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His eyes widened, and he took off his hat. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I just meant we hadn’t seen any family from the house out and about in…in years.”
“Years?” Aphrodite repeated, shocked. “Surely, it cannot be that long?”
“No, Your Grace, really. The last time we saw any duchess or sort was about twenty-one years ago,” an older woman said, rocking a small child in her arms. “I know because my son, Jimmy, was about the same age as the young miss, and this is his son, my grandson.”
“Oh,” Aphrodite said, and her eyes shifted to me.
The look in them felt as though she were yelling at me. I said nothing, for I honestly could not remember. Had it truly been that long?
“I don’t recall seeing the duke since then, either,” the same woman said, smiling at me. “Do you remember my Jimmy? When Lady Luella brought you to town with her, you’d play near the stones with him.”
I did not recall knowing a Jimmy, but she seemed so hopeful that I could not bring myself to speak that truth. “Ah yes, Jimmy, how is he?”
Her smile fell, and she just stared at me. “He passed, been four months.”
Dear God. “I—”
“Our condolences,” Aphrodite said, touching the woman’s shoulder before cooing at the child in her arms. “Such a loss and to have such a gift left behind as well. Was he named after him?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The woman showed her the child. “Poor thing, losing his papa working in one of the mines, and then he lost his mama bringing him into this world. He is so young, but I’m going to make sure he grows well enough.”
“I trust you will.” Aphrodite placed her hand on his head. “Should you need anything, please write to me at the house. If it’s an emergency, come to the door.”
Now I looked to her, eyes wide. Was she mad? We could not just have them come to our home like that. But she was looking at the crowd not me.
“Thank…”—the woman stopped, sucking in the air, and looked as though she wished to cry—“you, Your Grace. You are quite kind. I thought we would never get another like Lady Luella again.”
Hearing Mother’s name felt as if someone were trying to open a door within me that I had long since shut and never wished to expose again. I said nothing, nodded to those who addressed me, and allowed Aphrodite to take charge as she wished. The longer we stayed, the more the door cracked. And as Emeline played with the other children I remembered how my mother spent so much time talking with everyone that I ended up playing with the children.
“Did you have fun, Emeline?” Aphrodite asked, brushing the girl’s hair from her face inside the wagon. I walked beside them as the horse moved slowly.
Emeline nodded.
“Good, we shall come more often, and you can play with the children. You worked very hard today, and I am proud of you.” Though Emeline did not respond, Aphrodite seemed unbothered by it. Instead, she shifted her gaze to me, her eyes narrowing.
“Yes?” I questioned.
“Twenty-one years, Evander?”
I knew she would bring that up. “I did not realize so much time had passed.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “When Eleanor told me that the tenants were displeased, I was so worried as to what it could be and how to rectify it. I never expected it to be our neglect.”
“Neglect?” I scoffed. “All their needs are met, any issues of land or farming or housing are always addressed. They are paid fairly and—”
“You speak merely of work, Evander.”
“What else is there to speak of but work?”
“Community,” she replied, adjusting Emeline’s dress. “It is very good to have a stable estate and lord who seriously cares about those matters. However, it is equally important to maintain a sense of community. We are the duke and duchess here, their master and mistress. We need to show ourselves among them so that we do not become out of touch. Or worse, be deemed uncaring.”
I shook my head, not understanding in the least. “I was always taught that as long as they were treated fairly, their basic needs provided for, that was enough.”
“Who taught you that?” She laughed at me. “It is a very cold manner of thought.”
“My father,” I muttered.
She fell silent, and I focused only on the road. We had nearly reached the house when she spoke again.
