Page 22 of Claiming His Lost Duchess (The Dukes of Sin #8)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“- a

nd then – and then her prince jumped up and stuck his sword into the dragon! The beast was no match for the noble prince, and it was defeated in an instant! The prince then rescued his princess, and he took her away from the evil lair on his horse. And they lived happily ever after.”

Graham stared at Sophia, wondering if it would be rather obvious that he had lost the plot of this quite elaborate fairytale about ten minutes after the retelling began. Luckily, he did not have to, because Sophia sighed dreamily and clung to her father’s hand.

“You’re like a prince, Papa! Mama did not like staying with Aunty Georgina. She looked sad, and now, she is not as sad anymore!”

The duke smiled, picking her up to sit on his lap.

“I am glad that I could deliver you both from such a bad place. And I am honored you think so highly of me. I am no prince, but I will slay anything in my path if it means I can keep you and your mother safe and happy,” Graham pledged earnestly.

He had not known what to make of things when Sophia had wandered into his study with a book clutched in her hands. He had offered her the empty settee in the middle of his office, wanting her to be well within his sight from his desk.

She was so focused on the words on the pages of her fairytale storybook that she had failed to notice his intense scrutiny.

Graham could not help but be utterly struck by the resemblance between the two of them the first time he had seen her. The child’s hair was a dead giveaway, but the more he got to really know her, the more pieces of Joan he found within Sophia.

They had the same focused pout, the same disdain for tomatoes, similar smiles, and the very same precious nose scrunch that made their irritation quite obvious to those witnessing it.

Perhaps it was the years that they had spent together, time Graham often felt dismayed for missing out on, that attributed to those similarities.

Eventually, he had gotten over the initial discomfort within him over the moments he was unfortunately absent, and he appreciated that he finally had them both within his reach.

After all, he had spent five years believing that the only thing he and Joan had made during their first night together was love. Who would have thought their relations had yielded something more tangible as an expression of the connections between their souls?

“You are the best prince, Papa.” Sophia expressed earnestly, her lovely face alight with awe.

“Only because I have you as my princess, darling.”

To his surprise, Sophia shook her head vehemently. “No, papa. I can’t be your princess. Mama is your princess!”

With a light chuckle, he proposed, “Maybe I could have two princesses. Or is that against the rules?”

Sophia frowned, her eyebrows drawn together as her teeth worried her lower lip, a little habit she shared with her mother – likely adopted it from her as well. Gently, Graham tugged her lip free from the absentminded abuse, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“You can be my princess. Your mother will be my queen. I’d slay many dragons for you both, without fail,” he promised.

He was rewarded with a bright twinkle in her eyes, and suddenly he understood what his father had told him many years ago.

“There is nothing quite as rewarding to a man than knowing he has provided his family with comfort and happiness. Very few things compare to the clear indicator that your home is filled with loved ones who have only ever known a life of warmth and adoration. The knowledge of that is quite priceless. Very much so.” Fergus Lennox had pointed out one evening to his son as he watched his daughters and wife dance together, their merry laughter filling the air.

After his father passed, Graham had done what he could and more to ensure his sisters and mother were well taken care of. But for years, it felt as though something was missing from his life, as though he was destined to chase that feeling of self-satisfaction for the rest of his days.

And then he crossed paths with Joan again, and his dull world was suddenly filled with color.

Suddenly, he had a greater purpose; he had more he wanted for his new family, as an extension of himself.

And he hoped these days would never end.

He hoped he could look back on them, satisfied without a shadow of doubt that he had done everything in his power and more to love and provide endlessly for those he cared so deeply for.

“That sounds nice, Papa,” Sophia admitted quietly, as though she was afraid to reveal too much of her inner thoughts.

“Doesn’t it?” he teased lightly, loving how precious her expression was.

Before she could respond, the butler knocked at the door.

“Pardon me, Your Grace. Mr. Clark has come to see you for the scheduled meeting.”

Graham glanced at his solicitor’s face as the man lingered behind Williams, looking nervous, and his instincts told him it was going to be a long afternoon.

“Perhaps it is time you went to find your mother, darling. She is likely on the verge of worrying herself into a frenzy, looking for you,” he said to his daughter.

Sophia looked reluctant to leave, but still she picked up her book obediently after Graham lowered her to her feet.

“Can I come back later, Papa? To tell you more stories?” she asked, looking so afraid to hope.

It pained Graham to see her so subdued and unsure, wondering how many moments she had lowered her eyes like that, afraid of asking for what she deemed to be too much.

He wondered how Joan would encourage her, how Sophia’s mother would cull her reluctance and replace it with something kinder and stronger.

That moment reminded him that he was never upset with Joan for keeping their daughter away from him, as she was a fine mother from what he had come to understand. Whereas he faced struggles routinely, when it came to basic matters, such as what to say to his daughter.

He could only hope that what he believed was his best would suffice.

“Certainly, mo leannan ,” Graham assured strongly. “I would love nothing more.”

His words seemed to assure her, and she immediately smiled, her demeanor bright again, and she nodded excitedly, scurrying away moments later.

The feeling of warmth that had filled the room lingered for a moment longer, until Andrew walked in, bowing deeply.

“Your Grace. Good afternoon.”

Graham nodded, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk, as he walked around to settle behind it.

“What news have ye brought to me now? Ye look as though ye about ta wet yerself. Do it outside, if ye must.”

Andrew laughed nervously, avoiding the duke’s watchful eyes.”

“That…” the solicitor cleared his throat when his voice came out lighter than usual. “That will not be necessary, Your Grace. I do have some… information to give you. And you might not like it.”

“Out with it, then. It won’t be the first time ye offer words of disappointment. I am not a wee bairn.”

“That is right, Your Grace. Well… it would seem that the Lords you wished to partner with concerning your latest business venture have opted to decline your offer.”

Graham frowned. “They declined? Just like that? Did they hear the terms I had to offer? It is no small profit, what will be made when we are successful.”

Andrew looked even more uncertain now, seeming as though he was trying to make himself as small as possible beneath the duke’s gaze of scrutiny.

“W-Well, I was not given a chance to speak of the benefits. Once they heard I was associated with you –”

The man fell silent all of a sudden, reluctant to speak anymore, much to Graham’s frustration. He snapped, slamming a closed fist against the top of his desk.

“What? Out with it already!”

Andrew jumped, startled with fear in his eyes as he quickly spoke as he had been commanded to,

“They turned me away! They said they had no intentions of mingling with some entitled Scot who was too big for his breeches.”

Graham went still as his blood ran cold.

Those bloody bastards. Men who were nothing more than overgrown boys with childlike minds, evident in their attitudes that could be commonly spotted in a schoolyard.

It was utterly ridiculous that he had to endure such unabashed discrimination, simply because he was not an Englishman like they were, and normally, he would have found another way to sort the issue without associating with those men.

But he had a daughter now. A child who will grow up to benefit from the relationships her father fostered if she were to later have her pick of suitors.

He did not believe there was anything wrong with being Scottish, but he did not want such an idea implanted in her head.

Not when she had already been ignored solely dude to the color of her hair.

With a sigh, Graham rose to his feet.

“Come along, Andrew.”

The solicitor barely managed to stay upright after he jumped out of his seat, closely following the duke.

“W-Where to, Your Grace?”

“Wherever I can find those rude bastards. I have a thing or two to teach them about manners.”

According to Andrew’s directions, the men were commonly known to frequent a gentleman’s club only a five-minute walk away from the one Graham engaged with, alongside his close friends.

Perhaps the familiar streets only motivated him further, despite Andrew’s attempts to dissuade him.

“Your Grace, perhaps we should consider using another approach,” the solicitor proposed, hurrying after him.

“Absolutely not. It seems they have a lot to say about me, with no idea about my business or work practices, and I would like to hear more about their thoughts,” Graham refuted, walking into the club.

At this time of the day, it had quite a handful of men drinking and playing games, looking without a single care in the world. One table in particular caught his attention, and Graham noticed it had several people he had intended to work with.