Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
The days that followed were far more palatable for Lydia than the first few days of her marriage.
Although she did not spend too much time with Victor, his presence lingered in the house, and he was never far from her senses. It comforted her to know that he was nearby in case John should need him again, and she was also comforted by the knowledge that Victor was not completely uncaring.
He had shown that when he insisted she eat.
Lydia spent a great deal of time in the gardens, thinking about how they might be improved.
She was in the process of making a list. John seemed to enjoy the outdoors as well.
There was so much to look at, and Lydia told him all about the plants.
Whenever she spoke to John like this Victor scoffed, but she didn’t think it could do any harm.
One day Victor’s uncle, Theodore, came to visit. He was seventy-one-years old, a similar age to Agatha although there was less of a vigorous spirit to him than what Lydia’s grandmother possessed.
Lydia wore a fine gown, and Georgia was taking care of John for the evening. They drank port and ate a hearty meal of roasted meat and boiled vegetables with servings of sweet carrot soup and buttery mashed potatoes.
If Lydia had not known they were family, she would have been hard pressed to believe they were related. Theodore was warm and easygoing in his manner, quite different from the stiff, rigid coldness that was Victor’s hallmark.
“I must say Lydia, I do love what you’ve done with the place. Nightford has never been so welcoming! It really brings it into the modern style. Forgive me for saying so, Victor, but it was becoming rather dour,” Theodore said warmly, shifting his attention between Lydia and Victor.
“Clearly it was an oversight on my part,” Victor said.
“It’s amazing how such a simple thing as changing a carpet can transform a house, but then again, I suppose we’re all familiar with changes, both simple ones and complicated ones,” Theordore continued. Victor visibly squirmed in his seat and cleared his throat.
“Perhaps we should speak candidly,” Lydia suggested. Although she found it easy to relax in Theodore’s company, the tension in the air had not entirely disappeared. She was unsure how much Theordore knew about the situation.
Lord Theodore chuckled and dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin.
“There’s no need to be on edge about that. When you’re as old as I am, you begin to learn the value of discretion. I have no desire to pry into your affairs,” he said.
“Uncle,” Victor began, but Thedore waved his hand in the air.
“Do not worry about a thing, Victor. I’m fully aware that sometimes our feelings get the better of us.
Frankly, I’m quite proud of you for taking the moment into your hands.
I wish I had done the same when I was younger.
” He offered a wistful smile. Lydia and Victor glanced at each other, not quite sure what he meant.
Before either of them could ask, Theodore clapped his hands together, and his eyes twinkled brightly.
“How is the little one, anyway? Is he serious? You rarely cracked a smile when you were a lad, Victor. Always such a serious child. I used to try to amuse you with magic tricks, but you never enjoyed them. There was always a puzzle to be solved. It wasn’t the same with Harry; he took them in the spirit with which they were intended.
He used to howl with laughter while you were there, studying everything. ” Theodore chuckled to himself.
“Harry has never been one to take things seriously,” Victor said, his voice imbued with more emotion than what Lydia believed was warranted.
“No, perhaps not, but I’m glad his cavalier ways have begun to rub off on you. Life is always better when you learn to take chances,” he said. “Do you recall that day we all went out riding for the first time?”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Victor replied. He wrapped his hand around his glass and pulled it close towards him, as though he was using it as a shield.
“I suppose you wouldn’t. You were just small.
” Theodore turned to Lydia, suggesting that he was telling the story for her benefit.
“We thought it would be fun to teach Victor how to ride a horse. Harry was too small. Well, Victor had other ideas. He didn’t want to go on a horse, and it was always impossible to get him to do anything he didn’t want to do. ”
“Quite right. Nobody should be forced into anything,” Victor said quietly.
Theodore continued, “I asked him if he was scared, and he said no, he wasn’t scared at all, but he could understand what it was like to ride a horse by observing everyone else.
So, he watched the horses and their riders, and I must say he did watch carefully.
Nothing escaped his attention; that’s for sure.
They came and went, thundering past, kicking up dirt, their manes flicking in the air, and then eventually his father had enough and carried him to a horse, putting him on the back and slapping the horse’s rump.
” Theordore paused as he laughed, leaning back and holding his sides.
“I believe it’s a blessing that I don’t remember this story. I never realized father was so cruel,” Victor said bitterly.
Theodore’s laughter faded, and he gave Victor an earnest look.
“No, don’t you see Victor? He wasn’t being cruel. He was doing you a favor. If he did not force you then you never would have ridden a horse yourself. You would have continued watching, thinking that you could understand the truth of something by simply observing it.”
“And did I enjoy it?” Victor asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.
“At first you screamed and shouted, demanding to be let off,” Theodore said.
Victor looked smug while Lydia stifled a laugh as she thought of Victor being a demanding child.
“But then you realized it was fun. You felt the wind in your hair and the rhythm of the horse beneath you. You experienced it instead of watching it, and that is what life is all about, my boy.”
He took another sip of drink. Lydia noticed how frequent these sips were and then placed a hand on the table.
“I have been trying to tell you this for a long time. Life is to be lived, not to be frittered away, and I’m glad that you have finally learned the lesson.
It really is wonderful to see you married although I’m upset that I couldn’t make it to the wedding.
I suppose there was a reason for you to expedite matters,” he said this with an uncertain smile.
Lydia rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at Victor again. She wondered if she should correct Theodore’s assumptions.
Victor leaned towards her and spoke in a deep voice. His hand rested on the table, close to hers. So closely, she could almost feel the warmth emanating from his skin and her hand began to tremble, tempted as she was to move it towards him although she had no idea why this should be the case.
And when he leaned in, the air became spiced with his fragrance. It took on a new life, all heady and masculine, a sense of raw power that swept over her and threatened to leave her gasping for air.
“I shall correct his mistaken assumptions at the earliest opportunity. I do not feel as though it is appropriate to discuss the particular details of our situation at the dinner table.”
Victor’s voice was a low thrum. It caused susurrations to flow beneath her skin. Beads of sweat gathered at her temples, and she only breathed when he leaned back. The air was clear again, but her heart was still beating quickly.
What was it about him that led to this reaction?
“That is why I extended an invitation to you as soon as possible, Uncle. I was dismayed that you could not attend, but such matters could not be helped,” Victor said.
“Such is life,” Theodore said with an affable shrug. “At least you had Harry there. Where is he by the way?”
Victor looked sour.
“He decided to remain in London for a time. I believe he had some business there.”
“It’s nice to see him knuckling down. He did worry me there for a moment, but…
well… I suppose we should not discuss that either.
Here’s to discretion,” Theodore said and raised his glass.
Victor and Lydia both reacted to the toast, and again Lydia was aware of just how close her hand came to Victor’s.
“No, we should not,” Victor agreed.
Lydia’s ears perked up, and she wondered to what they referred.
For a man who sought to avoid scandal, it seemed as though Victor’s family had their fair share.
Then again, Lydia supposed it could not be helped.
She had been privy to other scandals in her own family life although, somehow, she never thought that she would be embroiled in one herself.
Not wishing to disrupt the pleasantness of the evening, Lydia did not poke at Victor and ask about these matters. Instead, she asked Theodore to share more stories about Victor’s childhood. `Theodore was more than happy to do so.
“Victor was a fastidious child. Most children wouldn’t think twice about getting muddy, and as a case in point that was entirely true of Harry.
But Victor hated it. He always tried to avoid playing in the mud, and he insisted that a spare set of clothes be brought with him wherever he went, just in case they needed changing.
However, one day that change of clothes was forgotten, and it had been raining the previous day.
Harry was always a mischievous boy, and he knew how to upset Victor.
He threw a clod of mud at Victor, ruining Victor’s shirt. ”
“That sounds like Harry. I’m sure he would do the same now if he had the opportunity,” Victor said dryly. Lydia was smiling and a chortle was not far from her lips.