“Interesting,” he remarked. “I cannot imagine any lord or lady of the Realm spending a day at the Tower with his or her household staff.”
“Would not you?” she challenged.
“I admit I wish I had thought of it,” he stated in frank tones.
“I recall enjoying myself, as if the people with me were important to me,” Emma admitted.
“According to Orson, you are your own mistress and have been so for some time,” he explained. “Being a young lady onyour own must be truly daunting. I find it so sometimes, but, as a man, I am permitted more freedom than you are likely to know.”
“Quite daunting, I suppose it is. To the best of my knowledge, I have had no one to teach me how to conduct myself in relation to my household duties. I am beginning to think I have presented my staff with too many liberties. I suppose I wished them to like me, though purchasing their respect is obviously not the way to proceed.”
“We all have ladders to climb to reach the top,” he said in reply.
She asked, “Are you like Lord Orson? His lordship said he lost his father when he was nine and his mother the following year.” When Lord Graham hesitated, she said, “Forget I asked. I did not mean to pry. Your past is none of my concern. I should keep my curiosity in check. I simply feel so disconnected to everything and everyone about me.”
“Honestly, I do not mind. My life became part of a public court proceeding, where Lord Duncan stood as my parent. The people with whom I resided were his tenants, so his lordship stood as my guardian. My mother gave birth to me out of wedlock, which would have been the end of my future, but, eventually, first his cottagers and then Lord Duncan and his wife took me in. I was five at the time. Much younger than was Orson, who had already resided with the Duncans for more than a year.
“As you are likely aware, in Scotland, even in this time, people may marry in what is customarily called ‘over the anvil,’ as well as by a tradition called ‘handfasting.’ Essentially, it was proven I was Lord Aaran Graham’s son. My father refused to acknowledge me, for he despised my mother’s many stratagems. Even so, legally, he could not deny me his title unless he outlived me. Thankfully, Lord Duncan kept me safe from both my parents.”
“Oh, my,” Emma said and reached a hand to him, which he unexpectedly accepted. “We never know what people have suffered by only looking at their outsides, do we? I have long thought my parents’ continued absence is a form of abandonment. Such is difficult to admit, but very true.”
“My trials were often difficult,” Lord Graham insisted. “However, I have come to believe that siring a child and being a parent are two different facets of life. Some embrace the first, but never quite consider how to proceed with the second.” He shrugged and released her hand. “Was there anything else significant about your recovered memory?”
“Yes,” she said, “and thank you for insisting I remember it all. A woman was walking by my side. My heart tells me she is my lady’s maid. She was frowning at someone. I am not confident whether the person was one of our party or perhaps someone following us.”
“Then you do not know the person’s identity?” his lordship asked in serious tones.
“I could not see his features,” she admitted. “Is that significant?”
“Was it a man?” Lord Graham asked.
“I cannot speak with assurance. The image was blurry. But the person wore black or a dark blue.”
“It was awell-executed ceremony,” Duncan said as he stepped up beside where Richard watched Hunter and the new Lady Wickersham circulate about the room, hand in hand.
“Hunt appears happy. I pray his relationship with Lady Wickersham remains as such,” Richard said, still watching his friend closely.
“You never thought the woman was worthy of your friend,” Duncan observed.
“I always believed Hunt sought out another too soon after Lady Anne Christopher’s father turned down his request to court the earl’s daughter. Lord Christopher thought his daughter could do better than a mere baronet,” Richard said in bitter tones.
“Sir Hunter Wickersham is some five times richer than Lord Christopher,” Duncan stated the obvious. “It was Lady Anne’s loss to be married off to an impoverished viscount.”
“I simply cannot imagine spending the remainder of my days sitting across the table from a simple-minded woman, as is the new Lady Wickersham. The new baronetess has never expressed an original thought.”
Duncan smiled. “You were considering the possibility of your and Lady Emma’s future while you listened to the rector’s instructions to Sir Hunter and the man’s new wife.”
Richard sighed heavily. “I know I am being the biggest fool to walk this earth, but my heart speaks a different language than does my reason. Even if we could come to some sort of agreement...”
“Do you worry that her ladyship’s memory will return and you will no longer hold such a strong connection, as you do now?” Duncan asked.
“How can I not?” Richard admitted as he turned to the man who had been both father and mentor to him. “Even when I considered Lady Emma’s stance on certain topics as too foolish to be worthy, I admired her. Whereas, she never knew I existed until I rescued her. I do not want her gratitude. I do not want the marriage my parents had. I want what you and Lady Elsbeth experienced.”
At the mention of his late wife, Duncan smiled wider. “Elsbeth was one of a kind, but I believe you and Lady EmmaDonoghue hold the chance for happiness. You were always the most adventurous of those Elsbeth and I brought to live with us. I imagine you and Lady Emma could set thetonon its ear, but not in a negative manner. Act in a manner that your children would know their parents made society a better place to live. You would both make it possible for your children to know love and support and a vision for their own futures.”
“All of which you and Lady Elsbeth did for me and the others,” Richard admitted.
Duncan expelled a heavy breath. “Elsbeth handled the love and support. I was to be the disciplinarian. My role was to train you to take on the woes of the British government and know thestatus quois not always worth saving.”
