Page 4 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
It was well known that a father and a first-born son don’t usually get along due to the burden of responsibility placed on the son early in life. The relationship between Gabriel and his own father was no different. As soon as Gabriel could, he fled the estate to pursue his own life, out from under society’s watchful eye.
The Duke of Ashbourne disdained his son’s scientific studies. He and Gabriel had had many a quarrel over his son’s vision of his future. The duke strenuously protested any deviation from simply taking over the family estate as his son was obliged to do since birth. This was after all why men had sons.
As the ship docked at long last, Gabriel found himself gazing from the deck in wonderment all across London, as it welcomed him back. It was just the same as the last time he could recall being there; with the bustling and massive metropolis of carriages and large homes, where the very pulse of commerce and trade could be found. London was indeed an epicenter of its own making.
As he found himself at last on dry land, Gabriel took a long moment to find his land legs and steady himself slightly. It was not more than a short stroll from the dock that he came upon a hotel that spoke to him of one last night of freedom before he arrived at Ashbourne Manor. It was situated on a busy street with foot traffic going in and out steadily.
The hotel was three stories high and made from dark brown brick. It looked cozy and a good place to spend the night. Gabriel did not need much even if he was used to finer lodgings.
As luck would have it, the first floor of the hotel had a bar and after getting settled into his room, Gabriel went down to the bar with the letters from Hugh, fully prepared to dive back in for additional clarification on just how much work the estate was going to need.
The long cherry wood bar was empty, except for the barkeep, so Gabriel took a spot along the end and ordered a drink.
“Brandy please,” Gabriel ordered politely, knowing that he would need the alcohol to get himself through the rest of the letters. In truth, he had only digested portions of the contents of the letters. He was positive that not all of the information had been fully absorbed within his mind.
Gabriel had read the letters during his trip over from France, but there seemed to be three that stood out the most to him. He trained his eyes upon the pages and began to re-read them.
Dear Gabriel,
It has come to my attention that you are not planning on returning to Ashbourne Estate. If that is indeed true, we will need your permission for some arrangements. Lady Gemma Whitmore has been staying at the estate for the past five years and since your father’s passing, no one knows what to do with her.
I have taken over as her guardian, but it is truly your duty. Do you wish for us to keep providing for her? Please respond so that we can make arrangements quickly.
All the best,
Hugh
Dear Gabriel,
The estate is floundering without a master. The gardens are overgrown, and the staff are becoming wary. They wonder if they will be out of a job as there is no one there to run the estate. Please respond so that I can let everyone know whether their livelihoods are at stake.
All the best,
Hugh
Dear Gabriel,
It seems you are ignoring my letters so let me be frank. It was your father’s wish for you to become the duke and head of the estate. You have duties that you must fulfill, and it is disappointing that you are ignoring them. Someone needs to take over Ashbourne Estate before it becomes overrun. Lady Gemma and I are doing our best to keep things afloat, but the estate needs a master. The estate needs you.
All the best,
Hugh
After reading the last three letters, Gabriel downed the rest of his brandy.
Things at Ashbourne Estate were clearly falling apart, and someone needed to take care of things and unfortunately that someone was him. It was such a bothersome issue. His studies and other life had been fulfilling. Of course, he had fought hard against returning to the estate, and that was for one key reason.
His family was gone.
There was nothing left for him to do. Or so he had thought.
The messages from Hugh were that his duties required him to be front and center, residing right there at Ashbourne Estate. If that was to be the way of it, then the time had finally arrived for him to face all of that he had previously run away from.
The next day, he ordered a carriage and began the long trip back to Ashbourne Estate. His only solace found in letting the carriage rock him to sleep during the journey.
As the road to Ashbourne Estate unfolded all around him, Gabriel found the beautiful foliage a welcome sight. The rolling hills captivated his vision as the distance from the city grew. With each kilometer, he reminded himself that among this beautiful scenery was his family home, and Gemma Whitmore.
The carriage turned onto the winding drive that led to the estate. The tall trees and overgrown bushes came into view, shocking him to his core. The trees were even bigger than the last time Gabriel had been home, which had been for his father’s funeral a mere six months ago. Everyone had been stunned to see Gabriel on that occasion for he had been out of touch for many years. They had been less stunned when he disappeared right after his father was buried.
