Past Loves

Part 29

Chapter 29

As Rose pulled back from Peirce, she glanced at the boy.  As she stared at him, she saw understanding begin to bloom in his eyes.  It was obvious to her that Phillip was smarter than what he pretended to be.  She had met children similar to him while living in London.  They pretended to be clueless, giving them an advantage.  If her past experiences had taught her anything it was that this boy in front of her knew more than he said; he most likely knew more than he should.

“I am Roselyn,” she said, holding her hand out for the boy to take.

Phillip stared at it for a moment before gently cupping her hand, much as a gentleman would.  “My pleasure.”

She cut her eyes towards Ramsey, a look on her face that clearly told her brother that she was right; this boy was an exact replica of Peirce, down to the words he used.  “Do you know who he is?” Rose asked, nodding towards Peirce.

Just as she thought, the boy hesitated before nodding slowly as if he did not want to give the information to her.  “I have heard stories of him, I have seen a picture, but I did not think he would return.”

“Why?” Peirce asked.  It may have been because she knew him so well, but the hurt in his voice was clear.  It was the most vulnerable he had ever been, and that fact alone made her want to bash Emily over the head.

“You are my father,” Phillip said with a shrug, “but Mother told me that you do not love me.”  Peirce opened his mouth, but Phillip shook his head as he continued talking.  “Grandmother told me otherwise, but I knew that you had not the slightest clue of where I was.  You thought I was dead, did you not?”

“Yes,” Peirce answered with a sigh.

“Then why would you return?”

Peirce did not say a word, but it was clear by the expression on his face that he was baffled by how Phillip understood.  At seven, Rose never had to handle the situations Phillip did.  The boy was Peirce’s though; he was stronger than others his age would be. 

Phillip glanced back towards Emily, sadness covering her face.  “What will you do to her?”

“Why should her destination worry you?” Ramsey asked, as he rose to his feet and walked towards Emily.

Phillip froze as Ramsey stood in front of Emily.  “She may have done wrong in her life, but I still love her.  She may not be the woman who birthed me, but she is still my mother.”

“Too wise for his years,” Ramsey whispered.  He stared at the boy, sadness on his face.  Rose knew that Ramsey could feel the boy’s pain; that he knew how it felt to be so young, but hard from life experiences. 

The boy walked towards Ramsey, a blank expression on his face.  As he reached Emily, he ran a finger across her cheek.  “There is a man who does labor around the manor.  He is quite taken with her.  I pray that you let me ask him to care for her while we leave.”

Rose glanced towards Peirce, noticing the indecision on his face.  Grabbing his hand, she smiled at him.  “It is your choice,” she whispered.

Peirce stared into her eyes for a moment before closing his.  “He will hate me if I hurt Emily, and I do not want my son to hate me.”  He opened his eyes and looked at Phillip.  “Will this man keep her on the manor grounds?  Will he keep her from harming herself or others?”

“Yes,” Phillip answered, with a hopeful nod.  “He knows what has happened in her life, and he will do anything he has to in order to keep her from harm.”

“He is a fool,” Ramsey said with a snort.  “This woman is mad.”

Phillip cut him a sharp look, but the small smile pulling at the corner of his lips let them know that he was not as angry as he attempted to appear.  “She is still my mother.”

“How you turned in to the young man you are today is a question I will ask myself until the day I die,” Ramsey said as he pulled the boy in a side hug. 

He laughed at Ramsey before his expression turned serious.  “Promise me that you will not hurt my mother, and I will leave with you today.”

“I do not think riding would be a good idea with their injuries,” Rose spoke up.

They all turned towards her with an exasperated expression on their faces.  She knew what they were thinking.  She was always the sensible one. 

“We will ride tonight,” Ramsey said in a voice that broke no argument.

Rose stood to her feet.  Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at her younger brother.  “We will leave in the morn.”  Ramsey opened his mouth, but she held up a hand to keep him silent.  “There will be no arguments.  I will not worry for you as we ride, wondering which moment you will fall from your horse.”

“Fine.”

She looked toward Peirce only to find the man smiling at her.  “I agree with you, love.  Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, we will leave.”

“I will go speak to the man who will stay with my mother,” Phillip said abruptly, his eyes away from the two of them.

Peirce began to stand, making Rose hurry to help him.  “I will follow along if you do not mind,” Peirce grunted, clutching his side in pain.

Phillip smiled a little as he inclined his head towards Peirce.  “It will be my pleasure, Father.”

“None of that,” Peirce said, a smile in his voice.  “You may call me Peirce until you feel comfortable to do otherwise.  I am not under the illusion that you will accept me as a father, but I hope that one day you will come to view me in high regard.”

“I have heard stories,” Phillip mumbled, walking towards Peirce.  “I already view you in the highest regards.”  Phillip carefully slipped his arm around Peirce’s waist in attempt to help the man stand.

Rose did not know whether the boy helped or if the happiness he was feeling made Peirce stand straighter.  As the mumbled amongst themselves, Rose smiled.  This was how it was meant to be, father and son together.  They walked towards the study door slower than norm, but neither of them complained.

“Tomorrow,” Peirce called out as he reached the doorway, “we will head home.”

She smiled at his back.  After this small, couple of days, adventure, the words were like music to her ears.  There was nowhere she would rather be than home with her newfound family.