Page 55 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
“What I didn’t count on was something I’m sure Nate can relate to, Mum. I didn’t count on falling in love.” The duke sighed heavily, then smiled when he saw his mother’s eyes fill yet again with tears.
“Oh, William. You seem so sad, but I am familiar with the complications that falling in love can bring. Tell me about her, please. Then I will tell you that I’m happy for you no matter what happens next.” Grace grabbed her napkin and dabbed the corners of her eyes.
“How can you say you’re happy for me when you already know that being in love is causing me sadness and conflict?”
Lady St Clair giggled through tears and patted her son’s hand on the table between them.
“My dear, we just discussed how love changes everything! It’s why I was so inspired to help you find a wife when I knew you were planning to come home again. Love is a windstorm for certain. Or, in your case, more like a tidal wave. It tosses you around and turns you inside out to prepare you to be strong enough to survive it.
But even if the love doesn’t last, the act of loving enriches our lives. Your father and I had struggles, and he was sometimes a difficult man, as you know. Yet we truly loved each other, and that’s how we got through it all. I am happy for you because your heart has opened to love, and that is a marvellous thing.”
“I don’t know if Iwillsurvive it, Mum. I don’t know how anyone does.”
William’s mother stood up and wrapped her arms around her son’s shoulders, then touched her head to his. “Give it time, my dear. Trust that your heart is a dependable guide because of what a wonderful man you are. Now, come with me. I will have to ask you more about your special lady soon. We have a dinner to plan and invitations to send!”
…
William rested in his old bedroom for a couple of hours before getting ready for dinner. It was strange to nap in his old bed again, though the mattress had been upgraded recently so it was much more comfortable than he remembered.
After more discussion that afternoon, Grace had decided to invite only Nate and his family for dinner. Telling just a few family members about his return would help William keep his secret identity safe from others for now.
When Nate, Belle, and their boys arrived at Ashbourn House, Grace met them at the door first. She promised William that she would explain his circumstances and warn them about his scars before he and Nate saw each other again.
But when Nate came around the corner into the formal drawing room, it was like no time had passed at all. Nate’s blunt style of friendliness was exactly the same, too.
“St Clair, you look absolutely awful, mate! Haha! It’s great to see you!”
Nate pulled William in for a big hug and then introduced his family. “This is my better half, the lovely Belle. And these are our sons, Charlie, Brandon, and Will.”
William looked back at Nate when he said his youngest son’s name.
“That’s right, Will. This is your namesake. And he’s just as ornery as you!”
Everyone laughed and spent the next few moments getting acquainted. William was astounded that Nate’s boys were aged nine, six, and four years old. He couldn’t believe he’d missed so many years of their young lives already.
In addition, Belle announced that they had a surprise little one on the way.
“Maybe this one will be a girl, Lady St Clair. Lord knows I could use a break from all these boys in my life!” Belle said to William’s mother.
“As a woman who finally got her one boy back, I’m happy to take some of them off your hands anytime,” Grace replied while she hugged Nate’s wife.
William watched his mother get weepy again and wondered how her poor eyes would get through the rest of this day of family reunions.
Later, sitting around the same dining table he’d eaten from as a child, William’s heart felt fuller than it had in years. The only thing missing was Eleanor’s smiling face and infectious wit.
Someone told William once that you knew you could make a relationship work if you could picture your lover fitting in at your family’s dinner table. He smiled now as he realized how much truth was in that statement.
Though she wasn’t here, William could picture Eleanor fitting smoothly into this picture of family joy. She would laugh with these young boys and help Belle handle them all.
Elle would become thick as thieves with his adoring mother; he just knew it. She would also easily match Nate’s silliness with her own.
Seeing Eleanor through the lens of his old life made him crave a new one with her even more.
Spending these hours with family again finally helped William see that it was time to come home. There was nothing to fear or escape here. The old ways were folded with love into the new.
The child he was still existed in some form here, but his home had also matured into a place where a man could plant new roots and thrive.
There was nothing left to decide. There were only questions to ask.
