It was strange to think that he would go back to that in time when this matter was resolved. At that moment, he started tothink for the first time about everything that he had gained rather than everything he had lost.
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 inthe 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. Youexperiencedit 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.
