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and in m any aspects I am proud of the boy, though it would not do to ad m it it. Even so, he will f eel m y tongue f or this escapad e . This I cannot and will not condone.”
    “You m ust beware, he is no longer a child, Marcel,” reproved the d uchess. “ H e will not welco m e your interference in his life.”
    “He is m y son, and will conduct hi m self as such, regardless of age,” he replied in a m anner which discouraged any further d i scussion on the m atter.
     
    *****
     
    The inter v iew between father and s o n was not pleasant. Both being of the sa m e forceful character did not bode well, both being powerful m en saw that neither gave way to the ot h er. The fact t h at Vale lay abed in co n sidera b le disco m fort m attered not at a l l. The d uchess stood outside the bedroom door listening to the raised voices, finding it di ff i cult not to i n ter c e d e on her son’s behalf. She knew that her husband was right in all t h at he said, la m enting his son’s life-style and dep l oring his foolhardy sche m e, but she could not condone his onslaught at such a ti m e. Do m inic had paid the pri c e of his stupidity. None witnessing his stricken countenance when she had told him of Thor’s death could doubt it. She even forgave him the oaths t h at sprang fr o m his lips, realizing t h e a ff ection he had for the horse and the pain he f elt at his loss.
    Suddenly the door to the bedcha m ber ca m e open and the d uke strode into the corridor slamming it shut behind hi m .
    “He goes to Stovely,” he s n apped as he pushed past her. “He must await his hal f -yearly dividends before he retur n s.”
    “Marcel...” she began, starting forward, her hand held out in supplication.
    “Do not take it upon yourself to plead for h i m , m ad a m,” he said, refusing to m eet her gaze. He was alrea d y regretting the interview but he would not relent, the relief he had felt at finding his son not to be in m o r tal danger had turned itself around into anger at putting his wife through so much anxiety . He deplored anything that would cause he r pain and the fact that his son had given it no thought only served to inf l a m e his anger. “Go to him now,” he said in a slightly ca l m er to n e. “Make s u re that he is more comfortable . I doubt he will be in a very co m pliant mood, but I think he has seen the sense of going to Stovely. Not only will it give his finances a chance to co m e about but it will also allow his bones to heal.” Then giving a reluctant s m ile, “Though perhaps not his te m per, that I believe to be beyond rede m ption.”
    “Co m e, m y love, do not look at m e in that reproving way,” he said, placing a conciliatory arm about Julie’s shoulders and drawing her to hi m . “ Y ou know I only have a care for the boy and hate to see him so done up. W e can but hope that this will serve to e n li g hten him to the errors of his way s , though in truth I doubt it. As you say, m y dear, we are too m uch alike he and I and the sa m e blood courses through both our veins.”
    Julie allow e d hers e l f to rest agai n st his fra m e for ju s t a mo m ent but it was long enough for an unspoken understanding to e x ist between them, it needed no m ore, so m uch in agree m ent was each being with t h e other. She knew his heart well and understood his m otives, no m ore need be said, and leaving his side she gave him a brief s m ile be f ore entering the bedcha m ber to a tte n d to th ei r son.
     
    *****
     
    After the first few days abed, Vale f ound the enforced inactivity irkso m e to the extre m e and when W r oxham was issued i n to his pre s ence m ade no secret of his desire to be away from Blake House.
    “I’ve had enough of this damned coddling,” he snapped. “ T here’s so m e one or other forever in and out of my room to see how I do. I shall do very well if I a m but left alone.”
    “Hate having your wings clipped eh? Quite understandable,” sy m pathized W