Thirty Seven Part Two

Becoming acquainted with one another over dinner, amid much storytelling and laughter, Betsy and her great grandfather, the Duke, both noticed similarities between themselves.

At least twice, if not more, they had both interjected into the conversation the exact same reply.

Their eyes twinkling at one another, they realized they had a similar thought process, and they could appreciate that about one another.

The Duke was a fine storyteller himself, sharing a few of his own experiences, as Violet and Betsy told him of theirs.

The Duke began telling a story of a long ago hunt, when his horse had thrown him violently, causing him to suffer a severely broken leg. 'Twas one reason he needed his cane, the other reasons being, his weakness, and the infernal shaking that afflicted him.

Violet suddenly noticed that the Duke wrinkled his nose when speaking of it. This made him chuckle.

"Violet! There is not one thing amusing about Grandfather's broken leg, nor his trembling!" Betsy chastised him.

Violet began really laughing, when of a sudden, both the Duke and Betsy looked at him, both of them wrinkling their noses his way.

When he was able to speak, Violet explained, thus redeeming himself, " 'Tis your noses, you both wrinkle them up when you speak of unpleasant things." He still chortled, especially when they both replied.

"I do not." Simultaneously.

Gabriel and Betsy smiled the same crooked smile at one another, realizing that, yes, they did.

Betsy still could not believe that she had been blessed with family of her very own. The way the Duke looked at her, she knew she was loved, regardless of the fact that the man had just met her.

She had not even thought of having more family who would, mayhap want to know her, when she had been reading her Papa's journal. She and Violet had been a bit more concerned with their audience before the King at the time.

After dinner, sitting out on the veranda, watching the boys play with Violet and their new swords, Gabriel and Betsy sat enjoying one another's company.

Gabriel could not get over how much Elizabeth looked as his own daughter, Penelope.

"If I make you uncomfortable Elizabeth, please forgive me, I find I can not help myself, but to look at you in wonder." Gabriel had found himself fighting back his emotions several times over the last couple of hours.

Betsy's hand rested within the Duke's grip. He had taken her hand when they rose from the dining table, he had not let her go for even a moment since.

"I do not feel uncomfortable in the least," Betsy assured him, "I am feeling quite blessed actually, Grandfather." She smiled sweetly at him, causing the Duke's heart the sweetest pain.

"Did anyone ever tell you how very much you look as your Grandmother Penelope?" His incredibly, light blue eyes gazed upon Betsy with the utmost pleasure.

"I knew that my father did, Lady Eleanor told me so." Betsy replied.

"Harrumph!" The Duke's eyebrows came down sharply as he frowned, his nose wrinkling a titch, "Now there's a woman who has some explaining to do, why, when I get my hands on.."

"It truly was not her fault, Grandfather. If we must place blame anywhere," Betsy lowered her head looking to her lap, "The blame must rest upon my Papa."

Gabriel lifted her chin with a finger, forcing Betsy to look into his shrewd eyes, "Do you know why he kept us apart, Elizabeth?"

"I have his reasons, in his own words, and Lady Eleanor's explanation." Betsy nodded, his hand at her chin going up and down as he kept his hand upon her.

"Why then, why would he keep you from me?" Gabriel's hand, and his voice trembled slightly, his own pain and lack of understanding visible in the timbre of his voice.

"I can not speak for him, I only know that which he wrote in his journal, I have it upstairs if you would like to read it. I believe 'twas mostly the King he was keeping me from, and if you knew about me..... Mayhap, he also thought you would want to do for me what you did for my father." Betsy shrugged her shoulders, her eyes never leaving his, her hand holding his squeezing lightly.

"Perhaps....." Gabriel thought, and Bernard probably would have been right. "And the King, because you were Alexander's?" Gabriel guessed correctly.

"Something to that effect. Papa seemed to think the King would have insisted I grow up in the courts, and that was not what Papa wanted. At least that is what Lady Eleanor said."

Gabriel tried to put himself in Bernard's shoes. He could not fault his son in law too much. Bernard had already lost his wife, Penelope. Bernard had then gone on to lose their only child, Alexander.

Gabriel shook his head sadly. The wretched thing was, he could understand Bernard's feelings. This sweet slip of a girl was all Bernard had left to him. A small piece of Penny, and Alex, that he had kept all to himself.

"I do not speak ill of the dead, my dear, as they are not here to defend themselves." Gabriel's rheumy eyes turned to watch the boys as they fenced with Violet, "I shall simply have to think that he loved you very much..... However........ Now, 'tis my turn."

Betsy looked to him, surprise lurking behind the pleasure that lit her face.

The Duke smiled satisfactorily while he watched the boys. Betsy's heart filled with joy, as a thought came to her.

She looked from the Duke to her husband. And her heart warmed with gratitude.

The good Lord had taken her parents in their youth, and Betsy had never questioned His will on that matter. She had been too young when it happened, and she was so loved by her Papa afterwards, that she had never even thought to question His will in that matter. She had no memory of her parents, so she had none to miss.

She could remember, however, lying in her bed at Lady Eleanor's after her Papa's death, asking her Heavenly Father why her Papa had to go. He had not been very old, nor sick, yet, he had gone one night in his sleep just the same.

Betsy could remember lying there, feeling very alone and very bereft.

Though she knew God had provided for her in giving her Lady Eleanor, Betsy had felt, for the first time in her entire life, as an orphan. She had not let the feelings stay in her heart for very long, she had learned to pray them away when they did come, yet, she had wondered why she had to lose the one person who loved her so soon, the only family she had.

Betsy began to chuckle softly.

Gabriel looked to her questioningly, "What is amusing to you, child?"

Betsy looked at her gorgeous husband, whom she knew took great pleasure in her and loved her dearly.

She looked upon the boys, each one holding a near and dear place in her heart.

The King's beloved face swam in the front of her mind. He had felt more of a father to her in the last week, than her own father had ever been able to be.

And now, this man, this Duke, her great grandfather, "I just realized, Grandfather..... Just as God restored twice over what he allowed to be taken from Job, He has also, more than twice over, blessed me for what was taken away from me." Betsy's eyes darkened, the molasses depths shimmering with a slight moisture that she attempted to blink away.

Davey chose that moment to call out to her, "Miss 'Lizbeth, we need you!"

Violet had all the boys surrounding him, yet, still he fended them off deftly.

Violet grinned her way quickly, in between parrying around in a circle, "You are not allowed to help them, love, they must learn somehow." Violet went around the circle quickly, disarming them one right after another.

As the boys ran back behind themselves to retrieve their weapons that had just been scattered, Violet approached Betsy, "I just had an idea, a really, really, good idea!"

Betsy sat up straight in her chair. So far, other than thinking to kidnap her from Eli, Violet's really, really good ideas, had been. Take their wedding for example, that idea had been good indeed.

"What is it,Violet?" Betsy asked, excitedly awaiting his answer.

The boys suddenly rushed him, and Violet found himself occupied, "I shall think more upon it, and see what you think when I am done here."

Violet parried and twisted about as a madman, disarming one or two of the boys at a time, so he could more easily keep up.

Betsy and the Duke sat back in their chairs disgruntled, both of them wrinkling their noses in displeasure.

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I'm sorry so short, I had to do some traveling about, but I am back home now, and I will try to wrap us up. I hope you like it! :)