I arrived at your chambers and discovered that you were no longer behind me. Your bath is ready now, so if you’ll follow me…” Mrs. Greene stated, gesturing down the hallway.
With a lingering glance at the door to the duke’s office, Jane walked over to the housekeeper, hoping to God that she did not come to regret any of the decisions she had made today.