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He hadn’t had an encounter with his father since their little spat that had occurred right here in this very study.
It seemed they had both been making an effort to avoid each other and that arrangement had worked very well between them.
Nothing else had been said about the disowning matter, so he had long since assumed that it was no longer a threat. Yet he continued to work like it was, using the energy to motivate himself into not giving up.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other since then, seeing as they lived in the same house. There had just been an unspoken agreement not to cross each other’s paths.
“Father is proud of me?” he chuckled.
The Duchess sighed before proceeding to respond.
“Yes. Your father is also proud of you. He does not care for the differences between you two. He does care what happens to you and was, in fact, the one who told me about the second reading of your bill today in parliament,” she admitted.
“Excuse me? Father’s knows about my second reading?” he asked in shock. “How does he know about that?”
“Your father exerted his power and influence in the House for many years, twisting and stringing it along according to his will. In fact, I suspect that most of the opposition I hear you’ve encountered is from those who hated your father’s sphere of control but could do nothing about it. Do you then think your father wouldn’t be aware if something like a second reading of your bill was occurring in the House? Some might even say orchestrated,” his mother winked.
“Mother? What are you not telling me?” Kenneth said with raised eyebrows.
“All right, I’ll tell you. When your friends started going around garnering support for a second reading of your bill, news got to your father. Some opposing Lords were getting ready to shut it down immediately but he stepped in and not only stopped their plans, but wielded enough clout to get you a second reading,” his mother confessed.
Kenneth didn’t know exactly what to do with the information his mother had just given him.
“Why did he do it?” he asked simply.
“Well, I would like to think it was because I gave him grief as a result of the ongoing feud between you two.” His mother chuckled. “However, the truth is you are his son. No matter the ill you choose to think of your father, he still cares a lot about you.”
Kenneth could only smile at the end of his mother’s speech.
The truth was, he’d somehow known that today hadn’t been orchestrated by just Lord Calbrook and Lord Rockgonie. Not after the backlash he had received the last time. Someone infinitely more powerful and cunning had to have been involved in the background.
“Well, I will have to get going now,” his mother announced. “As I said earlier, I wish you the best of luck today.” She reached forward and squeezed his hand.
He nodded as she turned to leave, only to stop few paces away.
“Pray tell, whatever happened to Lord Somerholm’s daughter?” she asked. “Or did you think I had forgotten?”
He laughed out loud at his mother’s question. He hadn’t managed to escape her probing even after all this time.
“Aren’t you late, Mother? Come let me walk you to the front door,” he offered, trying to change the subject.
“I am a Duchess. You of all people should know I am never late,” she retorted.
He held her hand and together they made their way to the front door, discussing any and every thing besides Lord Somerholm’s daughter.
“Oh, just to let you know, your father is outside waiting for me in the carriage,” she announced as they approached the front door.
Steeping outside, he pecked his mother on the cheek and let go of her hand.
“Have a lovely time, Mother,” he smiled.
As she walked toward the waiting carriage, he saw the Duke stick his neck out the window.
The brief moment seemed to stretch on into eternity. Finally, he smiled at his father and to his utter amazement, his smile was returned.
The Duchess got into the carriage and it began to pull away.
“That was a lovely moment,” he heard Leonard say sarcastically behind him.
