“She preferred to busy herself with starin’ at me tailcoat than at me face.”
“Some of the time,” Jeffrey said with a nod. “Some of the time, she looked straight at you. Come off it, Gerard. She needs a husband and you are fond of her. What is the problem?”
“I told ye. I am never goin’ to get married.”
“Why, exactly?” Jeffrey shrugged.
“I told ye about me father. About me mother.”
“Yes, you did, but that is not what every relationship forged on love ends up like.”
“I had nay idea ye were such a romantic at heart, Jeffrey,” Gerard observed. Jeffrey smiled a little and waggled his eyebrows, as if mocking his own self pride in his romantic nature.
“I am not so romantic, but I am practical.” Jeffrey leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. He evidently saw that Gerard’s tankard was empty and swapped it with his own. “Here, have mine. I haven’t touched it.”
“Thank ye.” Gerard took hold of the tankard a little too eagerly. The ale was helping him to live with the memory of Charlotte’s tears from earlier that day.
“I guess I just do not understand your insistence that you feel nothing for Lady Charlotte, when you plainly do.” Jeffrey didn’t smile this time. He was completely serious.
“Sincerity doesnae suit ye.”
“Then I’ll have to jump up and do a jig in a minute, so you still believe it’s me.” Jeffrey laughed to himself. “Gerard, listen to me. I know the matter of your parents has left you, for want of a better word, scarred.”
The new seriousness made Gerard uncomfortable again, gulping from his ale.
“Your mother and father were separated by situation as well, remember? One a maid, another a duke. You and Lady Charlotte are now both part of theton.”
“And she is well respected,” Gerard cut in hurriedly. “Look at me. It seems that in spite of all me lessons, I’ll always be the talkin’ point as the ruffian, Scottish, duke.”
“But a duke all the same,” Jeffrey reminded him. “Would it be so bad to consider marriage after all?”
“Aye, it would.” Gerard was firm on this. In fact, he spoke so sharply that Jeffrey gave up. He slumped back on the bench for a second, shaking his head.
“Then I am sorry for it,” Jeffrey said with a sigh. “I only pray you and Lady Charlotte are not both left hurt by this affair. I’ll get us some more drinks.” He moved to his feet and walked away, leaving Gerard to hang his head in his hands.
Charlotte willnae be heartbroken by me leaving. She wouldnae care for me.
He was quite certain it was not possible.
As he hung his head in his hands, he saw another face swim before him. It was the face of his mother as she had laid dying from the sickness that had taken her from his world. In her hand, she had grasped onto something very tightly indeed. Itwas a chain necklace, beautiful and delicate, with a pendant red stone. At the time, he had thought it was a paste stone.
She had never explained why she would not sell the necklace when he was young, and they had struggled for food. Even one day when Gerard was a boy, he had found it in her drawer, and declared they could sell it, but she had staunchly refused. It was important to her.
She had held onto that necklace until her dying breath. When he’d tried to prize it from her grasp, she had refused, speaking in her croaky voice about love, startling him with it.
“I carry it for a love that never quite was, Gerard, my dear boy. I always have done, and always will do.”She had moved the necklace and held it tight to her chest.
With pain, Gerard had pulled the blankets up around her, trying to keep her warm, blocking out the view of that necklace as he had done so.
“Who gave that to her?” Gerard suddenly lifted her head up from his hands as a wild idea entered his head. If she carried it for a love, and to this day, he only knew of one person she had ever loved, one man who was certainly wealthy enough to have afforded such a necklace, if indeed the gem had been genuine.
Was it me father?
Gerard stood abruptly, just as Jeffrey returned to the table.
“Share another drink with me before you go,” Jeffrey pleaded, sitting down on the bench. “Come, we have to talk of something else other than love and Lady Charlotte, or you really will leave this place looking utterly miserable.”
“I am nae miserable,” Gerard insisted, though he sat again all the same.
