Page 5 of The Scarred Duchess Deal
No sooner had the words left Leo’s mouth than the cat in question started to purr loudly and rub up against Aurelius’ side affectionately.
Aurelius looked at Leo as if to say ‘See?’
“It is too early to enter into a debate with you, old man.” Leo laughed and shook his head. “Tell me this: if he is such a sweet spirit then why does he seem to hate every single woman he meets?”
“Not every single woman. Just the ones that you tend to bring here. Perhaps you ought to take that as a sign that you need to stop meddling with light skirts and search for a real woman. It is hardly Sweetie Whisker’s fault that he has a better sense of propriety than you do.” Aurelius nearly cooed affectionately as he stroked the cat, who happily purred the whole time.
Leo rolled his eyes at the suggestion and flopped backward onto the bed. “Right. I shall keep that in mind.”
“If you would only agree to attend proper and scheduled social functions, you might even meet one or two women that you like. There is one to be held in London in only a week's time. You could make it there for the Season–”
“How many times must we have this conversation? Grandfather, I will not be married. I have no intention of ever taking a wife and you know very well why that is. As such, I have no obligation to attend such boring events. I am free to spend my evenings only partaking in that which brings me joy,” Leo reasoned evenly.
“If you do not ever give it a chance, how do you know that a good woman would not bring you joy as well?”
Leo laughed deeply. “I have never seen a single marriage in which either party was truly happy. Have you? I think not.”
Memories of his own parents flashed before his eyes. They were the perfect example of how those societal marriages failed. The sort of marriage that was only arranged for the sake of prudency. Nothing more than business matches in order to produce high-ranking offspring. Neither love nor compatibility of personality was considered in such business-minded marriages. It did not matter that the two people had nothing in common and were prone to screaming at one another during every waking hour. At least, that was how his parent’s marriage had gone. Leo very clearly remembered how his mother had loathed his father with every fiber of her being until the day she died.
Leo had no desire to replicate that. Marriage seemed like a waking nightmare and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Besides, he had made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would never be stupid enough to take a wife. Getting married was only good for producing children. He wanted neither children nor the responsibility of raising them. Furthermore, he had also sworn to his mother that the Huxton legacy would end with him. He would have no bastards, no heirs – and he was devoutly strict about it.
Leo pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at his grandfather. Aurelius did not speak of his own late wife. It was partially because of Aurelius that his mother had suffered for so many years. Had this man not agreed to the marriage then she might have been spared. As it was, Leo did not feel his grandfather had any room to lecture him on marriage.
“You know, Leo, if you continue to cling to the past like this, you will find yourself in my position: old, in too large a house with only your beloved cats for company.” Aurelius smiled like he knew something that Leo did not. “If you should be lucky enough to earn them, anyway.”
“Can we speak of something else? Anything else?”
“I am only looking for your best interests. I hope that you know that,” Aurelius continued.
“Why do you even care so much? You have an heir – your bloodline will continue. It just will not via me.” Leo sighed. This was the last thing that he wished to endure when starting his day.
“I want happiness for my grandson, that is all. I am not trying to start an argument either.”
“Good. I do not wish to fight. I wish to have some breakfast, perhaps a little spot of tea, and maybe go for a ride if the weather is nice,” Leo said in an attempt to change the subject and lighten the mood just a little bit.
Aurelius was not impressed. “I cannot be expected to sit here and be idle while you ruin yourself. You cannot expect me to watch as you cling blindly to a silly and juvenile promise made to a woman who will never know if you did or did not keep it!”
“Mind your tongue,” Leo said sharply. “You know not what you say. I was there to witness everything that my mother was forced to endure at the hands of my father. The very same hands, mind you, thatyoupushed her into! As her father, you ought to be held responsible for her misery. It is a kindness on my part that I do not demand you answer for it.”
Despite the blatant threat, Aurelius was not ruffled. He knew perfectly well how delicate a subject his daughter was with Leo. He harbored a great many regrets about the subject himself, but he had lived for far too many years to live in the past or dwell on those regrets.
“There are two sides to every story, Leo. You must remember that – just as every coin contains two faces. They do not see eye to eye either.”
It was far, far too early for Leo to attempt to understand what Aurelius meant. He could feel the irritation growing nevertheless. Leo pushed himself out of bed and started to march around the dark room searching for his belongings. He paused only to angrily rip open one of the heavy curtains so that he could see better. He flinched when the bright light assaulted him.
“I know that you do not like what I say, Leo, but I assure you that everything I ask of you is said with the best of intentions. I only want the very best for you, and I firmly believe that the path you have chosen will not bring you lasting happiness.”
Leo scoffed and shook his head. He draped his clothes over his arm and turned back to Aurelius. “Enough. I have said no, and that is final.”
“Title or no title, duke or no dukedom, you reside in my house and, as such, you will respect my rules and wishes. It is my wish that you attend the ball in London. You can end the conversation there,” Aurelius said firmly in his naturally warm, kind voice.
“Then you give me no other option but to leave your home,” Leo threatened. He hoped that his grandfather was bluffing; he did not wish to leave, to abandon this place in the stunning countryside where he was so comfortable. The ancestral home in London, Huxton Manor, was not a property that he had any love for; he would not return to it easily.
Aurelius knew that.
Silence fell in the room as each man waited for the other to cave. Aurelius simply petted his cat and hoped against hope that Leo would eventually see reason.
He did not.
