One pecked Alex’s backside. “Ouch!” he yelped, and began to run down the lane to escape the angry bird.
His brother chased after him, not to comfort him but to tease him. “Chicken!” he shouted, and wrestled Alex to the ground while making squawking sounds.
Lord Aubrey patiently broke them apart. “You had better not behave like this by the cliffs. Your father will be quite put out if we return to Lynton Grange minus two children.”
He then resumed walking with the boys but made certain to stand between them.
Eden liked that he was patient with Connor’s sons and told him so as they neared their destination and he slowed his step to walk alongside her. “Thank you, Lord Aubrey.”
“My pleasure,” he said with a jovial tip of his hat to her.
In truth, he and Connor were remarkably alike in many ways, both of them handsome men with an air of confidence and obvious intelligence. They were commanding men but not pompous. She could see Lord Aubrey would make a good father someday, and hoped he would find a nice debutante who made him a good wife.
She knew all hope for herself was lost, even though he seemed to like her.
But what chance had sheeverhad with him?
His family would never approve of an aging spinster who wore thick spectacles and had the worst parents in London. But resigning herself to all hope being lost also freed her to be herself and not care what Lord Aubrey or anyone else thought of her.
To her surprise, he seemed to enjoy his time with her tremendously. “Give me your hand, Lady Eden. Let me help you onto the ledge,” he said once they reached the beach and had walked close enough to the cliff nests to observe the colonies of nesting birds.
“Oh, thank you, Lord Aubrey.”
These birds were everywhere, some flying over the water and soaring above the cliffs, some resting upon the higher ledges, and others foraging for food to feed their young. Still others were scavenging for twigs to build up their nests.
Lord Aubrey then helped the children onto the ledge, starting with Priscilla, since she seemed to be particularly clingy toward Eden today. “And up you go, Lady Priscilla.”
“Thank you,” she said most politely while her brothers shoved and pushed each other because each wanted to beat theother onto the ledge. Alex, being the smaller brother, lost out and tumbled onto the sand.
Lord Aubrey helped him up. “Are you all right?”
Alex nodded while scowling at his brother.
Eden frowned at young Connor as well. “Your brother could have been hurt falling off.”
“He was only going to fall onto sand,” Connor retorted, then hopped down from his perch. “You can have my spot, Alex. Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m all right,” Alex said, and both boys scrambled back onto the ledge.
Chuckling, Lord Aubrey climbed up last and settled beside Eden. “I never had a brother. I see now all the fun I was missing.”
She laughed softly. “And all the bruising, all the teasing—all the punching, poking, and wrestling you missed out on? But I know what you mean. They love each other and infuriate each other. I wish I had this, too. I missed out on having siblings.”
He nodded. “Having a sister is not at all the same thing. Mine can be quite demanding, and often over the most inane things. Persephone requires attention on herself at all times and is not a good sport when she does not get her way. Still, she is my sister, and I love her even though she often grates on my nerves.”
Eden understood what he meant.
All five of them continued to chat while peering through their binoculars.
Priscilla took out her drawing pad and pencil to draw a nest of baby birds. “Eden, what are those birds called?”
“Those are curlews,” Eden said. “And look overhead—do you see that goshawk? He is hunting over the water in search of his next meal.”
They watched as it dove and came up with a fish in its talons.
When the boys appeared to be tiring of merely watching birds, Lord Aubrey took them for a run along the beach, after which they splashed water on themselves to cool down. By the time they were ready to dig into their pouches for something to munch on, Aubrey sank onto the sand beside her and groaned. “Lord, they are exhausting.”
Eden laughed. “Oh, yes. Do not even try to keep up with them. It is an impossible task. The best one can do is keep an eye on them and try to stop them from mortally wounding themselves or wreaking havoc on the others.”
