Page 96 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman
‘Your father will be here in a moment with something for you,’ Mary said.
Rob held out his plate anyway. ‘You may take apiece of the cold pie, but, hush, do not tell your mama,’ he joked, smiling at Mary.
George gave him a devilish, cheeky little grin that was very like Drew’s expressions, then crawled forward, picked up the piece of pie and tumbled onto his back.
Mary laughed as George sent her a furtive look. ‘Grandmama.’ He crawled off to the next blanket, to obtain a safe place to eat his piece of pie.
‘Grandpapa!’ Paul called. A footman followed him with two plates in hand. ‘May David and I sit with you?’
‘Of course, sit here.’ Edward patted the blanket.
‘Lord Sale.’ The footman handed Paul his plate.
Was it any wonder Rob’s cousins had grown up arrogant, or that Rob had grown up feeling inferior?
There was Paul, literally handed everything, and George, who would spend his childhood comparing himself to his cousin.
Inferiority…Perhaps, but even so, if Rob suffered from that emotion, it had engendered his desire to help others and he thought that a good thing.
John and Kate arrived with Phillip. They sat on Rob’s parents’ blanket, while Phillip walked around and sat beside Caro. Rob’s skin prickled with jealousy.
When Drew returned, there was only space for him on the very edge of the blanket. He spoke to Edward about stock management, asking questions. Rob listened. He always found it interesting when Drew talked about things. Drew had only recently learned about farming. The market Rob had agreed to go to with him was tomorrow, it might be interesting. Farming was an option he had dismissed because his father earned his money from farming. Yet, a landowner did not need to work on his land. That would fund a place in Parliament and enable him to have the time to attend the House of Commons.
‘How did you get started?’ he asked them both. ‘I mean, I know how you came by the lands, but where did you begin?’
‘Are you interested in farming now?’ His father grinned, amused. ‘You have paid no interest before.’
‘Perhaps, Papa. I am allowed to explore the idea.’
‘I am sorry,’ he apologised. ‘I should not have teased you. Yes, you are, and I shall be very happy to discuss my experience with you, Robbie.’
‘Most of it, day to day, I leave to others,’ Drew said. ‘As you saw when you stayed with us, but I do like to understand things to be able to make decisions, and I like working with the animals. I learned by asking questions, of your father, John’s steward and the tenants who manage my farmlands.’
‘I learned from the steward on your uncle’s estate,’ his father said. ‘Your Uncle Robert has a vacant tenancy. It’s a large estate. You would make a fair profit. I can ask him about it if you would like.’
‘I am able to speak to him myself if I am interested,’ Rob answered. This was what happened if he mentioned anything to his family; within a moment it was all planned out for him.
‘Well, Robert would willingly let the property to you, because you are my son and you were named after him, after all.’
‘It would be a family favour, then.’ Rob’s pride– or sense of inferiority –bit back.
Perhaps, in his own way, Rob was as self-centred as his cousins, or for him the word would be self-pitying. Caro must think he was cutting off his nose to spite his face by not welcoming their help. But he could not easily ignore the feelings within him when he had lived with them since childhood.
Rob looked towards the River Thames, angry with himself.
‘Shall we take the children for a walk along the riverbank to see the swans?’ Caro suggested.
He glanced over his shoulder. Had she been listening to his conversation and sensed his discomfort? Or perhaps the suggestion had been made to Phillip?
That thought slashed at Rob’s chest.
She did not meet his gaze as he looked at her, but looked at George.
‘Yes!’ George shouted. He would do anything if it meant he need not sit still.
‘May David and I come, please?’ Paul asked.
‘Of course you may.’ Drew stood up and brushed crumbs from his waistcoat.
