CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ah, Colin! My dear friend, do come in.” Mark laughed as he turned his head to face him. “You know when I was told that your carriage had pulled over in my compound, I did not believe it at first.” He rose to his feet with a warm smile. “Welcome, my friend.”
They embraced one another for a moment.
The Earl of Ashborne had been Colin’s dear friend for as long as he could remember. He had lost contact with Mark while at war, but it was no matter as they had been quick to rekindle their friendship upon his return. The Earl would have been at his wedding, had he not been away on business.
This was the first time he was taking up his friend’s offer to visit him whenever. Even without reaching out first. He wondered if his arrival would be frowned upon
Draping his coat over a fine wooden chair, Colin reclined on the sofa with a deep sigh. Tension rolled off him, dampening the warmth of the room. This was also the first time he had visited his friend ever since his new title as the Duke of Montford.
“So, how are things at Montford Estate? Most importantly, I must inquire of your new bride. How are things with her?” Mark asked, his voice tinged with concern. “Leave us,” he declared with a careless wave and his servants all left, including Colin's.
Colin sighed deeply, feeling a strange mix of despair and concern. “I must confess, I think this marriage was a mistake.”
Mark remained calm, his gaze on Colin. “Whatever do you mean? Are your nieces proving too difficult for your wife to handle?”
“What wife? She’s a child!” Colin sputtered, his face heating up with embarrassment and frustration. “I should have known better. She has no bloody idea on how to take care of children, manage a household or how to respect a husband. She speaks back to me and doesn’t listen to whatever I ask of her.” He sighed, trying to control his frustrations so he would not whine too much.
With a calmer voice, he continued.
“The kids have shown signs of warming up to her…
“Okay, that's a good thing. Is it not?” Mark asked. “I mean if your nieces, being who they are, in fact, willing to warm up to your new wife, then I don't see the problem.”
Colin massaged his eyeballs.
“Jane and I… we’re like night and day, like the sun and the moon, like different ends of a spectrum. She’s headstrong, unyielding, independent and….” He trailed off, frustration evident in his voice and furrowed brows.
Mark chuckled lightly, the sound doing little to lift Colin’s spirit. “Interesting. It is a transformation most unexpected, from adversaries to the warmest of companions.
“Mark, I did not come here for you to make a mockery of this dire situation. If this marriage doesn’t work out, I shall have to give the children to Prudence to take care of, which would lead me to break their trust.” Colin lamented; his face etched in a frown.
Mark raised an eyebrow, “I must say, I have never seen you so openly annoyed. You have always appeared composed, reserved and calm, it made me wonder if you were human at times. This woman must be so special, seeing as she has managed to make you rattled.”
“You know,” Colin began. “I thought I was going mad when I tried to find the right match for myself. I required one who would be able to take care of the home, teach my nieces how to act accordingly, and be a pliant wife. It was a simple request,yet I couldn’t find one person to fit into those requirements.” He paused and continued. “But when I saw her in that garden, I knew I had to convince her to be my bride. I was enamored by her confidence and how much of a spitfire she was.”
Shaking his head, he added, “I should have known she’d be a thorn in my flesh. She’s so adventurous, it's unsettling. She wishes to seek the world beyond and explore, having free rein to do anything. I’ve tried to make her see reason; I’ve tried to make her understand how the wife of the duke is expected to behave. But, no. It is apparent that she doesn’t seem to want to heed to my words of advice,” the words burst out of him in a frustrated manner.
Colin’s gaze flickered to the fireplace, entranced with the crackles it made.
“This isn’t just about your marriage, is it?” Mark asked, concern coloring his eyes.
Colin let out a sigh. “No. It's about everything,” he began. “My brother’s death, his children, my new title, the estate, reminders of the war…I just feel like I’m constantly fighting a battle that I shall lose.”
“Do you know why you are finding it difficult to handle your nieces?” Mark cast a serious look at him as he sat in silence.
“It’s because you treat them like soldiers, expecting them to carry out your orders with no hesitation or questions!” Mark pointed out, his voice firm but not unkind.
“It's funny...Jane said the same thing,” he confessed, a faint grin tugging at a corner of his lips.
“Then she's smarter than you give her credit for,” Mark declared. “The way you react to your nieces is why they never listen to you. I suggest you give Jane a chance and do away with any sort of prejudice you might have towards her. Who knows, she might end up being great with the children. Begin on a fresh slate, try to be friends with her.”
Colin scoffed, “Friends?” he spat out the word with a bitter tone. “You cannot possibly expect me to form a friendship with someone who has child-like tendencies which are worse than my nieces. It’s ludicrous!” Colin wasn’t cut out for friendships. He was too honest. Brutally honest to be exact.
He had no problem putting people in their place, if necessary. Perhaps it had to do with him being a captain. Either way, Colin didn’t have many friends and the friends he did have were either dead, out of the country or living in solitude, like Mark.
“Yes, friends,” Mark affirmed, his voice stern. “I understand that you were once a soldier and you have your way of doing things, in the most brutish manner, of course. But dear friend, that is definitely not the way to go about it.”
