Damien’s whispered words when he held our son in his arms for the first time flash through my mind. At that time, I hadn’t paid any heed to them. But now I understand, all too well.

I’m so lost in my own thoughts I don’t even realize when the dinner plates have been cleared and dessert is placed in front of me. I look at the dessert and exclaim, “Strawberry tarts! Your favorite!”

“How do you know that?” he questions and I want to slap my forehead for speaking without thinking.

Bloody hell! The three of glasses of wine I’ve consumed have loosened my tongue and blurred my mind to blurt that out.

“Oh! I must’ve read it in some magazine,” I say by way of covering up my blunder. “After all, the media hasn’t been able to stop talking about you.”

His face clears of any doubt and I breathe out a sigh, thankful that he’s taken my words at face value.

We finish our dessert and move to the golden parlor to catch up on the weather situation on TV. The forecast for tomorrow still shows snow, though they predict the storm to pass over.

Damien mutes the sound and saunters to where I’m curled on the couch.

“So, you’ve been reading up on me?” he queries with a wicked grin as he seats himself beside me.

“Me and the whole of England probably,” I snort out.

“I’m quite interested in what you think.”

Uncurling my legs from beneath me, I walk over to the fireplace where a fire is burning, the flames crackling. Damien rises, watching me, waiting for me to speak.

“The media paints you to be a mystery, an enigma. The second son who was never supposed to inherit. Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what furor The Devil Duke will create next. But...”

“But what?” he takes a step closer to me.

“What they don’t understand is the trauma that you must’ve gone through. How lost and alone you must be! I read somewhere that your accident caused the memory loss. I can’t even begin to imagine how devastating that is. Questioning each and every person and their motive in your mind, trying to recollect every face that you see. It must be horrible.” I cup his cheek gently. “And you never expected to inherit this title and all the legacy behind it, which I’m sure I don’t even comprehend fully. Added to that, you have someone shooting at you. It’s all too much for one person to deal with it. Is that why you hardly smile? Is that why you’re so serious all the time? You've changed, haven’t you?”