Page 84 of An Unwanted Widow for the Duke
“Are you ready?” Hector asked eagerly.
“Oh, patience, my dear boy,” Wilhelmina replied. “You must not rush a lady.”
“So, you are back to your wayward ways?” Gerard asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You know that it was only a jest. When I was single, my mother never allowed tardiness. My sisters and I were too afraid to displease her or our father. With Robert, I… well, I was allowed to be late. He also liked arriving a tad late just to test some people.”
Gerard’s eyes narrowed, and he looked away.
“We might miss our favorite spot in Hyde Park!” Hector complained.
“We have a favorite spot there?” Wilhelmina asked.
“Well, I was talking about the best spot there,” the boy amended, hopping about restlessly. “Papa said we might see Lady Merrifield’s peacock carriage, as well.”
“Oh, did he tell you that?” Wilhelmina drawled, glancing at Gerard.
He was already dressed and ready. His arms were folded across his chest, but his eyes had somehow softened a little.
“He can be persuasive, you know that,” he said. “He wanted a ride in the carriage, which isn’t much different from any other carriage.”
“It is special, Papa!”
“Those were just paintings on the carriage, Hector,” Gerard explained.
“I suppose he wants some illustrations on your carriage,” Wilhelmina said.
“Ourcarriage, wife,” Gerard corrected softly.
“Also, you promised him the ride. Does Lady Merrifield know that such a promise exists?”
“She knows,” he reassured her. “And she likes Hector, whom I already mentioned to be quite persuasive.” He then turned to the boy. “Remember that we are only going for a promenade. We can drink lemonade and eat tarts, but we should not be plotting to steal our neighbor’s carriage.”
“I was not thinking that!” Hector protested with a slight giggle.
He then skipped down the stairs, all boyish delight, as if nothing in the world could ever trouble him.
Gerard followed with Wilhelmina at his side, their steps slower, steadier, though no less content for it.
Hyde Park had become their haunt on fine afternoons. Gerard had never thought himself a man to stroll idly among crowds, yet with his family at his side, it felt different. Almost tolerable. Even pleasant.
Sometimes Hector insisted on holding both their hands, swinging between them with reckless joy. At other times, Gerard would hoist the boy onto his shoulders so that he could see above the throng, while Wilhelmina would trail a step behind with her parasol tilted gracefully over her head.
Thursdays meant going to the theater, another habit that had cemented itself into their lives without his notice. Hector had soon discovered that not every play was full of storms and magic,yet he absorbed them all with the same eagerness. At home, he would recite lines with fierce concentration, staging little performances for his parents.
Gerard found himself watching with unusual patience, even pride, while Wilhelmina beamed at the boy’s earnestness. Something about the way her eyes softened made his chest ache in ways he had never expected.
Evenings, once solitary, had become unbearable without the clamor of family. Supper was no longer a quiet affair; it had turned into a ritual of sorts. Hector was overjoyed to have his father present at the table every night, peppering him with questions.
“Will you be here every night now, Papa?” he had asked with wide, earnest eyes.
“Yes.”
“Then we will be watching another play soon?”
“Yes.”
Wilhelmina was already giggling by then at how Hector was not easily frustrated by his father’s monosyllabic answers.
