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had gone into his room, found Peter's drawings, and had taken them to his father.
Stephen stifled his protest at the invasion of his privacy. His father wouldn't understand,
and perhaps he was right; at least one of the poems Peter had written might have vaguely hinted
at suicide. Stephen pulled up a chair and sat down next to his father's bedside. They are from a
friend. Who wrote to me. Not you, he almost added. But his father's health remained precarious,
and Stephen had long ago learned that nearly any challenging retort would only make a situation
worse.
Boy, you know what this stuff is? Drivel. Rubbish.
Stephen counted to ten before answering. The writer was very young.
Not everyone is idiot enough to indulge in this sort of tripe when they're young. His
father sounded proud. He muttered something under his breath that might have been sensible
lad his whole life.
Stephen rose to his feet. If he paced, perhaps he could remain less aggressive. He did
manage a mild tone when he asked, Father. Have you ever been less than sensible? When you
126 Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon
went into business? Didn't your heart beat faster when you met Mother? Now that evoked
preposterous imagery, but Stephen didn't even smile. He kept his full attention fixed on his
father.
His father's eyes closed. You are not yourself. I need you to be a steady man, not a flighty
lad.
I promise I will remain steady. Reliable. I won't allow the business to die. Yet I find I
must do more, Father. The time had come earlier than he'd expected, but this was the moment
he would reveal his plans. Stephen raised his voice slightly to make certain his father would
listen. From now on, I will not be here every day.
Mr. Peregrine's eyes flew open. What now? How can this be? What does this pile
of& stuff he tapped the pile of drawings that lay on the bed have to do with your absence?
Nothing, Stephen lied. I had been meaning to discuss this with you again.
You're talking about leaving? But that makes no sense. Peregrine Builders is a family
business. I built this for you and for your sons.
Thank you, Father. He felt no need to mention his father would never see a grandson
inherit the firm. But that leap you made when you began your life? I need to make my own.
His father's thick brows rose. Bridges? That's folly. Nothing like the same materials.
Nothing like the same business.
No, nothing like, Stephen agreed. Although some of the materials he began and
hastily changed the subject, for his father's brow darkened. You have taught me to be fixed in
my goals and to fulfill my obligations. But I fear that my nature forces me to take risks, just as
you did. I will work on the bridge project for the earl. And furthermore, I will stay with him in
Stafford when I do this work.
I don't trust that man.
His father hadn't met the earl, so Stephen suspected his mother had given a less-than-
complimentary portrait of the urbane man. Neither Peregrine parent liked people who dressed too
well or who were what they considered too personally attractive. I won't ask you to deal with
him. I can conduct that part of my life in private. Stephen cleared his throat rather than allow
the soft laughter at that thought to escape.
Seducing Stephen 127
His father must have seen Stephen's resolve and decided to lose the fight gracefully. Very
well. You may build this bridge. Not likely the project will take over two months, and we can
spare you that long, I suppose.
This was more than he'd hoped for. His father had to have been tired to give in so easily.
Stephen faced the next step without pause, though it was by far the steepest. This will not be so
simple, Father. I intend to make this the basis of my life. Bridges and Peter.
Bridges. His father moaned.
Yes.
The old man lifted a trembling hand and pointed at Stephen tragically. You are
abandoning us.
Stephen was reminded of the production of King Lear he'd seen in London, with his father
playing the part of the king deceived by his children. No, Stephen said gently. I promise I will
come home at least two days a week. I can help Ballard. By reading over the contracts. It is
not ideal for you because you want one man to run the business just as you have always done.
But I should think among the three of us you, me, and Ballard& make that four of us, for I
think we ought to use Gleason too, as he's a smart and likely lad we might be able to fill your
single pair of shoes. And if that's not enough, I'll pay a new hand to help. From my salary.
It's nonsense. I can't allow it.
This was the moment he would have to walk away. Perhaps he'd be banished, but it was
the risk he must take, or something important would get away from him. He'd watched his
dreams die once and couldn't live through that again. I'm sorry, Father. He hoped his father
could hear the regret and finality in his voice. Stephen would not be ordered to stay. He'd make
his decision clearer if he had to.
But apparently his father understood, for after a silence, he croaked, What has that earl
done to you?
Stephen was in the act of picking up the satchel to tuck away Peter's old work. He froze,
one hand on the bag, one on the stack of drawings. What do you mean?
He's put you up to this. Along with that Pratt family.
You must give me some credit, Father. I am a man full grown. You can't blame others for
my actions. Believe me, I've tried, and I can't blame anyone else either.
128 Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon
His father didn't smile. You hate my business that much?
By all that was holy, yes. But he had no interest in causing more hectic emotion in his
father, so he said, No, of course not.
Peregrine senior shifted restlessly on the bed. You have always been a good lad in the
past, he said.
Stephen swallowed hard. All this praise just when he was trying to rid himself of his
family's coils. Where was it before, during the years he craved it? People were so very perverse.
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