A Scandalous Entanglement

XLII

"Good heavens! I haven't seen you in miserable ages! What ever did you do to your hair, it looks-"

"Great?" There was a hopeful smile on his face. The man before him had brown freckles scattered about his cheeks and an awkward nose almost the shape of a pear, then there were his ears which seemed an inch bigger than normal which gave his face a somewhat animated look. He was a man and yet a boy. His soft voice and even softer eyes spoke of an elite life yet his hands and the few scars visible to his body spoke of a far different story.

"I was going to say horrible but great works too."

Devyn watched the deep blush that coated her cheeks and jealously took hold of his stomach, it didn't however stop him from wondering who the lad before him could be. "Why, when I learnt of you not being at home, I thought has Mily finally decided to travel the high seas in search of me?"

"Oh, stop you." She giggled. Her mood as well as posture had changed from the once scared Emilia locked in a shell to the free-spirited woman that laughed with all her heart at the small remarks of words he gave, words that weren't supposed to make her laugh. "But I am serious." Came his soft smile with a tiny fickler of hope.

"Emilia?" She turned to look at him and she was back at her spot as a puppy followed its master just right besides him or rather commanded to. That gave him an odd thought. "Devyn this here is Benjamin, lord Everetts son and Bengie, this is Lord Devyn Seymour of Cornsdorf," There was a slight hesitation to her voice before adding, "my husband."

The small fickler of hope died down a notch and Devyn took great pride and satisfaction. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance master Everett." He opted for a firm handshake that the man like child reciprocated. "I never knew you were married. At least I didn't get word of it ever happening." Once again, the fickler died down a notch almost killing any once of hope in him. "Well, for one you weren't in England. The high seas took you to the Americas I believe and even if I did send you an invitation, I doubt you would have received it or even been in time for the wedding." He gave a pleasant restrained smile.

"Oh, very well then, I expect I am an uncle?" At that the smile on Emilia's face died a little when she shook her head but that didn't stop the ray of hope that shone in his. "These things are most complicated I guarantee master Everett, at times I do wonder if I am the cause." A gasp not only escaped Emilia's mouth but also the lips of those eavesdropping, and in reality, Devyn didn't really care. The ton could think whatever they pleased. They had done so since the birthing of time and he wasn't going to allow her take the blame.

"My apologies my lord and lady for such inappropriate question." "Not to worry my good man." He placed a strong hand on the lads shoulder, though he seemed not pleased by the gesture. "And how do you know my wife master Everett if you do not mind me asking?"

"Well, we lived not far from one another and her governess or her nanny as Mily used to call her, would always bring her to the park where we played together even though it was most unacceptable in the eyes of the public." "And when Bengie was just about eighteen he joined the navy under the queen and embarked on his first journeys overseas. And after a while I stopped receiving his letters. Father said I was unmarried and forbid me from reading them. He said it was an indecent act especially if the boy wasn't going to marry me, there was no need for correspondence." A sad smile took hold of her face.

"I did wonder why you never wrote back. I always thought that I had said something in one of my letters to upset you, Mily."

"No, my father he stopped me from writing back."

Devyn observed the both of them, perhaps they were the same in age, perhaps he was just a year or even months older than she was but there was a form of connection, a hope that the young Benjamin Everett held on to, that perhaps, Emilia would always be there for him just as he would always be there for her.