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“Thank you all for waiting for me,” Alexander said, slapping his brother on the back of the neck lightly, as he took his seat beside him.
“Ow!” his brother yelped after his smack. Colin always liked to jest, about everything, as long as it was not directed at him. He was a good person, Alexander just wished he would be a little more serious. He supposed that was the good thing about being a second son, Colin, who was two years his junior, did not have as much to worry about as he did.
Alexander could not remember a time when he had not been close to his family. His mother had chosen to take care of them herself, instead of leaving them to nannies and the staff, and when he had left for Eton, she constantly sent him letters, wanting to know how and what he was doing. He loved receiving them, not caring when the other boys teased him about it. It brought him endless joy to see her gray eyes smiling as she watched his interaction with his brother, smoothing away stray locks of her brown hair back into her tight bun.
Beside her, his father, Henry Mannfield sat, shaking out a napkin before placing it on his lap. His deep brown eyes were warm and wise. They always appeared darker against the backdrop of his black hair. Alexander looked up to his father. He had always hoped to be able to fill his shoes when it was time for him to be the Baron. He always tried to make him proud, never wanting to bring him any form of disappointment. He loved his family and knew they loved him in return. Their family was tight, sharing a bond that was mostly lacking in the ton.
The four ate, joking slightly and telling each other of their day.
“What about you, Colin?” their mother asked suddenly, “I heard you broke the heart of yet another unsuspecting young lady yesterday.”
Colin looked up at this sudden attack and glanced at Alexander and their father, looking for support. Both older men faced their plates, leaving him to his mother’s wrath.
“How am I to blame? This young lady approached me, asking me to marry her. How could I accept? I do not even like her,” Colin complained.
"Oh, please, you could have tried to acquaint yourself with her. Do you not think it is time you shift your focus from senselesscanoodling to finding a suitable match?" their mother said.
Colin’s eyes widened in shock, almost making Alexander laugh. Their father, on the other hand, did not bother holding in his laugh. It was the first time they had asked him about marriage so he could understand why Colin reacted the way he did. His brother was indeed quite the flirt, making use of his face to capture the hearts of several ladies, and dashing their hopes against the rocks as he rejected them all. Somehow, Alexander could not picture his brother settling down.
“Don’t you think you should be talking to Alexander instead? He is the older son after all; it is his duty to provide you with an heir to inherit the family title,” Colin said, a smirk on his face. He never failed to find a way to remind Alexander that he was stuck with duty as the elder son, while Colin could do whatever he wanted.
“Yes, Alex, what is this I hear about marriage? Did you not see it fit to notify us before making plans or is this a baseless rumor?” their mother turned her attention to him. Alexander felt the lightness he had been carrying with him since he received Isabella’s letter leave him.
“I assure you it was all a mere misunderstanding,” Alexander began, making sure not to give the details of who the letter was going to and what sort of letter it was as he recounted the events.
“I went to the Campbell house today. Lord and Lady Campbell seemed convinced that marriage would be the only way to solve this issue. I cannot believe things escalated to this point simply because of a small mistake Baldwin made.” He sighed.
“Oh, Baldwin,” Elizabeth said. “His eyes are failing, and he should not be left to wander around on his own. What if something happens to him?”
Alexander knew that his mother had formed an emotional attachment to the old butler. He remembered how she had taken a switch to his backside once when he had played a prank on the butler by staying hidden for hours, causing the man to worry terribly. He had meant it as a joke, but his mother had refused to see it that way, punishing him and making him apologize to Baldwin and promise never to do it again.
According to her, Baldwin had been the first to make her feel welcome when she became the Baroness. He had treated her like a daughter and she, whose father had died just two years before, had embraced the symbol of fatherhood the man represented.
Alexander watched as his father took her hand, comforting her as she spoke, wondering if there was any way to make Baldwin rest, instead of trying to carry out various assignments as though he were young again.
“I worry about the health and future of our staff, Henry. We should help them so that they do not have to work themselves to their graves,” she said to her husband.
“Whatever you want, my love. Just tell me what you want.” Alexander watched his mother smile at his father, the two of them lost in each other, and he could not help but wish for the kind of love they had. He felt his resolve strengthen. He must find a way to be with Isabella. Marrying a stranger would not give him what his parents had.
On the other hand, he was surprised that the matter had ended so quickly. He had thought they would ask him more questions and perhaps give their opinions on the situation of the Campbells trying to force a marriage between him and their daughter. He supposed he had Baldwin to thank for being such a brilliant distraction. However, his thoughts were cut short when his mother suddenly returned to the topic.
Her eyes were shining once again as she seemed deep in thought. “Lady Caroline Campbell, is it? I do not think I have had the pleasure of meeting the young Lady, but their family is respectable. They say she is stunning. I am not very fond of her mother since she is known to be a terrible gossip, but I suppose I cannot hold that against the young Lady,” his mother said, assessing Caroline Campbell as a potential marriage partner. He was worried at how she was not averse to the thought of him marrying the girl at all. He wondered if she would have reacted the same way if it had been Isabella.
"I cannot comprehend, thought,how aninnocentletter can cause such a stir in this day and age," his mother said, looking at him for confirmation.
Alexander felt the guilt fill him as he listened to his mother’s words. She trusted him to be decent to such an extent that she could not even imagine him writing a scandalous letter. It would break her heart to know of its provocative contents, and that he had his way with a lady without marrying her first, or at least giving her the protection of a formal engagement.
Alexander could not respond, glad that she had already moved on from the discussion and was focused on his brother, who had sat silently for once, seeming happy enough to just listen. He looked and saw his father staring at him with a thoughtful expression. It was clear that he had figured there was more to the story.
“Alexander, come with me to my office after dinner.” It did not come as a shock to him when his father requested his presence. Alexander nodded and resumed his meal, listening as his mother returned to Colin, telling him that he still had a duty to provide her with grandchildren.
He felt grateful that his mother had been present to ease things out a bit. He had planned to speak to his father alone, but now he could see the advantage of starting the conversation with all members of the family present. He did not think he would be able to breach the topic at all with his father staring at him with disappointment had they been alone.
After dinner, the two men headed toward the study. Alexander could feel the nerves eating at him. He was worried and ashamed because his illicit affairs with Isabella were not responsible. And he had always wanted to look like that to his father. Alexander wished he didn'thave to tell him about it, but he also knew that he was the onlyperson who could help him out of this situation.
“Alright, out with it. Tell me everything,” the Baron said as he sat down and stared squarely at him.
Alexander closed his eyes. He could not take his father’s eyes boring into his, as though staring at his soul. He breathed in deeply to steady himself.
