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CHAPTER15
The next morning at breakfast, Henry couldn’t keep the smile from his face. He had been trying so hard to make Eleanor like him that he had said and done things that only pushed her further away. Now that he was just acting naturally, and relaxing around her, they were enjoying a much more agreeable partnership. Henry thought of the way Eleanor melted into his arms the night before and the smell of the lavender in her hair lingered about him when they stood closely.
As she entered the breakfast room that morning, looking as though she had slept well, Henry felt relief. He knew how taxing it could be to be under the same roof with family members who had no apprehensions about sharing their pert opinions, but he didn’t want her to have to suffer for the entire fortnight that her mother and brother planned to stay on as guests. Henry grinned broadly at Eleanor as she sat at the other end of the table, and she returned his smile.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Henry felt as though he shouted the greeting as Eleanor was so very far away from him. “I trust you slept well.”
“Very well, indeed, Your Grace,” Eleanor returned pleasantly. She had chosen to wear a simple white linen dress this morning and from where Henry sat, she had never looked more exquisite. The soft white material cut low at the neckline, but she modestly had adorned the collar with a piece of wispy lace. Her red ringlets were pulled up into a fashionable twist, but stray pieces hung loosely about her face, framing it delicately. Henry gazed at Eleanor, wishing there was some way they both could share this room, all to themselves, and just sit here in companionable silence.
But that was not meant to be. Since Eleanor was the last person to come down to breakfast, as soon as she entered the room, the servants began to pass around heavily laden breakfast plates. Henry’s own portion was double what he usually ate, but he dug into it with gusto, having eaten very little of the meal last night. He was shoveling a spoonful of beans into his mouth when one of the stable hands appeared in the doorway.
Unusual. I never see the stable hands on this side of the house.
Henry nodded to the servant next to him and ordered the man to check on the stable hand who was hovering just outside the dining room door. A few moments later, the servant returned to Henry’s side and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Your Grace, it seems that one of the ducks has taken ill. It waddled into the stable area and…” he paused and glanced around the table, then lowered his voice even further, aiming for a discreet whisper, “…purged all over the place.”
Even though the fellow had tried to be quiet, everyone at the table had leaned forward, eager to listen in to what he was saying. Henry glanced down the length of the table and saw Eleanor’s brow pucker in consternation. He was about to say something comforting to her when Frederick spoke up.
“Duck, you say? I haven’t had a good roast duck in months. Seems to me we might be able to indulge a bit and have some this evening.” A wide smile spread onto Frederick’s face, and his teeth glittered in the morning sunlight that was streaming through the windows.
Henry recoiled as he felt Frederick’s addition to the conversation was neither helpful nor necessary. He found Frederick and his aside rather crude, and he thought to speak on the impropriety of the comment when Eleanor rose quickly. She did not excuse herself, but rather turned and ran from the room.
Henry cast Frederick a dark look and then he flew out of the room after his wife. As Henry was leaving, he heard Frederick ask, “Was it something I said?”
To which Henry’s grandmother responded promptly, “Of course not, My Lord. They both must just be suffering from indigestion.”
As Henry came out into the hall, he just caught sight of Eleanor’s red curls as she ran out the front entryway. He followed her, but also kept his distance. If she wanted to talk, she wouldn’t be running away at such a fast pace. He merely trailed behind, thinking that he would be by her side, if and when she needed him.
Eleanor crossed the park and coasted down toward the pond. It was covered in ducks, geese, and mallards of all shapes and sizes. She skidded to a halt near the shore and dropped onto her bottom. Henry rushed to her side then, trying to catch her before she fell but the result was him dropping right along with her. He laughed at his own folly as his legs slid out from underneath him and his elbow knocked against the soft green earth.
Eleanor turned to look at him and even though tears were shining in her eyes, she laughed, her voice high and bright. Henry did his best to rearrange his seat, and then he joined Eleanor by tipping his head back and laughing as well.
“You know…” Eleanor said as her mirth subsided, “… you didn’t have to come after me.”
“I know,” Henry returned with a nonchalant shrug, “…but I wanted to. If you will forgive me for saying as much, your brother, Frederick, is quite possibly the worst human being I’ve encountered.”
Eleanor stifled a giggle. “He is insensitive, isn’t he?”
“I’ve never seen a gentleman behave in such an unrefined manner. I know you are his younger sister, and so he must have delighted in tormenting you when you were children, but his comment this morning was unnatural. As siblings age, they are supposed to look out for one another,” Henry said.
Eleanor’s eyes clouded over then, and she turned to gaze out across the water. “That would have been nice, I suppose, to have an older brother who considered my feelings or even had my best interests in mind. But I’m afraid to say Frederick was never the sort. From the time we were children, he was always so competitive. He needn’t be, as mother doted upon him, but he was, nonetheless. Was Wallace an ideal older brother?”
Henry didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Wallace was everything an older brother is supposed to be. He picked on me when we were younger, making me run a mile to fetch apples from the orchard or act as though he were the king and I were the peasant, but our play was always good-natured. I get the feeling things were never like that with Frederick.”
“No,” Eleanor answered as she shivered slightly, “Never.”
Henry gallantly slung his arm around Eleanor’s shoulder and scooted more closely to her side. “I’m sorry to hear about your duck,” he said quietly. “Do you know which one was ailing?”
Eleanor shook her head. “I have no idea, but my heart aches for the poor animal just the same.”
She tipped her head so that it rested against Henry’s shoulder. When he turned to look at her, he could feel the soft tendrils of her hair brushing up against his cheek. “Frederick thinks I’m too sensitive, and maybe I am. Maybe what happens to animals like ducks and goats is none of my business. Perhaps it is unladylike for me to spend my time covered in cats and scampering about the yard with my dogs, but I can’t help it. I like being around all those animals. They are playful and happy, and I find their joy-filled presence infuses my own. Does that make any sense at all?”
Henry cleared his throat and then answered, “Sure, it does. I don’t have the affinity for animals you do, but I find the same sort of peace when I am in the outdoors. I don’t always have to go hunting, you know. I can just sit here, and relax, watching the ducks swim across the pond.”
Eleanor sighed faintly and the pair sat side by side, quietly contemplating their own thoughts. Henry watched two ducks swim in circles around one another. He thought they reminded him vaguely of himself and Eleanor, chasing each other around, trying to prove their dominance. But if the two fowl would just settle themselves for one moment, they might be able to cooperate and prosper.
“I’m sorry for leaving the table just now. I imagine your grandmother thinks me abominably rude,” Eleanor said, straightening up so that she still sat rather close to Henry, but she was no longer leaning on his shoulder.
Henry repositioned himself so he could have her by his side, but also look into her eyes. “My grandmother likes to make a great number of observations, and some are more apt than others. In this case, I think you were in the right. I don’t mean about eating meat, of course. I still enjoy having my meals as they are, but you are entitled to your own opinion and others should be sensitive of the matter.”
