She cleared her throat, not wanting to show his comment had moved her. ‘Is it not only swans who are overcome by your status? Are people also too in awe of your dukeliness to be an annoyance to you?’
The skin around his eyes crinkled again. ‘Indeed. I should imagine that is the case. Although, my brothers do annoy me on a daily basis without the teasing.’
‘Is that so?’
‘Quite. Only yesterday evening, Christopher announced that he has taken up learning the violin. I was flummoxed, given that he has shown no interest in anything musical for his entire life. Apparently, he has been having a few lessons in secret, but unfortunately there is no evidence to support his bold claim. After his first recital, I can only assume he has decided to form a new way of torturing us all. Sittingthrough several hours ofHamletwould be far preferable. How his wife watched him, beaming with pride, I shall never know. I truly believed my ears had started bleeding.’
She laughed and the lines around his eyes deepened.
‘Perhaps that is his way of teasing you,’ she said.
He pondered that for a moment. ‘Maybe. I think, on reflection, I would prefer him to use words. It would be less abrasive.’
‘Do I take it from your comment that you are not a fan of Shakespeare?’
‘I am sure he was a fine fellow, butHamletdoes go on for far too long.’
She gasped, pretending to be shocked. ‘You are a philistine. Does anyone else know about your shameful slur on the world’s greatest playwright?’
‘Ah, I fear we have hit on another blackmailing opportunity for you. My loathing ofHamletis a secret of which only you and I are aware.’
‘Where does this dislike stem from?’
‘I have seen it a few times, and on every occasion I am afraid my dislike of the play deepens. It is the way the protagonist drones on and on. There are far too many words.’ He pulled a face that made him look far younger than she had ever seen him. ‘But I suppose my first encounter with it was when I was about twelve. Sebastian and Freddie wanted to put on a show and they chose to perform that one. Neither of them could agree on who should be Hamlet, which resulted in them both playing him. It was a discordant mess. I still have nightmares about it.’ From his dry tone, Grace could not tell if he was jesting or not.
‘You are lucky to have them,’ she said as they followed a curve in the path.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘Although I beg you not to say as much to them. They are insufferable without the compliment.’ For a few steps they walked in silence, before he added, ‘And I am grateful to Sebastian too. If it were not for his will, my brothers and I would not have come together to raise Charlotte. We had drifted apart over the years and would have probably continued to move yet further away from one another if it had not been for him.’
‘I remember him writing his will. He was laughing to Clare and me, saying that, if anything were to happen to him, the most disappointing thing would be not seeing the looks on your faces when you heard his terms.’ At the time, Grace had not given the moment much thought. She had believed Sebastian and her sister would live to a ripe old age and have many more children together. Later, she had attached far more significance to his words. ‘I now think that Sebastian was being brave. I believe he was trying to pretend to Clare and me that we need not be afraid, even though the whole point of writing it and naming you and your brothers as guardians rather than any of my family showed he feared something bad might happen to him.’
Tobias brushed the brim of his hat with his fingers. ‘I think he… I think he prepared for the worst, even when he must have been hoping for the best. In writing that will, he covered all possibilities. And one of those must have been wanting his brothers to become a proper family. When I heard the will, I did think, only for a few seconds, of challenging it. I could have raised Charlotte by myself, and they could have carried on with their lives as they were. But, even though they can be most trying, I have enjoyed getting to know my brothers a bit better. I think they are close to one another too.’
There was something about his tone that hinted at wistfulness. ‘But they do not tease you,’ she said, guessing at what might be bothering him.
‘It is rare. Perhaps because of the dukeliness,’ he said, winking down at her, and she laughed. ‘Dare I ask what traits you associate with the word you have created?’
‘Ah,’ she said.
‘Oh dear. Are they that bad?’
They were, but not in the way that he supposed. If she gave him too many compliments, he might think she was trying to persuade him into marriage after all. ‘Well, there is being wide-shouldered,’ she said, stalling for time.
‘So if I were a slimmer sort of fellow, that would not do?’
‘Quite.’
‘I see. Anything else?’
‘Are you dangling for a compliment?’
‘Are you going to give me one?’
‘No.’
His bark of laughter sent darts of pleasure rushing through her body. She tried not to bask in the glory of getting a strong reaction from him while out in public, but it was too late. A bubble of happiness swelled around her heart at the sight of his wide smile.
‘Spending time with you is always a pleasure, Grace Wilmott.’ He paused. ‘Or would you prefer Willsden?’
