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day he had first met her. Even now he could envision her in her pale blue day dress with yellow and lavender flowers. She was the very breath of spring, the first true vision of beauty he had ever beheld. It was her impending nuptials to his brother that had brought her to the estate that day, and for the first time since they had been in school clothes, Robert had envied his brother.
    “The young master has not spoken of anything else since Stephens wrote some time ago and mentioned the excitement of the city and how the diversion would do…” Turning back to her chores, Ruth dismissed herself from the conversation. “But it is nothing and he needs to put it out of his mind and pay attention to more important things here at home.”
    “Subway you say?” Robert leaned back and looked down at his boy with pride. “So you have an interest in trains?” For the first time since his arrival Robert felt the warm glow of a welcoming bond. After living for years on the railway, he had a small hope of building a relationship with the son he had never known.
    The boy’s head shook so vigorously Robert feared it might shake off altogether. He reminded Robert so much of him and his brother at that age. His father had been absent during these years for him as well, only his father had escaped into his drink and mistress rather than chase his boyhood dreams. Robert was ashamed that this was his son’s first true conversation with his father, but now that he was home it wouldn’t be their last.
    “Ruth, if you recall the Great Exhibition and how nothing you or my parents would say kept us from chasing after the excitement of London,” he warned her with pride.
    “I do recall and the apoplexy that your mother and I suffered when we found that you two had decided to run off on your own.” The older woman hid the pain of his brother’s loss behind her eyes, but Robert didn’t miss it and was warmed that he was not the only living person to miss his other half. “There was no controlling you two and I can vouch that your son is just as much a handful.” Turning to young Sprout, Ruth’s eyes sparkled with a maternal love, but her mouth played a stern frown. “Perhaps a little adventure would be good for the lad. Lord knows the poor young thing has had to put up with a lot of…” Coughing back her words, Ruth excused herself with tasks she had left undone and departed the kitchen without another word said.
    All of the hidden and half-truths were beginning to wear on Robert’s nerves. Feeling like a ten-year-old boy dismissed for his lack of age, he saw that the apple did not fall far from the tree as both were left to sit in silence when only a moment ago they had shared their first spark of a connection and hope for a future as father and son. Looking down at his son’s disappointed face, Robert felt the need to buy whatever it was the boy wanted and treat him to whatever he desired.
    Suddenly he had a need to be the boy’s father.

Chapter 7
     
     
     
    The hallways were vacant of servants and furnishings. Though the family portraits had been left hanging it seemed that anything worth a farthing had been stripped away. This great manor had suddenly transformed itself to a mausoleum or a graveyard. If not for the occasional groans that came from his wife’s chamber Robert would have begun to feel that he was dreaming.
    His feet itched to make their way to her door, but he knew that there would be no welcome there. Perhaps a quick departure would be best. After three days of his wife sequestered in her private chambers, Robert had begun to wonder if she would ever show her face to him again, or would she prefer to brick herself away behind the closed door rather than hold a simple conversation with him?
    “No!” Came a scream of desperation. “Please! Dear God, save me!” the voice cried out in terror.
    Robert did not need to question whose voice it was or the pain in it. Running for the door, Robert was stopped