Page 86 of The Duke's Wicked Widow
If you can name one good reason for why he would joke about something like that, I am listening.
Thankfully, Merida interrupted the unproductive internal argument with, “Wanna go again, Ellie?”
“Yes!” she blurted, more out of a chance to distract herself than a real desire to climb the hill. “But after that…”
The girl stopped in her tracks and frowned up at Ellie, her cheeks too red, her nose running, her eyes half-closed against the cold.
Certain now it was the correct decision, Ellie nodded. “After that, let us return to Hangcok Hill and some hot tea, yes?”
“Hotchocolate?” Merida pressed, as if negotiating.
Ellie pretended to consider. “Perhaps. I suppose it depends on how well you eat your peas at dinner…”
“Deal!” Merida slapped the sled’s rope in Ellie’s hand, and spun about. “Tramp! Tramp, we have five minutes! What doyewant to do? Didyehear that, Tramp? I’m practicing to be Scottish!”
Well.
Apparently Ellie would be sledding by herself.
She tipped her head back to peer up the slope. She would skip it entirely, except Fawkes was standing up there, his hands on his hips, likely waiting for an easy ride down. The poor man’s ears must be freezing.
Mind made up, Ellie began to trudge uphill. “Do not go far,” she called to her stepdaughter. “I will be back down in a minute.”
Merida called something unintelligible, followed by furious yapping from a gleeful Tramp.
The climb uphill took far longer than the journeydown, and soon Ellie could understand why Fawkes was so tired at the top. By the time she reached the apex, and gratefully accepted his hand to be pulled up the last few steps, she was breathing heavily.
“I suppose, if I’d been a gentleman, I would’ve popped down to help ye,” he offered, half-apologetically.
“No, do not—” Ellie bit off the words, breathing heavily, and put her palm up to stop him. “I…goodness.” A few more deep breaths, as he held her elbow, then she peeked up at him. “I confess I only made the hike soyouwould have the chance to ride down one last time. It is time for Merida to return and warm up.”
“Me as well,” Fawkes declared, using his gloved palms to rub his cheeks vigorously. “I need a better hat.”
Did he? Well, that should be easy enough. Ellie didn’t have many useful talents; her father had insisted on piano lessons, watercolors, and sewing. But perhaps she could knit him something useful…
“Well, let me ken when ye’re recovered from yer hike uphill.” Fawkes stood, hands on his hips, gazing out at the landscape. “This is the highest point in the area, aye? The auld word for hill wascock—the estate was named after the hill, ye ken.”
“I did not.” Ellie’s breathing had begun to even out, the air in front of her lips no longer puffing quite so much with steam. “It is a lovely estate.”
“Aye.” His dark green gaze darted toward her, then back to the view. “It’s…it’s home. It’s why I rushed here. I’m sorry I allowed ye to think we were mourning my sire, or my mother needed me to lean on.”
“Ididnotice a lack of mourning traditions,” she murmured baldly, stepping up beside him to admire the landscape. “And I am somewhat of an expert.”
His lips twitched. “Aye, well, my parents were no’ married. Ye ken I’m a bastard, aye? My father had a wife and son already, and a brother and nephew as well. My point is—he had nae need of a second family, nor another wee laddie running about. But…” Fawkes sighed, then shrugged begrudgingly. “He also kenned how much he’d fooked up my mother’s life—her stepfather, the earl, more or less banished her from Society, sent her to live up here—and he felt guilty. So he wrote her a lease for this place that would last the rest of his life.”
Ellie was beginning to understand. She tugged on the sled rope, dragging it into a more stable position. “So this estate—your home, your mother’s conservatory…it does not belong to you?”
“Nay. It belonged to that feckless auld git, who couldnae be arsed to visit my mother—or me—once to see how we were faring.”
Obviously an old wound. Ellie touched his sleeve. “That must have been difficult.”
Fawkes took a deep breath and held it. “Aye. But the problem is…” His breathwhooshedout in a cloud of steam. “Now the arsehole’s dead, Mother’s afraid what will happen to this place. What will happen to her. Hangcok Hill will belong to the new duke—I mean, my sire’s heir. And this place could make him some money—why would he allow my mother to continue to live here? I suppose I could always move her to London with me, but…” He shook his head. “Och, this is a depressing topic, eh?”
He was worried about his mother’s future. It was sweet, in a sad sort of way. A third female in his life with nowhere to go, no other man to protect her. Ellie squeezed his forearm. “Thank you for putting aside your worries and giving Merida such a wonderful time. She was just telling me how much fun she is having.”
“Aye, well…” When he turned, he was grinning again—dimple! “She’s helping us forget our worries, really.” He took the sled rope from her hand. “Now, the important question: do ye want to steer?”
“Oh good heavens,no!” Just the thought had Ellie laughing, and when she noticed him cock his head to stare at her mouth, she immediately sobered and lifted her hand to cover her lips.Keep your imperfections to yourself.“I mean, that was my very first sled ride, Fawkes. Donotput me in command.”
