voice.
Michael’s emotions were awash on an angry sea, his dinner sitting ill in his stomach. By turning his back on Diana, he had put her in the hands of a monster. And what of the boy who might be his son?
“Did he ever hit you?”
Jamie nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Once, when I tried to stop him from hurting Mama. I never tried to stop him again.”
Michael heard the shame in his voice. Jamie would have been nine or younger when that happened, no match against a grown man. “Did he hit your mother often?” He didn’t want to hear the answer, but he had to know.
“Almost every day when he was home, but Mama said it wasn’t so bad because he wasn’t home often. I should have tried harder to stop him.”
Sweet Jesus. Forgive me, Diana. He had been naïve to think he could just show up and easily make everything right. For the moment, however, he needed to find the words to help this child understand he held no blame for Leo’s deeds.
He put his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I am going to tell you an honest truth, so listen well. You were brave when you tried to protect your mother. It would take a lot of courage for a boy to go up against a grown man. However, there is nothing you could have done. But it is over now. I will never let anyone hurt you or your mother again. When you are a few years older, I will teach you how to fight so you can protect yourself if anyone does try to harm you.”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “Do you promise, sir?”
“You have my word.”
He jumped up from the bench. “Then I can stop someone from hurting Mama again.”
Well, that was going to be his responsibility from here on out, but he understood Jamie needed to believe he could safeguard his mother.
“Yes, then you can protect her.”
Michael walked back to the inn holding Jamie’s small hand, listening to him chatter about learning to fight and to ride a horse. The regret deepened at missing the first ten years of this boy’s life, but more than anything, he was beginning to hope Jamie was truly his son.
****
They arrived at Wyburne at mid-afternoon. Michael summoned his housekeeper, Mrs. Bartlett. “Will you show Diana to her chamber? I will take Jamie to his room. He and I will see you at six for dinner,” he told Diana’s retreating back.
She stopped on the stairs and turned. “You want him to dine with you?”
He looked at her in puzzlement. “Yes, why wouldn’t I?”
Jamie answered for her. “Father said children did not belong at the dinner table.”
Father said , again. Those two words needed to be removed from the English language. “While at Wyburne, Jamie, you are welcome at the table. Now come along and I will show you to your room.”
After getting Jamie settled in, Michael wrote a letter to his secretary. He instructed Johnston to hire a lady’s maid and tutor for a young boy, and to send them to the lodge along with Hansen, his valet. He also asked that his mount, Reckless, be sent to Wyburne. In his last paragraph, he directed Johnston to purchase an expensive piece of jewelry and to deliver it, along with the enclosed letter to Lady Hartwell. Michael removed a fresh sheet of paper and debated what to say to Serena. At this point, the less said the better. He didn’t want to lie, but the circumstances he found himself in now would be beyond her understanding. Hell, it would be beyond her endurance.
If he told her he was still at his estate, delayed from returning to Town, he wouldn’t put it past her to surprise him with a visit. He shuddered at the mere thought of Diana coming face to face with Lady Hartwell. Serena would devour her.
Of course, he wouldn’t be at Draven Park to greet Serena, which would cause a whole other set of difficulties. He settled for telling her that although he was thinking of her and missed her, another problem had arisen at one of his lesser estates, and he could not avoid dealing with this new difficulty.
He read over his note to Serena.
Michael’s emotions were awash on an angry sea, his dinner sitting ill in his stomach. By turning his back on Diana, he had put her in the hands of a monster. And what of the boy who might be his son?
“Did he ever hit you?”
Jamie nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Once, when I tried to stop him from hurting Mama. I never tried to stop him again.”
Michael heard the shame in his voice. Jamie would have been nine or younger when that happened, no match against a grown man. “Did he hit your mother often?” He didn’t want to hear the answer, but he had to know.
“Almost every day when he was home, but Mama said it wasn’t so bad because he wasn’t home often. I should have tried harder to stop him.”
Sweet Jesus. Forgive me, Diana. He had been naïve to think he could just show up and easily make everything right. For the moment, however, he needed to find the words to help this child understand he held no blame for Leo’s deeds.
He put his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I am going to tell you an honest truth, so listen well. You were brave when you tried to protect your mother. It would take a lot of courage for a boy to go up against a grown man. However, there is nothing you could have done. But it is over now. I will never let anyone hurt you or your mother again. When you are a few years older, I will teach you how to fight so you can protect yourself if anyone does try to harm you.”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “Do you promise, sir?”
“You have my word.”
He jumped up from the bench. “Then I can stop someone from hurting Mama again.”
Well, that was going to be his responsibility from here on out, but he understood Jamie needed to believe he could safeguard his mother.
“Yes, then you can protect her.”
Michael walked back to the inn holding Jamie’s small hand, listening to him chatter about learning to fight and to ride a horse. The regret deepened at missing the first ten years of this boy’s life, but more than anything, he was beginning to hope Jamie was truly his son.
****
They arrived at Wyburne at mid-afternoon. Michael summoned his housekeeper, Mrs. Bartlett. “Will you show Diana to her chamber? I will take Jamie to his room. He and I will see you at six for dinner,” he told Diana’s retreating back.
She stopped on the stairs and turned. “You want him to dine with you?”
He looked at her in puzzlement. “Yes, why wouldn’t I?”
Jamie answered for her. “Father said children did not belong at the dinner table.”
Father said , again. Those two words needed to be removed from the English language. “While at Wyburne, Jamie, you are welcome at the table. Now come along and I will show you to your room.”
After getting Jamie settled in, Michael wrote a letter to his secretary. He instructed Johnston to hire a lady’s maid and tutor for a young boy, and to send them to the lodge along with Hansen, his valet. He also asked that his mount, Reckless, be sent to Wyburne. In his last paragraph, he directed Johnston to purchase an expensive piece of jewelry and to deliver it, along with the enclosed letter to Lady Hartwell. Michael removed a fresh sheet of paper and debated what to say to Serena. At this point, the less said the better. He didn’t want to lie, but the circumstances he found himself in now would be beyond her understanding. Hell, it would be beyond her endurance.
If he told her he was still at his estate, delayed from returning to Town, he wouldn’t put it past her to surprise him with a visit. He shuddered at the mere thought of Diana coming face to face with Lady Hartwell. Serena would devour her.
Of course, he wouldn’t be at Draven Park to greet Serena, which would cause a whole other set of difficulties. He settled for telling her that although he was thinking of her and missed her, another problem had arisen at one of his lesser estates, and he could not avoid dealing with this new difficulty.
He read over his note to Serena.
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