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Chapter 1
Three years later …
Fitz was sitting in his study once again as he reviewed all the letters from his tenants and business partners. This had become a daily routine ever since he needed to find something to occupy his time. Instead of employing a solicitor, he took it upon himself to handle the daily needs of the dukedom.
Each day, he now read all the letters, made mathematical adjustments in the ledgers, reviewed his many notes, and replied to letters that needed his reply. The letters that would include personal invitations to social gatherings were discarded immediately.
Instead, he focused solely on matters of business and gain. And though his financial situation in life was extremely healthy, this task was the only thing he could think of to occupy his time, and most importantly, his mind.
The years had passed away in this manner as Fitz refused to fall into the pits of sorrow any longer. He was convinced that Marian would have not liked him to continue in that manner. Yet, he didn’t feel prepared to return to the limelight of London life, either.
The period of mourning was well past, and society would demand that he remarry in order to carry on the Duke linage. With his elite position in society, there were certain responsibilities he was expected to carry out. Yet, the thought of being with another woman was an idea that Fitz often pushed away.
Instead, Fitz had happily remained at home in the country, tending to his estate and all business matters that dealt with the Dukedom. When he didn’t have important papers to review, letters to read, or responses to construct, he would leisurely walk through the estate’s gardens as he kept the memory of his wife alive. On days when the weather was too wild or cold to venture outside, he’d retire to the library to become lost in a good book.
And so, this was how the days were spent for Fitz. He was content to do so and found neither pleasure nor pain in his daily activities. Instead, he was simply at peace with himself and his choices, filling the void in his heart with work and exercise.
The sound of laughing children broke through Fitz’s concentration. At first, he wondered if he was simply hearing things like an echo from his past. But when the sound happened again, he could no longer ignore it and remain in his study. Fitz set down his letters of business and rose from the burgundy wing-backed chair.
He rounded the large mahogany desk and crossed the study, passing an empty fireplace and shelves lined with the history of his family. As he poked his head out of the open doorway, he peered down the main hallway of his estate till he could catch a peek at the foyer. And there, he spotted a most unexpected sight.
Running his fingers through his long, brown hair, Fitz made haste as he walked down the hallway towards the family he hadn’t expected to see till the holiday season, when the upper-class families of Town would leave their townhouses in search of the warmth of their country estates. Therefore, Fitz wasn’t sure why the Douglas family was at his home, and he only hoped that all was well. But as he neared the foyer, he spotted everyone in company. His best friend, Lord Michael Douglas was accompanied by his darling wife, Lady Douglas, and their three children. All seemed to be as it should be, but that didn’t answer the question of why they were all here.
“My goodness, what a pleasant surprise,” Fitz spoke up as the footman helped them out of their cloaks and coats. The small children seemed to enjoy teasing the footman when the young men were only doing as instructed.
“Fitz, my dear friend. How are you these days?” Lord Douglas asked as he embraced Fitz, slapping him on the back in a boisterous way. Fitz couldn’t help smiling and returning the gesture.
“My days are bright and full of joy now that you’ve come to pay me a visit,” Fitz said as he tried to maintain his smile. He hadn’t done much smiling since last he was with his best friend and accompanying family. He felt a little out of practice when it came to being joyful and a considerate host.
“You’ll have to forgive me for not writing about our arrival. We were headed to Bath and wanted to surprise you for a short visit,” Lord Douglas explained as he turned towards his wife. “Lady Douglas has been quite fatigued lately, and I thought a nice vacation from Town would help her condition.”
“Are you sure you are not with child again?” Fitz asked with a laugh. Lady Douglas chuckled in reply as she raised her gloved hand and covered her mouth.
“It is truly possible, but I won’t know for sure for some time. The idea of spending the Season away from Town sounded like the best way to relax,” Lady Douglas explained.
“There I cannot fault you,” Fitz spoke then. “I have never had an aptitude for dealing with the Ton during a Season.”
“I don’t believe anyone truly can,” Lord Douglas added.
“Well then, come into the sitting room. I’ll have Mrs Stanley bring in a tea tray with some delicious tarts to help you recover from your travels. The footmen will bring in your things and I’ll have Mrs Stanley see that all your things are unpacked for your stay,” Fitz said as he gestured to the sitting room.
“Your Grace, will there be strawberry tarts?” came the voice of little Michael, Lord Douglas’ first son. Fitz couldn’t help chuckling at the adorable question the small child proposed.
“I do believe I can put in a special request for the young master,” Fitz replied to the child. “Do you suppose there might be other requests?” The children all talked excitedly as they walked into the sitting room. Fitz didn’t often occupy the space because it had been decorated by Marian herself. As they all became settled, Fitz tried to listen to what the children were looking forward to doing during their stay, but his eyes drifted around the room.
The sage coloured carpet was still plush underneath his boots. The walls had been papered from designs ordered from a French merchant. The colours of crème and emerald matched well with the carpet and the curtains that hung over the windowpanes. Thankfully they’d been opened, letting in the sun as it rose in the east.
Elegant furniture was positioned throughout the room, chairs and settees made of light oak with fabric in hues of green and blue. Marian had commented that she wanted it to feel like the gardens that were just outside the door of the sitting room. Now, all Fitz felt was the memory of finding Marian deceased right outside this room.
“Come now, children. Don’t pester the Duke with such demands,” came Lord Douglas’ voice, breaking Fitz from the memory.
“Yes, my dears,” Fitz said as he forced a smile upon his face and turned his attention to them once more. “You must instead write down all of these wonderful demands so that I might review them with my evening port and make sure they happen come morning.” The children squealed excitedly, and as Mrs Stanley came in with a tea tray with plenty of different tarts, he requested some writing paper and graphite pencils for the children to use.
“Oh dear, I think they shall become quite messy using the graphite,” Lady Douglas spoke up as she looked down at her children.
“Whether ink or graphite, they are bound to make a mess,” Lord Douglas said in a way to comfort his wife. “They are children, after all.” Fitz chuckled at the comment, thinking the children couldn’t really hurt anything. They could be washed before dinner and their clothes before morning. He always enjoyed indulging the children whenever Lord Douglas came to visit. It was the least he could do with the amount of wealth he had stored in his coffers.
The moment Mrs Stanley returned with the items, the children went to go sit around a small writing table as they began their lists with the help of Lady Douglas. Fitz always considered the woman to be a fantastic mother, and as he and Lord Douglas sat together by the large granite fireplace, he thought that she hadn’t lost her touch in lovingly guiding her children.
