Page 54 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
But William stood for only a few minutes with his luggage in the driveway before a footman appeared, and his mother came running towards him a few minutes later.
“Oh, my son! Is that really you?”
Grace St Clair, the Dowager Duchess of Ashbourn, raced towards William so quickly she nearly stumbled on the hem of her bright yellow dress.
“It’s me, Mother. It’s wonderful to see you again.”
William choked on his words. Being in his mother’s embrace again was more overwhelming than he could have imagined.
She had clearly aged, as her once charcoal-coloured hair had turned pure white, but her smile was still as sunny as her personality had always been. Her comforting hug was exactly the same as when he’d last held her. And her lovely scent from bathing in rose water was also the same as he remembered from all those years ago.
Being held by his mother again after twenty years brought tears to William’s eyes, no matter how hard he fought them back.
“Let me look at you! It’s been so long.” Lady St Clair cried as she stepped back and put her hands against William’s face. When she gasped and pulled his face closer, William’s eyes widened with concern.
He’d forgotten to warn her about his scars.
“William, what happened? Oh, my darling boy! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, Mum. There was an accident on the ship, but I’m alright. And it’s so good to be home again.”
Grace studied his face a few seconds more, then pulled her only son back against her body for another long hug. William returned it with gratitude.
“You’re just in time for tea. Are you hungry? Let’s go inside. Oh, and you’ll meet your new brother! He’s the cutest Scottish terrier named Georgie, who goes with me everywhere.”
Lady St Clair squeezed her son’s arm and beamed up at him with such happiness that it confirmed William’s thoughts about his return.
He’d stayed away too long. Yet he knew now that he would always be welcome and comfortable here.
William and his mother spent the entire afternoon sharing stories and lounging in the duchess’ favourite sitting room. Georgie was a feisty young terrier that immediately took to William as quickly as the duke did to the dog. They played fetch for a while in the back garden, where William could see his favourite apple trees still standing in the distance.
After a bit of fresh air, Lady St Clair promised her son a tour of the house improvements later on but demanded that they stay in close quarters together until she’d exhausted her questions and felt they’d caught up properly.
The duke admired the furnishings as his mother told him of her desire to visit new countries like Switzerland. Everything seemed dusted with yellow and gold in this particular room, which were Grace’s favourite colours.
The drapes and furniture covers were elegant, but the decor still felt comfortable. Just like his mother was an elegant woman who loved creature comforts and helping people feel at home.
“Will you stay for apple season this year, William? I have a new cook now, but she still lets me putter around the kitchen making hand pies when the mood strikes!”
William laughed. “Mother, your homemade pasties are the only convincing I need to extend my stay. But this first visit is a brief one, I’m sorry. I’m here for a more serious reason first. Father’s ledgers. Do you still have copies here in his study?”
Lady St Clair’s expression shifted from sunny to sour. “Oh dear. Is there an issue? Yes, I believe everything is just as your father left it in his private office. You are welcome to take what you want.”
“No need to worry. I’m finding discrepancies that I cannot yet explain, but I’m sure comparing the ledgers will help resolve it. Also, I would like to speak with father’s estate agent here in Essex. He would certainly have another set of ledgers for his safekeeping from which we could learn, as well.”
“Yes, of course, darling. Lucas Filch lives nearby and has been very kind to me since your father died. We can get word to him today that you’d like to meet. In the meantime, would you mind if we invited some relatives for dinner this evening? I’m not sure who could come on short notice, but your cousin Nathaniel still lives close and is married with three sons now!”
William leaned back in his chair and laughed so loudly it echoed throughout the large room with tall ceilings. “Nate settled down and had a family? I could have sworn he’d be the cause of trouble across many lands by now!”
Grace laughed with her son until more tears filled her eyes.
“As we all did! That rambunctious boy who gotyouin trouble more than a time or two was tamed by love, my dear. He became smitten with a local seamstress named Belle. She is lovely and such a gift to our family now. But she refused to pay him any attention back then until he became a respectable man. It took two years for Nathan to finally win her over. They have been happily inseparable ever since.”
The duke’s thoughts moved from one of his favourite childhood companions to Eleanor.Would he be able to win her over once she knew the truth? And if she refused him, would he be willing to spend two years trying to win her back?
“That’s an incredible story, Mother. I look forward to hearing Nate tell it. But before you invite anyone to join us tonight, I need to reveal something important. Nobody knows I’m here yet. Actually, that’s not quite the truth either. I’ve been pretending to be someone else since I arrived. And I need you to keep my secret a short while longer.”
William spent the next hour telling his mother about his reluctant arrival in London and why he’d been resistant to revealing himself to the ton. He’d been convinced that returning to England was the last thing that would make him happy. So, he’d created a temporary identity to get him by until he could leave again for good.
