“This is a cottage?” Arabella chuckled. “It looks more like a house.”
Her brother shrugged and winked at her. “Well, I think ‘cottage’ sounds a little cozier than ‘guest house.’ But I suppose that’s what it is.”
The house before them was a two-story building with a thatched roof and a porch. Boards had been hammered together to make a ramp for Helen’s wheelchair, something Arabella foundtouching, especially since none of them had asked Alexander to do this.
Helen wheeled herself forward in her new wheelchair, which was easier for her to use, especially now that her arms had grown stronger thanks to the efforts of a nurse they had hired.
“This used to be all gravel,” Alexander said, pointing at the path that led from the cottage to the main house and the stables. “We’ve done our best to make it as flat as possible, and I trust that the sand won’t cause too much trouble for your chair.” Then he turned to Mrs. Hollingsworth. “Mrs. Hollingsworth, I’ve taken the liberty of having the upstairs bedrooms turned into a space for you and the other servants. They’re arriving soon?”
“Yes, they’re just a few days behind us,” Mrs. Hollingsworth replied.
Five servants had eventually accompanied Helen and Mrs. Hollingsworth to Ireland.
“Very good. You’ll see that the path also reaches down to the lake and the stables. We’ve placed ramps where we could to make it easier for you to navigate. But do let me know if there’s anything else you need.”
“Thank you very much, Lord?—”
“No, no, no Lord here. Alexander,” he corrected, smiling.
“Very well, I suppose we are brothers now, after all,” Harry relented.
Alexander flashed him another smile. “We are. And I do hope that we’ll all be close now.”
“I cannot wait to go inside,” Helen said.
Harry took that as a command. “Well then, we should go inside. Do you wish to come with us, or would you like to stay out here?” he asked, glancing at his wife.
“I’ll stay here,” Arabella said.
Harry nodded, aware that she hadn’t yet had a chance to speak to her brother in private.
Alexander had met them at the gate when they had arrived, and she had to admit she’d been awfully nervous to see her brother again after all this time. But what struck her immediately was how happy he looked. She was used to her brother appearing as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but that was no longer the case. He seemed younger somehow, which was odd, since several years had passed after their last meeting at their aunt and uncle’s home. He wore a smile on his lips, and his blondish hair had streaks running through it, evidence of much time spent outdoors.
Arabella had noticed that everyone in his household seemed fond of him, alleviating her fear that he might have turned into her father.
“I am glad you’re here,” he said, drawing her from her thoughts. “I mean it. I was worried that you might change your mind after our last correspondence.”
“I was angry with you,” she huffed, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice.
“I know, but I knew you didn’t want to hear it. You wouldn’t have listened, would you?” he asked.
Arabella shook her head. “Perhaps not. But it would’ve helped me if I had known you made inquiries about Harry.”
“Well, some of those inquiries didn’t yield results until after you were married, but what I knew of him, I thought was enough. Besides, I thought it was important that you get out of Hayward Manor. Speaking of Hayward Manor… how is the old curmudgeon?”
“I haven’t seen him in weeks, but from what I’ve heard, he hasn’t changed. He’s been thrown out of every club in London, he drinks to excess, and I do not know what will become of him. Emma and Hanna are staying with us most of the time, and I hope they too can find husbands very soon.” She paused for a moment. “Do you think you will ever come back?”
“Yes, when the old man is buried. I’m sorry, but I will not come before then. I do not want to see him ever again. He has done me so much harm, and it has taken me so long to build this, to make myself into the man I am today. I have money and success that I have built with my own hands. This estate? It is mine because I made it mine, not because I inherited it.”
“It is a beautiful home,” Arabella noted. “And I can see that you are happy. But pray, why didn’t you get married?”
He scoffed. “I shall never marry, Arabella. I’m afraid the line shall die with me. After seeing Mother and Father’s marriage, I vowed never to marry. I’m sorry that you and our sisters did not have the autonomy to make such a decision on your own and you were forced into marriage, but I shall make use of my privilege and not marry.”
“Then the roster dies with you,” she said, unsure of how that made her feel.
“It shall, but I do not mind. Perhaps I will be elevated to Marquess or Duke.” He winked, but then his expression softened. “I truly am happy that you’re here. There has been so much acrimony in our family, and I cannot wait for all of us to be united again.”
“I missed you,” she admitted at last. “Especially when Harry and I got married. For the second time.”
