Kissing the Rake (Howertys #2)

Chapter 4: Home

After having convinced herself not to claim a headache and stay in her room, Jessica found that dinner wasn't as bad as she had feared. Mainly because Jacob was too busy being irritated with his father to have time to rib her. She had always liked the duke, but she had never quite understood the older man's relationship with his son. There was a gap between the two the size of a smaller country, and whenever they were in the same room, one could feel the tension as if it was a tenable thing. She knew that the two had never got along, maybe because they had such contrary personalities, but there must be more to it than that. Her personality was different to the rest of her family, and she still got along with them all splendidly.

There had been a falling out some years ago between Jacob and his father, which of course hadn't made things better. She'd never found out what had caused the argument. Nathaniel probably knew, but he refused to tell her and would just call her a nosy brat whenever she asked about it.

The duke had an infuriating habit of never really speaking directly to Jacob, and it was driving the younger man crazy, and she supposed she couldn't blame him.

"I must admit that I don't know why my son suddenly decided to visit me," the duke was telling her and she could see how it was grating on Jacob. "I suppose I should be glad I see him at all though," he added dryly.

Jacob was trying to behave like a gentleman by speaking to Olivia, who Jessica had found to be very charming. Now and then his clear blue gaze fastened on her though, and it made her feel nervous and uncomfortable, but she pretended indifference since she didn't want him to know how it affected her.

"Maybe you could visit Lord Wortham in London sometimes," she suggested to the duke, trying to be polite.

He actually chuckled. She couldn't remember ever having heard the duke chuckle before. "And be turned away at the door? I think not."

"As if you've ever even considered visiting me," Jacob muttered without even looking in his father's direction.

"I'm thinking my son could have just as well spared me his visit," the duke said. "He could be in London doing something useful instead. Looking for a wife springs to mind."

"And we're back to that." Jacob groaned. It was a well-known fact that the duke wanted him to get married, while Jacob was of no such inclination.

The duke finally looked at his son. "It is your duty as the first son of a duke to ensure the continuance of the bloodline. What if you should die before you have a son? What will become of the Ashbrook title then?"

Jacob shrugged. "I'm sure there is some distant cousin or other who would inherit the title."

"I wish you would take your responsibilities more seriously," the duke remarked coldly.

"And I wish you would stop speaking to me of responsibilities," Jacob replied just as coldly, but there was anger seething underneath his chilly tone. "It's all you ever speak about. My responsibilities. But I will decide myself what I feel responsible for."

"Lady Jessica," the duke suddenly said, apparently deciding that he was getting nowhere with his son. "I found the book we were discussing the other day in the library. Perhaps you would like to join me in my study after dinner to look at it?"

She smiled, quite happy to change the subject since she feared the two men might actually come to blows if they didn't stop goading each other soon. "I would love to, Your Grace." They had been discussing some of Jessica's favourite authors on her first evening at Holcombe, and she had expressed her dismay about how her youngest sister Nick had accidentally—or so she claimed—dropped one of Jessica's best volumes into the moat surrounding their house. Throwing a quick look in Jacob's direction, it surprised her to find him looking at her rather darkly. It reminded her she'd thought he was angry with her that morning. The notion was as puzzling now as it had been then. She couldn't think of anything she could have done to cause it.