Page 77 of Dueling with the Duke
“It took him some time to come to his senses, but he finally got there,” Rebecca said, shaking her head.
“It took some words of wisdom,” Nicholas admitted, smiling at her.
“It is wonderful we are all here together,” Rebecca announced. “I have one son who is married and another who has fallen in love. I feel as if the past is slipping away from my family, and I could not be more proud.”
“Yes,” Penelope murmured, looking at Ralph again.
The Earl cut a solemn figure on the other side of the table, sitting alone with two footmen watching him. Still, he had brought it upon himself, and they could feel both pity and anger toward him. Bridget knew it would not be right to invite him over to the table. She did not know if he would ever be welcome at their table. It depended on what came next and the choices he made.
“I believe we need a toast,” the Duke boomed.
Bridget turned away from her father to face the man she loved. He was looking at her with compassion. He must have seen her staring at her father and decided it was not the time to wallow in sadness.
Bridget nodded at him.
“This is one of the best days I have ever experienced,” the Duke continued.
“What day could have been better than this?” Michael asked with a grin.
“I don’t know if I can talk about that day with this company,” the Duke said, grinning back.
That earned him an elbow to the ribs.
“I am joking, of course,” the Duke added. “My brother is correct. If I truly think about it, I cannot think of a better day for our family than this one. My brother is married today, and he has found a wonderful woman. I know they will treasure each other for the rest of their lives, and I can’t wait to watch their family grow.”
“Thank you,” Michael mouthed, holding up his glass.
“He will be a good father, and even though I am the eldest, I aspire to be more like him every day. He is a gentleman. Yet, this toast is not dedicated solely to my brother. It is for us all. It is something we have all experienced in our lives, and something we will experience more of, whether it be romantic or familial, as our two families grow together.” The Duke raised his glass. “I ask you all to raise your glasses in a toast to the greatest experience any of us can have. To love.”
“To love!”
EPILOGUE
Six Weeks Later
Bridget sat at the large dinner table and watched her mother and father. It was not the first time they had eaten dinner together, but it was the first time they had eaten somewhere else since Margaret’s wedding.
Bridget still had some distrust in her heart, but she had to admit that her father was making an effort.
Ralph’s hand shook as he lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth, and while everyone at the table must have noticed it, no one commented on it. He managed to consume the spoonful of soup without spilling it and went back for more.
The tremors were not as bad as they had been after the first two weeks. Bridget could only assume that they were caused by a lack of alcohol, but she could not be sure. Her father did not talk much, not to her and not to anyone. She had been unable to monitor him constantly, but she received regular updates from her mother.
It was still a sad sight, but it was better than what had been the years before.
Penelope picked up Ralph’s napkin and used it to wipe his chin, even though he had spilled no soup. She had been nurturing him and caring for him since the tremors in his hands had started. Ralph did not protest even though there were a few others around the table to see.
“I don’t know if I have ever seen her like this,” Bridget whispered to the Duke. “I can still see the resentment in her eyes, but she does care for him. I know she did care for him deeply before all of this began, but I never thought I would see her as she is now. Nor my father. He is a shell of himself. I contend that he would do anything my mother told him to do, and he would do it with the expressionless look he has most of the time.”
“Time,” the Duke repeated. “It will take a lot of time. Your family has gone through a lot, and all of you need to heal. Including your sister.”
“She believes Father has come down with the flu,” Bridget said.
“What are the two of you whispering about over there?” Margaret asked.
“It is none of your business, which is why we are whispering,” Bridget said cheekily.
Margaret smiled sarcastically at Bridget before smiling genuinely at her husband.
