A Spinster to Heal the Duke

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

D inner, breakfast, and no incidents, Anne thought as she sat in the parlor with a book.

She wasn't reading, only creating the illusion of such while she observed the Duke instructing her brother, Charles.

I suppose a man of his position would bare many anxieties and stresses, she considered. But he tutors Charles with such confidence, not just in paperwork but in how to deal with people. How can such a confident, nay, arrogant man suffer anxiety?

Anne turned a page in her book, having not read a word on the page.

Her grandfather joined them for his post breakfast pipe and listened along as the Duke shared his knowledge with Charles.

"See here," Noah said, pointing at an error in Charles' work. "You appear to have correctly accounted for the mines and reported harvest since I corrected you yesterday, but I'm noticing you do not in any of your records have details for the entails of the people you oversee in the region."

"Entails?" echoed Charles. "Does it matter? They stand to inherit no titles and have very little land to work between them. Shop ownership seems to go without saying unless there is a sale."

"Nothing goes without saying, my boy," Noah replied with a rather know it all tone that bothered Anne.

Still, she appreciated Noah bringing this information to her brother's attention if it was something he should be monitoring. And it seemed like he should. She could only imagine someone in their landholding passing and two sons looking to her brother for judgment in an inheritance dispute.

Her grandfather said, "I go out and speak to the elders in each family pretty regularly to keep a finger on such information. I can fetch my diaries, and we can report what each family holds and who the namesakes are."

"That would be most helpful, Drowton. Thank you," Noah replied appreciatively.

"Very well then," said Grandfather Jeremy excitedly. "I'll grab the journals from my bedroom, and the three of us can review them together."

As excited as he is to participate, I wonder why he hasn't offered to share these journals with Charles before, wondered Anne. Perhaps it has been so long since he managed things he has forgotten all it requires. I suppose Charles hasn't known the questions to ask, so between the two of them, we were patching holes blindly.

Offering Charles some encouragement, Noah said, "You'll do well once we pull everything together and organize it for you. You can do the work; you just haven't had all the information in front of you it seems."

Anne felt herself smile a little then she looked up and realized Noah was looking at her. It was unexpected and unnerving when the corner of his mouth seemed to tip upward and smile at her.

"I think I feel peckish. Would anyone join me if I set a light luncheon at the table," she asked, closing her book and looking away.

"I would," Charles said eagerly. "I need a break from all of this. I mean, I'm glad to be making progress, but I feel as though I need to go backward to move forward. It's like living in a home and realizing you've only built the exterior."

"That's a clever analogy," Noah replied. Then, to Anne, he said, "I could use a little break as well, and something to eat sounds nice."

"Lovely, I shall make my way to the kitchen, then," Anne replied.

As she made her way out of the room, Anne felt herself smiling once more.

I suppose the Duke isn't so bad, she thought. First impressions are only that, impressions. Learning someone's real and true nature takes much more time.

As she prepared trays of fruit, meats, and cheese, Anne considered the person the Duke seemed to be when he first arrived at Reedley Manor and the man whom she was getting to know.

I judged him harshly, she considered. He was wounded and living with an inner struggle I couldn't have imagined.

"Anne, have you heard me at all?" Grandfather's voice broke through Anne's thoughts. "I have called your name twice."

"Sorry, Grandfather, I was a little distracted," Anne replied.

"I see that," her grandfather said with a laugh. "I came to suggest that we have wine with the food instead of tea or coffee."

"Oh?" replied Anne. "That should be fine. Red will pair well with thinly sliced veal, salmon, and the salted beef cuts."

"Yes, and it should help conversation," Grandfather agreed, taking a smear of cheese and eating it on a piece of bread while they spoke. "I would like to get to know Noah better, but he does not seem to be one for relaxed conversation. Everything he says is purposed. I would like to hear him tell a joke or better yet, laugh at one."

"Perhaps you could tell him your bit about the award-winning scarecrow," Anne suggested.

"Yes, he was outstanding in his field," Jeremy said with a laugh. "People love that one, but I imagine it is too common for the tastes of a man like the Duke. No, I will have to reel him in with a few that require a bit more thought."

"A riddle or two, then?" Anne proposed.

It is good that company, even such as the Duke, brings out such life and acuity in Grandfather. I have missed this enthusiasm in him, she thought.

"Yes, yes," he replied thoughtfully. "Any fool can be amused by the telling of a joke or recitation of a limerick, but a thinking man loves a good puzzle I have several good riddles I can liven up conversation with to pull the man out of his shell."

He left the room muttering to himself before calling back, "Red wine!"

"Yes, Grandfather," Anne said. Quietly, to herself, Anne added, "Perhaps I shall have a glass instead of tea. It will help me relax as well."

When the meal was served, Charles was the first to note the wine in his glass and on the table rather than a teapot and coffee service.

"Even I will set down the hot chocolate for a glass of wine," he remarked, gladly taking a sip from his glass before the meal began. "I see now why some men have a drink in the evening or a pipe after a day crunching numbers."

"The day is not yet done," Noah replied, tipping his glass toward Charles as well.

Jeremy and Anne shared a look. Then, he winked at his granddaughter, and they each sipped from their glasses, too.

"Your Grace," Jeremy said, focusing on their guest. "It has been some time since I have been to London. Please, tell us about the latest fashions. Are there any good plays we are missing? Interesting jokes and riddles being shared among the men at clubs?"

"I am afraid I don't take time for such frivolities," Noah said, portioning food to his plate.

Grandfather looked disappointed.

He played his hand too early, Anne thought. If there is one thing I have learned about the Duke, it's one empty glass before conversation.

Then, surprising her, the Duke continued to say, "Then again, I do believe I heard an interesting riddle from a landholding I visited as I was traveling. In fact, it was between my driver and a footman from the home we were departing. If I remember correctly from what I overheard, it was something like: One has a head without an eye. The other has an eye without a head. When all is said, half the answer hangs upon a thread. I believe it was that or something similar."

Charles looked confused and began repeating the lines to himself, but Jeremy perked.

"Ahh, you pose an excellent riddle," he said, clapping his hands and pointing at the Duke before portioning his plate.

"I don't know that you've told it right," said Charles. "I can't think of anything that might be the answer."

"Then, it's a good riddle," replied Jeremy. "The best riddles take a moment of thought."

"Or being a woman, a tailor, or familiar with Christina Rosetti," Anne observed, a smile forming on her lips.

"You believe you have the answer?" Noah asked. "Mind you, there are two."

"I know that I do," she replied. "You speak of a pin, which has a head, and a needle, which has no head but an eye which you thread."

Charles considered his sister's answer and began to laugh loudly when he grasped the connection. Grandfather laughed heartily as well.

"Clever, Miss Drowton," Noah said, smiling directly at Anne as he took another sip of his wine.

Anne could feel herself blush and could hardly muster the words, "Thank you."

Fortunately, riding the coattails of success at his ice breaker, the Baron was ready with a riddle of his own for the Duke.

"I have one for you," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Who has killed the greatest number of chickens?"

Noah smiled and looked at the older gentlemen for a moment.

Then, realizing he was not going to say anything further, he asked, "That's the entire riddle? I don't believe there is any hint or context to assist me in a quip so short."

"For a man as learned and well-read as I believe you are, I do not think there needs to be," Jeremy said.

Noah smiled at the challenge and replied, "Very well, then. Let me think. ‘Who has killed the most chickens?'"

Charles repeated, "Who has killed the most chickens?"

"Yes," replied Grandfather, looking from one man to the other.

"Surely it's a farmer or butcher," Charles observed. "Is it a specific one? Do I have to know him by name?"

"It is not a farmer or butcher, but to know the answer, you will have to know this man by name," Jeremy replied. "Although, I believe you found this particular playwright's work less than captivating when you were young."

"A playwright?" said Noah. "There were no hints in the riddle, but you have given many in discourse. Let's put them together. A learned man who is well read will know this playwright. We will know who killed the chickens by name."

"I cannot think of anyone I have read who references killing chickens," Anne said thoughtfully, enjoying her grandfather's game.

"Neither can I," replied the Duke. "However, I do recall in Hamlet that Old Hamlet stated Claudius committed murder most foul. F-o-w-l, fowl refers to chickens. I believe therein lies our answer."

"Indeed, it does, Your Grace. Very good," Jeremy said brightly.

"Very good to remember such boring literature," Charles huffed. "Shakespeare was always so dreary. I prefer things like Gulliver's Travels and One Thousand and One Nights."

"Those are quite good as well," Noah agreed. "But, while they tell a good story and even teach valuable lessons about people and society, they do not convey the same depth of emotion about the human experience."

The Drowtons were all silent for a moment. It was unexpected to hear the practical minded Duke express preference for written works that spoke to his less rational sensibilities.

Anne spoke first saying, "No, they do not. Your Grace, may I ask, what would be some of your favorite works?"

"Well, I enjoy Shakespeare, but I suppose we all cut our teeth on his work," Noah considered, speaking in a relaxed and casual manner the Drowtons had not yet seen in him. "I suppose if I were combining the best of both worlds, adventure as Charles mentioned and the deeper emotions that really connect us all, I would say Alexander Pope's translation of the Iliad spoke to me."

"The tale of Achilles," Charles observed happily.

"Or a tale of fate, pride, glory, and homecoming," Noah replied. "What do these things mean to each of us? What are they worth? What waits for us at home or in the perceived glory of battle?

"Perhaps I should reread that one now that I'm older," Charles considered with a laugh.

"I should reread everything, simply because I am old," laughed Jeremy even louder.

"What else do you enjoy reading?" inquired Anne, smiling with curiosity but not laughing in the slightest. "Pope's translation of Homer was remarkable. The Odyssey was another work of Homer's we all read, but many missed the depth of the work."

"Yes," replied Noah, focusing his attention on Anne. "Ah, let's see. I also enjoyed The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Robinson Crusoe , of course, and Reveries of the Solitaire Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

"Fascinating," Anne said.

She and Noah held each other's gaze a moment before he cleared his throat and finished his glass of wine. Anne looked at her unprepared plate and sipped her wine as well.

"Fascinating indeed," Lord Reedley repeated softly, looking at his grandchildren and the guest at their table.

Conversation stalled briefly, but once they had all eaten about half their meal, Jeremy directed the discourse once more.

"I must admit that I hoped this conversation might break the ice and allow me to get to know you better, Grandon," Jeremy said. "You will be with us for some time, and I want you to feel welcome and comfortable in our home."

"I know that I was abrasive when I arrived and can still be," Noah confessed. "I suppose it is that I rarely interact with anyone outside the dictates of necessity. Most of my visits and dinners are centered around formality and position."

"Then, for the remainder of your stay, I must request that you cast such notions aside," Jeremy insisted. "You are a man staying in the home of a family that has welcomed you. When you depart, should you return again, you will come back as such."

Noah wasn't sure what to make of the older man's comment and generosity, but it struck a chord with him. Everything about that meal and his time with the Drowton family was beginning to resonate with him in a way that he could not explain, nor could his education or extensive reading elucidate.