Page 44 of The Duke of Lies
Verity surrendered to the laughter. “Thank you.”
“But Papa should be the one to save you. That’s what dukes do, right?”
“That’s whathusbandsdo,” Rufus corrected, “whether they are a duke or not.”
Verity nearly tripped as they crossed the stable yard. She was almost completely convinced that this man wasn’t her husband, and this was just about all the proof she needed. Rufus—the real Rufus—wouldn’t have saved her from a damn thing.
Rufus.She looked at his profile and tried to conjure an image of the man she’d married. She thought his chin had been smaller, weaker, but she wasn’t sure she knew anymore. When she thought of her husband, this man, whoever he was, filled her mind. And he did so with increasing frequency.
It was a very confusing and alarming thing to go from despising and fearing someone to admiring and liking them.
He’s not the same person,she reminded herself.
Then who was he?
Curiosity burned her chest, but she couldn’t ask him now, not in front of Beau. Did that mean she planned to tell him she didn’t believe he was Rufus? She wasn’t sure she wanted to. To admit that, to bring it out into the open, would bring an end to Beau’s joy. She looked down at her son, who’d taken Rufus’s hand while Rufus juggled the blanket and basket in his other grip. No, she couldn’t do that.
She let go of Beau’s hand and stopped. “Here, let me take the blanket.”
“I can manage,” Rufus insisted as he too paused.
She went around Beau and took the blanket from Rufus with a smile. Then she returned to her spot.
Beau slipped his hand in hers again and swung his arms as he clasped both parents. “I like having a mama and a papa.” The glee in his voice was palpable, and Verity feared her heart might burst. “Where are we having our picnic?” he asked.
“I thought we would go to the pond,” Rufus said.
“Oh yes, let’s!” Beau agreed.
Verity didn’t allow Beau to go to the pond without her. That was where Augustus’s son Godwin had drowned during the house party where she’d met Rufus. Her gaze slid to the man who claimed to be Rufus. He’d been charming at that party. But this man was different.
The path pitched downward as they neared the pond. A pair of ducks glided across the surface, and Beau instantly took off toward the water.
“Careful!” Verity called, increasing her pace. “He doesn’t swim.”
Rufus took off running and set the basket in the grass before catching up to Beau and sweeping him up into his arms and spinning him around. Beau’s laughter filled the air as Verity neared the basket. She laid the blanket out over the grass with a smile, then transferred the basket to a corner. “Who’s hungry?”
Rufus set Beau down and sat with alacrity, patting the spot next to him. Beau immediately dropped onto the blanket, and they both watched as she laid out the food.
After swallowing a bite of cold roasted duck, which seemed rather rude given their company on the pond, Rufus inclined his head toward the water. “I think I’ll get a small boat for us to row about. Which means I should build a dock.”
“Can I help?” Beau asked before wolfing a too-large bite of bread.
“Not so much at once,” Verity said, eyeing her son.
He gave her a sheepish look, then took a much smaller bite with far less…vigor.
“Will you teach me to build the dock, Papa? I want to build things like you.”
“I think that will be an excellent thing for you to learn. Along with swimming.”
“Can you teach him that?” Verity asked. “I would feel better about the boat if he could swim.”
“I can,” Rufus said.
Beau turned his body toward Rufus. “Are you a good swimmer, Papa? You must be if you were on the ocean.”
“Would you believe many sailors don’t know how to swim?” Rufus nodded when both Beau and Verity shook their heads.
