Page 2 of Sleepless in Saunton
Lord Saunton coughed quietly into his fist. “I believe, if you think on it, that the idea of an officer lost at sea with a wedding planned was a more romantic notion for a young lad than …” The earl pulled at the knot of his cravat in agitation before finishing. “Than … the Earl of Satan seduced the young daughter of his architect and abandoned her to her fate.”
“Satan?”
Wincing, Lord Saunton’s face gradually turned red while he struggled to respond. “Rest assured, your ignorance of my—our—hedonistic father is a blessing. Now that I am the head of the Balfour family, it is my responsibility to acknowledge our connection and ensure you receive the benefits of our relationship … brother.”
Barclay’s thoughts were swimming, and his customary composure was nowhere to be found. He straightened, ready to spring to his feet. “I do not want it!”
“Barclay.” His grandfather spoke quietly, but firmly. Barclay had always trusted and respected Tsar, so, despite his struggle, he could not rise and stride away.
Reluctantly, Barclay paused before settling back into his chair, his hands resting on his knees while he drew a calming breath. “Yes, Grandfather?”
“Barclay, these many years your mother has struggled with the burden of being unwed. My reputation has assisted her to maintain some relationships, but she is not accepted in general society. One day, my great-granddaughter … Tatiana will struggle with the burden that her father is a by-blow. When I am gone in the not-too-distant future, none of you will enjoy the benefit of my protection any longer. Lord Saunton’s offer to acknowledge the connection will elevate you from a by-blow to the son and brother of an earl. It will open doors for you, as well as for your daughter and mother … All this will provide me with the solace I sorely need.” Tsar ran his fingers through his short, curling gray hair in a gesture reminiscent of Barclay’s own a few moments earlier. His rounded face was creased in concern when he continued. “I … often worry about what will happen to my family when my reputation and relationships from fifty years of professional excellence are no longer available to all of you to facilitate your social and professional interactions.”
Barclay hung his head, closing his eyes while he thought. “I am an excellent architect in my own right. My awards attest to that.”
“I will not deny that, but you have yet a decade of work, which simply does not compare to my five decades. You must acknowledge that, as a by-blow of an unknown officer, you will encounter difficulty when I am no longer here to lend you my support. Lord Saunton can make that difficulty disappear, which will benefit our womenfolk. Society is much harder on them than it is on men.”
Barclay leaned his head back in the chair to stare at the ceiling, swallowing hard while his thoughts raced.
The earl sat forward on the edge of his chair to speak in earnest. “Mr. Thompson, it would be my great pleasure to acknowledge you publicly and unite our families. You will gain two brothers, along with extended family, for your mother and daughter. My—our—cousin is the Duke of Halmesbury. He and his duchess are certain to sponsor Tatiana in society when that time comes. Even now, we can open doors for your mother.”
Barclay wanted to walk out of the room, but reflecting on the advantages to both his mother and Tatiana, he realized that would be the immature act of an excessively proud man.A duke?And not just any duke, but the much-lauded Duke of Halmesbury? Only a fool would reject such a prestigious connection.
He might tolerate the challenges he faced as a bastard, but if that burden could be lifted for Tatiana … If his late wife were still with them, she would place her much smaller hand gently over his and counsel him to accept this offer.
His heart squeezed at the thought of Natalya and the words she would have said if she had been here to say them, but it had been two lonely years since she had died. Tatiana no longer had a mother, and he no longer had a wife, yet now his young daughter would gain uncles, aunts, and cousins in the peerage.
He swept a trembling hand through his hair, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees before mumbling to his boots, “What does this entail, Lord Saunton?”
“Please … Barclay … we are brothers—blood. If our father had done right by your mother, even now you would be the earl, instead of myself. My family address me as Richard.”
Barclay sighed. “What does this entail … Richard?”
CHAPTER1
Jane Davis stood at the window, watching the guests arriving. The Earl of Saunton was hosting a grand house party at his Somerset country seat, and many of the guests were young gentlemen earmarked to meet Jane. Despite the impending festivities, she was feeling rather melancholy as she observed the hive of servants, guests, carriages, and trunks.
“I cannot believe you are married and leaving us.”
Her older sister, Emma, came to stand next to her by the window. “You encouraged me to accept him.”
Jane sniffed. “I merely informed you that Peregrine Balfour was your Darcy.”
“How strange that I am now married to the brother of the earl. You should have been there when Perry and his friends serenaded me. I shall never forget his proposal as long as I live.”
“Perry truly sings that poorly?”
Emma smiled lovingly, looking down on her groom who was assisting the earl to greet his guests. Perry and Emma had been married a few days earlier and were eager to leave for their new home. Shepton Abbey was a fine country estate, and her sister was elated to assist with managing it. “He promised to never sing again.”
Jane huffed a quick laugh. “To think our entire family was there to witness it except for me.”
“And Ethan.”
Jane nodded. “And Ethan.”
The Davis family was connected to the earl in an unusual manner. A few years earlier, during the time the earl had been a notorious rake, he had dallied with their cousin, Kitty, who had been in service.
Kitty, being with child as a consequence, had retreated to the Davises’ tenant farm where she had died in childbirth and left Ethan in their care. No one had known who his father was until the earl had begun a crusade to make amends for his past earlier this year and unexpectedly learned about Ethan. Lord Richard Balfour had claimed his four-year-old son, gifting their father with a small country estate in gratitude for taking care of his first child.
