Alexandra

Chapter Twelve

At breakfast two days after his arrival, Richard was buttering a piece of toast for his father while the man in question watched his son's attentiveness with both amusement and affection. It was while the Duke of Exeter was protesting that there was no need for Richard to cut his toast into bite sized pieces when the butler, Mr. Worth, entered the breakfast parlour with the morning mail.

"Your Grace, there are some letters for you from tenants and from Mr. Townsend, the solicitor. Master Richard, you have a letter from a Lady Alexandra Whitlock." Mr. Worth said, depositing the aforementioned letters in front of the respective addressees.

"Thank you, Mr. Worth." Richard said and, when the butler had exited with a short bow, he turned to his father and asked, "Are you well enough to look after the estate? I don't want you exerting yourself too much. You need to rest as much as you can."

"I can certainly reply to a letter or two, son." George assured him, before stating, "You do not need to be as concerned as you are. I know better than to do anything that would strain me."

"That isn't true and you know it." Richard said sharply, before lowering his voice and speaking with a sudden vulnerability, "I won't have you leaving me before you well and truly must."

"Richard," his father whispered, reaching for his hand over a heaping pile of toast, "I do not wish to leave you before I am forced to, either. How does this sound? I had a meeting with Mr. Townsend scheduled for tomorrow. Would you like to sit with him instead? You need a little more experience, anyway."

"And you'll be resting while this meeting takes place?" Richard questioned with a raised brow.

"If I must." George agreed, although Richard was sure he was glad for the attention. "You'll have to tell me everything after you are finished, however."

"Who else will I seek advice from?" Richard brushed it aside, for it truly was a thoughtless question. His father was the wisest man he knew and he needed to learn as much as he could from him and as soon as he could.

"I'd have thought that you are pig-headed enough to listen only to yourself." His father teased, and Richard laughed along with him. The day George Kensington stopped joking would be the day Richard would be truly worried. Until then, they would both be able to push through the strife and remain steady.

They ate in silence for a while before his father asked, "Are you not going to read your fiance's letter? I'd have thought you would have pounced upon it and devoured it by now."

"Oh! I had actually quite forgotten about it." Richard said, finally recalling the letter. His mind had been elsewhere until his father had reminded him. If he had not been so distracted, he truly would have torn it open in a matter of seconds. "I'll read it now." He added, dusting off his hands and picking up the letter from in front of him, breaking the seal as gently as his anticipation allowed him. 

Dear Richard,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. We are leaving for Exeter tomorrow and ought to reach no later than Saturday, even if the children are restless and you know they are.
Our departure is merely an excuse for my writing you, however. The truth is, you really must know that I am thinking of you, every day, and praying that you are alright. I don't mean alright in the way you pretended to be when you were in London, but truly alright. I know that it is unlikely and nearly impossible, but I still pray that you shall be someday. How else am I to meet with playful Richard, the one who tells me exaggerated stories of drunken escapades and encounters with thieves, back?

I shall see you as soon I may.

Yours,
Alexandra

He knew his father secretly wished for him to read the letter aloud but it seemed too private, too intimate, for him to do so. Instead, he folded and pocketed it, but not before glancing at the date. It was dated five days ago.