Page 88 of Love in a Mist
“Henri did. He’s literally the only one.” Her voice shook on the admission, and Aldric’s heart broke for her. His mother had told him. The Gents not only showed in everything they did for each other how much love there was between them all, but they were also unafraid to say the words. Even growing up in the family he had, Aldric had been told by many people that he was loved.
The only person who’d ever said that to Céleste was currently in a great deal of danger. Her frustration at leaving him behind, her panic in the face of the danger he was in, was more than understandable. It was probably even more overwhelming than she’d allowed Aldric to see.
And he’d been impatient with her.
“There are a great many people who love you, Céleste. One of them is sleeping in the wagon bed just now.”
“I think I’ve made strides in bringing her to a point where she likes me, but she is far more fond of you than she’s ever been of me.” Céleste pulled her blanket more tightly around herself. “I don’t know why she keeps me at a distance. I can’t think of anything I’ve done to give her such hesitancy.”
Aldric thrust his hands into his pockets once more, restraining the need to hold her and reassure her that she wasn’t alone. “Your brother and his wife are unkind to you. They do and say cruel things. I suspect that they’ve said things to her about you.Theyhave made her wary. You are chipping away atthat, giving the lie to their cruelty. Given time, she’ll realize it. Children are far more insightful than we usually give them credit for.”
Her brow knit in an almost perfect recreation of the expression Adèle so often wore. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Play your violin for her a few more times. Music touches people, and it delights her.”
“Music was often my escape. It has been a shield for years.”
“We’re leaving the battle behind. You can put the shield down. Let music be a voice. A way of reaching her, a way of lifting your heart, of finally having a bit of freedom.”
Céleste nodded. “And you have been given your freedom as well.”
I am “purchasing” your freedom.
The future was uncertain, but that future was beginning to fill with possibilities.
Chapter Thirty
“Tonton Aldric. Tonton Aldric.”
Aldric worked at peeling his eyes open.
“Tonton Aldric.” The whisper grew a little bit louder.
He had his eyes open at last and, for just a moment, expected to see Roderick. Finding Adèle there instead helped him shake some of the lingering mental sloth of sleep. She’d said “Tonton,” where Roderick would have said “Uncle.” His mind had simply translated without bothering to tell him it had done so.
“What is it,ma petite douce?” He kept his voice low so as not to wake Céleste.
“I need to—” Her face scrunched.
Ah.He sat up. “Is this a particularly urgent need, or do we have time to put our shoes on?”
“We have time for our shoes.”
He snatched hers from inside the bag and pulled them onto her feet, tying them. “With the rain last night, the ground is likely to be muddy. I think we will both appreciate the shoes.”
He put his on, tying them in place. He rolled his shoulders, working out the stiffness of yet another night sleeping in a wagon bed.
Aldric climbed out of the wagon, then reached back up for her. There was no hesitancy, no uncertainty. She simply hopped into his arms, trusting him to catch her. That touched him, but it also made his heart ache for Céleste, who was having to work so much harder to win the girl’s approval.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that his theory of Jean-François having poisoned his daughter’s opinion of her aunt was accurate. He wouldn’t have believed before leaving England a few short weeks earlier that he would meet a brother more worthy of being despised than his own.
Aldric set Adèle on her feet but offered her his hand to hold on to. Hers were so much smaller than his that she simply wrapped her hand around one of his fingers. He was finding he enjoyed being an uncle to this little girl every bit as much as he did to Roderick. He could even imagine himself being a father, which was a thought he had not ever let himself indulge in.
They walked toward the open side of the barn where doors would once have blocked out nature. It was lighter out than he would have expected, a sure indication that they’d slept later than he’d intended to. All of them were tired. It would be good to get to Norwood, where everyone could rest.
As they crossed over the deteriorating threshold, the breeze caught them there. Adèle shivered a little. He ought to have put on her coat as well as her shoes.
“Wait here a moment. I’m going to fetch your coat.”
