Page 72 of The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor
She is aware of much more than she shows,he realized and with a newfound respect, he found himself nodding in agreement.
“All right, Mother,” he replied, a small smile of his own forming on his lips. “I will heed your advice.”
“Good. I will have Theodore turn down your bed and warm the hearth.”
He stared after her for a long moment, rubbing his hand over the fresh whiskers growing on his face.
God has administered a devastating blow upon the Framptons but we will prevail. Mother has enlisted the aid of good men and I must use them to my benefit.
A knock on the study door startled him.
“Enter.”
“Duke Buford,” Captain Balfour said, poking his head through the doorway nervously.
“Captain. What is it at this hour?”
“A word, Your Grace?”
“Tis about all I have time for,” Nicholas muttered, unhappy at yet another distraction.
“Your Grace,” Balfour said hesitatingly. “I feel as if we should start afresh.”
“I haven’t a clue what you mean, Captain and I am quite busy.”
“Of course. Your Grace, I have been known for my rather crass mouth and I daresay, I oft cross a line. I blame the years on the sea, mucking about with brash men in deplorable circumstances – ”
“Balfour, is there a purpose to this?” Nicholas demanded. “I do not mean to be crass myself but I have much to do.”
“Indeed, Your Grace. Duke Buford, I have come to beg your forgiveness for anything I may have said or done in the past which you may consider distasteful.”
Nicholas blinked at the unexpected words.
“Beg my forgiveness?”
“I realize that it has been months but there has never been an ideal time to present myself in the aftermath of the late duke’s passing…”
Nicholas studied the captain’s broad boned face, cocking his head to the side, perplexed. It was true that since his father’s passing, Captain Balfour had not been nearly as insufferable as Nicholas had originally found but that did not mean the new duke trusted in the man. The last expectation he had was that Balfour would ask for leniency.
Has my mother something to do with this?
Nicholas hoped that was not so. He could not imagine a more humiliating idea than Balfour apologizing on his mother’s orders.
“May I ask why the change of demeanor?”
“Your Grace, if I may speak frankly,” Balfour said quietly, bowing his head slightly as if to show embarrassment.
“You always have, Captain. Why should you stop now?”
He cleared his throat nervously.
“Tis not my finest moment, Your Grace, but your father did, as some of the party treat you more gruffly than our stations permit. He claimed it was for your own good. I did not inquire as it was not my place. In truth, Your Grace, I am not a cruel or rude man. It did go quite against my nature.”
As I suspected, father had something to do with it.
It made good sense and Nicholas suddenly felt relieved. He had been carrying around a heavy burden, loathing Daniel Balfour for myriad reasons but his doubts were being stripped away.
Just as Rose holds ill will toward him for something beyond his control, I have done the same.
