Page 59 of Duke of Fyre

Peter looked at her, a quiet awe in his gaze. "You really think so?"

"Of course," she said firmly. "Though..." She pointed toward the remaining packages. "There's a bit more."

Peter's hands trembled with excitement as he picked up the first package, carefully peeling back the paper. His eyes widened, and his lips parted in surprise as he pulled out a small wooden box, its surface etched with intricate patterns. He flipped it open to reveal a collection of glistening chocolate truffles, each one nestled neatly in the velvet-lined box.

"Is that...?" Peter gasped, his voice breathless.

"Go ahead," Lydia encouraged, her eyes twinkling. "You're allowed to open them, you know. They're yours."

Peter picked up one of the truffles, turning it in his fingers as if it were a treasure. He hesitated, then grinned at Lydia. "Orange-filled, just like you promised! Thank you!" Without waiting for further permission, he popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes as the rich flavor burst across his tongue. "Mmm... this is exactly how I imagined it would taste!"

Lydia chuckled at his delight. "I thought you'd appreciate them. Now, what else do we have?"

Peter, already halfway through the truffle, put it down carefully and reached for the next package. The excitement in his movements was almost contagious. He unwrapped the soft paper with quick fingers and gasped aloud when he pulled out a small telescope, its brass casing gleaming in the light.

"It's a telescope!" he exclaimed, his voice rising with joy. "But it's so... so real!"

"Well, of course," Lydia said with a wink. "For proper pirate navigation, of course!"

Peter turned the telescope over in his hands, examining the polished brass and the fine lens that gleamed invitingly. He extended it, eyeing the far wall across the room, as if he could already spot a distant ship on the horizon. "This is amazing, Lydia! I'll be able to see the whole coast with this!"

Lydia smiled, watching him with amusement. "I thought it might help with your pirate adventures. You never know when you might need a good spyglass, do you?"

"No, you don't!" Peter laughed, clearly delighted, before carefully setting it down to open the next package. He pulled out a small wooden box with a rough, worn surface, and his eyes lit up even more as he peeled back the cloth inside to reveal a set of artist's pencils—sharp, well-made, and perfectly suited for his growing talent.

"Oh, these are..." He trailed off, unable to find the right words. "They're real artist's pencils! Not like the ones I've been using at all! Look how fine the tips are!" He reached for a piece of paper, eager to test them out, but then paused, glancing up at Lydia with wide, earnest eyes. "You really got these for me? To draw with?"

Lydia knelt beside him, her smile softening. "Of course I did. You're going to need good tools to create all those great adventures you imagine. Every pirate needs a map, and every artist needs the right materials."

Peter gave a small, almost awestruck nod as he reverently touched the pencils. "I'll draw the best pirates ever with these," he promised, his voice full of determination.

Lydia's heart warmed at the sight of his sincerity. "I have no doubt," she said gently. "Now, let's see what else we've got."

Peter eagerly tore into the next package, his energy infectious. He pulled out a beautifully bound sketchbook, its pages thick and creamy white, perfect for the delicate strokes of the pencils. He gasped, flipping through the pages, his fingers brushing lightly over the smooth paper.

"This is... this is just perfect," he whispered, as though in awe. "The paper feels so nice! It's... it's the kind of book real artists use, isn't it?"

"Exactly," Lydia said, her voice warm with affection. "I thought it might inspire you to fill it with all your grand adventures." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, watching as he ran his fingers over the blank pages, his eyes alight with excitement.

Peter blinked back a sudden wave of emotion, swallowing hard. "I don't know what to say," he murmured, his voice soft but full of gratitude. "This is the best gift anyone's ever given me."

"Well," Lydia said with a teasing smile, "I had to make sure it was worthy of the best artist I know."

Peter's face broke into a huge grin, and he immediately began flipping through the pages again, eyes shining. "I'll start drawing right now! I'll fill this with pirates, and ships, and maps... and maybe a few treasures." He looked up at her, his expression serious. "Thank you. This means so much."

Lydia's heart skipped a beat as she watched him, overcome with emotion. "You're very welcome, Peter. I'm glad you love it." She caught sight of the small, mischievous gleam in his eye as he reached for the last package, and she couldn't help but smile in return.

Before she could say another word, Peter had already opened it, revealing a small box of intricately designed trinkets. "Oh, these are... perfect! Look, there's a compass, and a small chest, and—"He stopped, holding up a small wooden figure of a pirate, with a grin and a bandana, carved with such care that it almost seemed alive. "A pirate for my collection! This is the best part!"

Lydia laughed, her voice light and filled with affection. "I thought you might like that one. Every pirate needs a trusty figurehead, don't they?"

Peter beamed, his excitement overflowing. "This is going straight into my pirate ship collection. I can't wait to tell Father about all these! He'll think they're brilliant!" He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "Do you think he'd like the telescope too?"

Lydia chuckled softly. "I'm sure he'd appreciate the telescope, though I'm not sure he'd have much use for the pirate figure. Perhaps you should keep that one all to yourself."

Peter nodded earnestly. "You're probably right. But I'll share everything else!" He paused, then added with a mischievous grin, "Though he might have to battle me for the truffles."

Lydia smiled at the familiar sparkle in his eye. "You have a deal, then."

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