Free The Duke's Marriage Mission by Deborah Hale Page B

suppose if Kit wants more study time, it would do no harm to extend his lessons a little.”
    That was a start. Leah allowed herself a tiny smile, but turned her face away from Lord Northam so he would not think she was gloating.
    His concession emboldened her to try for more. “I am not certain he needs quite so much rest time. He seems to find it passes slowly with nothing to do. Perhaps we could use some of it for lessons instead.”
    “He has complained about his rest time.” The duke’s gaze strayed toward the grounds of Renforth Abbey that lay beyond the cloister windows. “But I need those free hours to attend to estate business. My steward already finds that time is not enough to get through all the matters we need to discuss.”
    How could she phrase her request in a way that would not offend the duke? “I am not suggesting you take time away from your duties, sir. Could you not trust me to teach Kit without your oversight?”
    “It is not a matter of trust,” the duke insisted until she shot him a dubious look, softened with a smile. “Very well, perhaps it is, a little.”
    Leah sensed his reluctance. It was a stout barrier. And yet, the duke’s love for his son was a powerful force. “Believe me, sir. Kit’s affection for you will not be diminished by a little time spent apart. Indeed, I believe he might enjoy your company more if he did not have it in such abundance.”
    “Is that a polite way of saying you want me to push off during Kit’s lessons and allow you to do your job without having your every move scrutinized and every other sentence interrupted?” Lord Northam glanced toward her, his handsome features set in a dark scowl.
    But was that a silvery twinkle she glimpsed in his blue eyes? And did one corner of his frowning mouth twitch as if barely restrained from curling upward?
    Those subtle signs of amusement provoked her to risk a blunt reply. “Yes, Your Grace, that is exactly what I am trying to say.”
    She sought to soften the sting her words might inflict with a teasing tone. “I reckon it would do both you and your son good to spend more time apart. What is it that prevents you, besides mistrust of me?”
    The duke pondered her question. Though she found it difficult to keep silent, Leah did not pester him for an immediate answer.
    After a moment His Grace halted and turned toward her. “The night Kit was born, I prayed as I have never prayed before or since. I implored God with all my heart and soul to let my son live.”
    With the fresh memory of what she had overheard in the chapel, Leah could picture that desperate paternal plea.
    “He was such a fragile little scrap.” Lord Northam continued, “I vowed I would care for him and do everything in my power to keep him from harm. But I had no idea how all-consuming it could be to tend an infant. I began letting the nursemaids take more and more responsibility for him. When the problem with his legs was discovered, I knew I had let my son down.”
    “It is not your fault Kit cannot walk. The stiffness in his legs was not a Divine judgment on you for letting a nursemaid change his linen now and then.” It was a feeble jest, but Leah hoped it might help the duke see how foolish it was to blame himself for his son’s condition. “Mr. Gibson told me Kit suffered a difficult birth. The trouble with his legs must have been there all along, only no one noticed until he was old enough to begin walking.”
    “Perhaps.” The duke’s mouth was set in a rueful line. Clearly her words had not eased his guilt. “But it was a reminder of the promise I had made and that my duty would be a lifelong one. I have not shirked it since and I do not mean to now.”
    “It is not shirking your duty as a father to give Kit a little time away from you,” Leah insisted. “It is natural to want to protect those we care about and hold them close. But we must be careful not to cling too tight or we may...crush them.”
    For a moment, she thought