Page 8 of The Duke's Last Dance
He could not help but marvel at the quiet butler. Though he had been greeted, it had been a quiet, soft nod of his head to show respect, and then he was escorted to the parlor. The walk to the parlor took him past many old sights, and he was not surprised to see his favorite portrait of Lady Catherine still hanging on the walls.
“Lord Lockhart, how wonderful you could make it.” Lord Radcliff’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up. To his surprise, not only was Lord Radcliff there, but so was The Earl of Camberton.
“I am glad to see that you have been expecting me,” Nicolas replied. He continued with a soft bow of his head, “And I am glad to see you again.”
“As am I, Lord Lockhart.” The Earl smiled at him. “It has been too long. Where have you been for the last three years? We have not heard a thing from Ashwood Manor about you, and we have all been worried about what you have been up to.”
“I have been at sea for the last year, and with the Navy for the last three.” Nicolas did not hesitate to answer.
“I am glad to see that you have come home, even if the circumstances were not the best. I am sorry to hear of your father’s poor health,” the Earl continued. “Come. Dinner will be served soon, and I would like to catch up more before we are told dinner is ready.”
“I was docked in Paris when my mother’s latest letter informing me of my father’s poor health arrived. It took me too long to arrive from Paris, but I am glad to see that I have come just in time for the Town Season to begin.” Nicolas smiled. “I hear there will be many a debut of women into society, and I hope to see some of my old friends while I am here.”
“Dinner is ready, my lords.” A maid came in not too soon after the words left his mouth.
“Shall we convene in the dining room, then?” The Earl looked between the two young men, who both nodded.
Nicolas was excited; he had not expected to be invited to a dinner at Camberton Manor as soon as he had been, but it was to be a good way to get his mind off the way his father’s health had decayed. He walked with Lord Radcliff and the earl into the dining room.
It looked just as he remembered it. There was nothing more interesting than the way everything could stay the same, but everything could change, too. The dining room still held the large oak table that the Countess of Camberton was so proud of, with the matching chairs peeking out from underneath the table. The chandelier hanging overhead was full of candles, all lit to light the room up for the dinner.
“The manor has not changed since I was last here.” Nicolas could not help but voice his observation.
“Indeed, it has not.” Lord Radcliff smiled. “Mother thought about rearranging the furniture, but she decided, in the end, that she liked Camberton Manor as it is, and did not change a thing. I am glad it feels familiar to you.”
“As am I, Lord Lockhart,” Lord Radcliff interrupted. “Now, let us take our seats. The women will be in soon enough to join us, and where would we be if we were not ready for them when they arrived?” He smiled.
The Earl had a point, and even Lord Radcliff nodded in response to this.
It did not take long for them to sit down and find a good spot to pick up the conversation.
“What do you plan to do about your father’s health? Surely, he has wishes that he wants to fulfill before he passes, if the illness is to go there.” Lord Radcliff did not hesitate to continue the questioning about his father’s health.
“I have only been in town for two days, Lord Radcliff,” Nicolas laughed. “I do not know what my father wishes to do, nor do I care to know quite yet. There is still a chance he could recover, however slim it is.”
“That is a good way to think about it,” the Earl added. “Do you know what you would do if it came to having to let your father go, personally? I am not talking about what he would want to do before he passes away here, Lord Lockhart. I mean whatyouwould do.”
Nicolas did not know how to respond to this. There was something to the question that made him wonder if there was any reason he should have the gumption to answer it, but in other ways, he knew that he had to answer it. It was always like this around the Earl of Camberton; he had an imposing manner that made it hard to tell him no but made one feel as though they had no other option but to say no.
It was an odd air, and he was glad to be in its presence once again. The confusion offered a good distraction from the reason that had brought him to Town after being away at sea all year.
“I am not sure I know how to answer that question, more lord, but that is a question I will be thinking about for the rest of dinner now.” Nicolas managed a laugh, but he did feel rather uncomfortable giving the Earl such an answer.
“I did not expect you to know what you were going to do if you had to come to terms with the idea that your father is to pass away, Lord Lockhart,” the Earl said. “It was a question that I simply want you to think about. Letting someone you love pass away, even when you have done all you can to help them die in peace, is difficult.” He picked up the glass in front of him. “It’s like when a glass breaks. You can’t help where the pieces fall, but you determine how you pick up the pieces.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Nicolas replied.
There was a brief silence, filled only by the ticking of a grandfather clock in the left corner of the room. Lord Radcliff looked between Nicolas and his father, while the Earl sat in his seat quietly.
Nicolas, on the other hand, could not help but wonder if Catherine would be here. There were to be six people at dinner, as there were six chairs set up for this meal. The Earl, Lord Radcliff, and himself had already taken up three of the seats. The countess and Lord Radcliff’s mysterious fiancée would take two of the chairs left.
That meant there was one chair left. It was either set up to ensure an even number of chairs and places, or it was set up for Lady Catherine Radcliff.
He sincerely hoped it was Lady Catherine that would be joining them at dinner, and he hoped that she would be as excited to see him as he was to see her.
“What has you smiling so widely right now, Lord Lockhart?” Lord Radcliff raised an eyebrow as he spoke. “I have not seen such a wide smile on someone except when they were imagining a situation that would led them to have the same kind of grin.”
