by Amelia Hart
"It's not philosophy. It's plain fact. This small man needs you more than he needs anyone else except his mother. It's not fashionable for us to take an interest in our own children, and it's the root of much of the evil in the world. By the time a man realizes how to live life well he's nearly done with it, and if he doesn't bother to teach his sons and daughters, the knowledge dies with him."
"Yes, sir."
"I see you are humoring me, but think on it. There's nothing I'm prouder of than my children. And I fancy you're glad I raised at least one the way I did." He cast a shrewd eye at Chris.
"That's true enough,” he conceded without hesitation. “I'd be desolate without her."
Mr Cross nodded in satisfaction. "There's nothing more important than the bonds of family. Husband to wife, and parent to child. Nothing more important."
"I confess I did not always understand the gift you gave me."
"How so?"
"I was not the best husband to her when we were first married. It shames me to recall it."
"Ah, well. It's good to acknowledge our mistakes, and that was surely one of them. Still, a father can see more perhaps than a husband can - and less at the same time too, it's true. Elizabeth has matured in her time with you. She's grown in stature and confidence, and seems very happy."
It gave him a surprising wash of pleasure to hear his father-in-law say so. Mr Cross might not hold a high rank in society, but Chris had increasing respect for his shrewd intelligence and perception. "I do my utmost to keep her so."
"It can be hard for a father to watch, but sometimes a youth needs to be put through the fire to be tempered, and a spouse can provide that better than a loving parent. As spouses we are all fighting for our lives. Not fighting to prevent death, but to have the freedom and the space we hunger for. Marriage is a fight for survival." Mr Cross smiled a little, yet there did not seem to be much humor in it, but compassion.
Chris raised his brows at this. He could not imagine a more peaceful or complacently settled couple than Mr and Mrs Cross.
Mr Cross scratched his chin ruminatively. "Sometimes though, time passes, we go beyond that and we find what we need is not space, but someone we trust, on whom we can lean when we need it most. A person who will lean on us in turn. Thus we're strengthened. Not to be weak or dependent, but strong with the strength of two become one flesh. That is what marriage should truly be, and sometimes it is a struggle to get there."
Richard watched his father, and gnawed on a drool-laden fist.
"I know I'm happier with her today than I've ever been in my life," said Chris quietly.
"There. You just go on enjoying her like that, and telling her you do, and all will be well."
Chris smiled. "A simple enough formula."
"And fiendishly difficult at times, but never mind. You'll come to that too, eventually, as we all do. But you'll go well. I have faith. Well begun is half done."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now, to business. I have a very favorable investment I'd like to share with you. It's carefully chosen, one of the best on offer, and I have a stake there myself. I fancy your estates have done very well this year, and you have some capital to play with. I'd like to help you parlay that into a great fortune."
"I'd be honored. Certainly your business acumen is exceptional. If you’ll offer advice I’ll always listen."
Mr Cross seemed pleased by such a generous admission. "That's kind of you to say. Come around to my offices this week and we'll talk more about it."
"I shall. If you'll excuse me . . ." Chris indicated the restless Richard, who was chewing on his fist with increasing urgency.
"Oh yes. Of course. He does look hungry, doesn't he? Back to Mama."
Chris lifted Richard to his shoulder, stood and carried him to Elizabeth.
She - attuned to her little family - saw the movement at once, and smiled to see him come, stretching out her arms.
"My little one," she crooned. "Are you hungry? Yes you are. I can see you are. Let's fill that precious tummy. Yes? Yes."
"I can carry him for you. Where would you like to take him?"
"Oh, the morning room, I think."
They walked together, swiftly because of Richard's escalating whine, to the small family room. There Elizabeth competently rearranged her specially adapted morning dress, took Richard and began to feed him.
Chris lounged in a nearby settee, his eyes dreamy as they rested on his wife and child. "That's such a peaceful sight. I'm glad you're not a woman compelled by fashion."
"To hire a wet nurse, you mean?" When he nodded, she went on, "Some things make no sense to me, and that's one of them. Who would want to miss out on their baby like this?"
"Difficult to lead a full life in society that way."
"And I'll return to that. Eventually. There's no particular hurry. What I look forward to is more time with you, once this harvest is over. We've been missing you."
"About that. I think it's time I hired a factor. Everything is in place now, and it just needs competent oversight. I'm ready to relax a little."
"You are? Oh, that's wonderful. We'd love to see more of you."
"And I you. I feel I've been missing out. He's growing so quickly."
"He is. And I think it's time to hire a young nanny."
"What? Hand over the reins of responsibility?" He pretended shock.
"I don't mean to surrender him entirely. But for a couple of hours a day, it would be good to be myself again. Myself with you."
He interpreted the warm look she sent him under her lashes. "That sounds ideal. A nanny it is."
She laughed. "So compliant."
"For you, my love, anything. Anything at all."
"I like the sound of that."
"So do I."
"I love you, my dearest."
"And I love you, my heart." He came to kiss her, soft and gentle, and Richard murmured a sleepy protest, then closed his eyes again. Chris cupped his fuzzy head. "I love you both."
She smiled mistily at him, dazed with bliss, and he returned the look, knowing exactly how she felt.
Dazed with bliss.
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-- Amelia Hart
More Historical romance by Amelia Hart:
The Virgin’s Auction – At an auction for her virgin night, James Carstairs buys Melissa. She enchants him beyond anything he has known, then disappears. Can he find her?
http://bit.ly/virginsauction
The Rake Enraptured – Colin Holbrook is notorious, dark and delicious as sin, but Julia will have none of him. A stern governess, morally upright but with a heart of fire, she craves him beyond anything yet will fight him, and battle her own nature, until passion makes her weak.
http://bit.ly/therake
More contemporary romance by Amelia Hart:
The Passion Play – Luke Barrett never meant to fall for the wife of his boss, but now she’s free he’ll play the game of his life to make her his forever.
http://bit.ly/thepassionplay
The Passionate Mistake – Kate is undercover in Mike Summers’ company, ready to steal his most valuable data. That is, until she falls for him.
http://bit.ly/passionatemistake
The Seduction of Suzanne – She has sworn off handsome men and passion. Now a gorgeous drifter seeks to lure her into a headlong rush of pleasure.
http://bit.ly/seducesuzanne
About the Author
Amelia Hart writes warm, witty romances, primarily historical and contemporary. She has a degree in psychology, a husband and two children, and a healthy dose of reality to accompany a lifelong love of romance.
http://www.ameliahartromance.com
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are n
ot to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Teaching the Earl, Copyright ©2014 by Inspiration Enterprises. All rights reserved under international and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Kite Publishing.