Page 63 of A Baby to Seal the Duke’s Fate

“Yes.”

“That is unfortunate.”

Leopold looked at him again. He realized that with all the changes at the manor and his mother’s constant nagging, he had forgotten that his friend surely had troubles of his own. “What is on your mind?”

Barnaby’s gaze stayed on the pieces. “Nothing of consequence.”

Leopold moved his queen. “That is a lie. You do not lose in twelve moves when there is nothing important on your mind.”

Barnaby smiled, very faintly. “You are becoming too familiar with my habits.”

“I would prefer not to be.”

“Too late.”

Leopold studied him.

Barnaby looked away first, which told Leopold more than the lost chess match did. There was something in his expression, just for a moment, which suggested he was choosing not to say something. Leopold waited.

Barnaby only smiled, small and unreadable, and reached forward to reset the board.

Leopold frowned. “You are not answering.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because we were talking about you.”

Leopold scowled.

“That is evasive and cryptic.”

Barnaby finished resetting the board and looked at him. “It is meant to.”

Leopold stared at him a moment longer and then sat back again, the pieces arranged anew between them. Whatever was troubling Barnaby must be heavy. He was not one to keep things to himself, even when it involved major events. What could his friend be dealing with that he felt he could not discuss with Leopold?

***

That night, he passed the nursery corridor on his way to bed. The lamp there had been turned low, the door to the nursery standing slightly open, light moving in a soft line across the hall floor.

Leopold slowed without quite meaning to. Phoebe was not inside, and Leopold guessed she must have retired as soon as Cecily was asleep. The disappointment from earlier returned, but he did not have much time to dwell on it. At the far end of the corridor, his mother stood with her hands folded in front of her.

She was looking directly at the nursery door, as if debating whether to enter.

Or trying to do so secretly, he thought, wondering at the out of place thought.

Leopold stopped. For a moment, she did not seem to realize he was there. Then, she lifted her head. “Leopold.”

“Mother. Do you need something?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly to be convincing.

Leopold did not move. “You were standing outside the nursery.”

His mother’s gaze flicked briefly toward the door and back again. “I was just walking.”