“No, I will not return,” Perry stated, his voice laced with irritation as it slipped through his gritted teeth. His eyes locked with an identical pair of steely blue eyes, boring into his. Though he was the younger of the Spencer men, he would not be swayed.
“You will. Your duke commands it. I require your assistance with an estate matter. It has come to my attention that there is something concerning afoot at Bodmin. Read this.”
Perry snorted at the idea of his brother commanding him. How preposterous.
Beau dropped the letter onto the rich, inlaid mahogany surface of the desk, a corresponding stern look marring his features. His brother swept a hand through his thick dark waves in exasperation. Maintaining his glare, Perry picked up the papers, only relinquishing to read the fine, simple script on the page. It was a letter written in haste, that was apparent.
Your Grace,
I struggle to write these words as I know they will be quite upsetting. We require your presence at Bodmin as soon as possible. All is not well. I hesitate to write all the details in my letter as I suspect it could be intercepted. The steward, Mr. Jeffries, is making it impossible for the estate to be maintained to the exceedingly high standards that have long been the tradition of the Duke of Bridgewater. We have lost good, hardworking servants, and I worry that someone is profiting from the decline.
I have sent this letter to you via my cousin in Lanhydrock to ensure it arrives safely in your hands. I believe my previous letters were left undelivered for reasons I can only assume were nefarious.
Your servant,
Mrs. Rosemary Boots
“Mrs. Boots sent you this? I can hardly believe it,” Perry’s voice came in a breathy whisper. His brows knit together as he contemplated the seriousness of the servant’s words.
His brother replied with a slight nod.
The tightness in Perry’s shoulders eased. He could hardly be defiant in the face of one of his favorite people requiring aid. Mrs. Boots always coddled him as a child and treated him like a son,slipping him a sweet treat whenever she caught him hovering around the kitchen. She provided the warmth and love that were missing from his relationship with his mother, who spent most of her days making great efforts to please his miserable father, to the point that she became a shell of a woman, living only to bow to his many whims, and leaving her children to suffer the elder duke’s wrath. Mrs. Boots’s tender care and the distance Bodmin provided from under his father’s judgmental gaze and harsh authority made the place a haven for him in his youth.
Perry sighed, scanning the words again to ensure understanding. Dropping the papers back on the desk with the mask of bored nonchalance that he was accustomed to wearing lately, he leaned back into the plush navy velvet chair.
“Seems like the estate manager’s responsibility to me,” he said, turning his attention back to the duke. “I don’t see that I can be of any help.”
Placing his hands on the desk and pushing himself to standing, Beau walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed upon the busy street facing his Mayfair home.
“To be frank, rumors about ‘Peregrine the Rake’ are surfacing since you have returned to town, and with good reason. Since Eliza passed, you have been indulging yourself far too much, brother. People are talking. Maybe some time in the country would do you good,” his brother mused. “Surely you can see that you are…struggling.”
Rolling his eyes, Peregrine sank deeper into his chair, resenting the constant scrutiny and gossip of theton. He was a widower escaping a loveless marriage. Was it truly impossible to believe that he would enjoy his newfound freedom? After years of being faithful to a wife who could barely tolerate him, who could blame him?
Had they had children to care for or several grand estates to administer, he might have been kept busy elsewhere. This, however, was not his reality. He had a home to care for, thoughPerry had escaped its confines as soon as he had buried his wife in the ground.
It was hard to conceive of Wildwood being his home, since its walls were soaked with memories of unhappiness.
Thus, he moved closer to the energy and excitement of London for the season.
Why not? He was essentially a bachelor and could do as he pleased.
Coming back to reality with a snort, Perry quirked a smile as his brother turned to face him. “Should I already be looking for my next wife? Curse the thought. Who would object to a widower having a little fun? Absolutely no one.”
Beau shook his head. “No one would object, but it has gone on long enough. You need a purpose. Something to occupy your time. Enough gambling away that fortune your wife left you. Have you even been back to your home since she passed?”
“I’ve let some bachelor lodgings close by. The country air grew too tedious for me. The walls at Wildwood were closing in.” Perry massaged his forehead with the tips of his fingers to release the tension.
Beau blew an exasperated breath. “I’m trying to build a life here. I have a fiancée whom I will be marrying at the end of the season. There must not be a breath of scandal to taint our happiness.”
“Are you happy?” Perry prodded, giving his brother a pointed look.
“I am content. Sarah is lovely. We will build a wonderful life together, of that I am certain.” The huff of breath Beau released told Perry otherwise. The match had been decided by their father, a parting gift that he had revealed as he was getting his affairs in order. The young woman had been arranged to marry Beau since his adolescence, and she was at last old enough for the nuptials to take place.
“If it reassures you, the rumors are greatly exaggerated. There isnothing objectionable about seeking comfort while in mourning. Eliza was ill for a very long time, and I was determined to stay with her until the end. Now I am free. And that freedom feeds a gaping hunger within me that I had no idea was there until I left the confines of Wildwood.”
Perry tented his fingers, focusing on his hands rather than evaluating the depth of the emotions he had just revealed. Imagine his surprise when he realized how trapped he had been, without even being conscious of it. The cavern of longing that welled within him was breathtaking. He wondered if happiness was merely an illusion, a dream to chase that was, in fact, a fantasy. He cleared his throat and straightened his spine.
“You have been lonely, brother. I will not begrudge you the comforts to ease your suffering. I merely ask that you keep your actions more…discreet. At least until Sarah and I are happily wed.”
