When one is the rightful heir and the other wants everything just for himself. Josephine realised that she was caught in the middle of a succession war.
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The storm grew in intensity. Josephine could hear the wind howling outside. One particularly loud clap of thunder had sent Eleanor rushing upstairs to see her son in the nursery, even though he had a governess tending to him. She'd claimed to hear the child cry out. Josephine hadn't heard anything except the wind and thunder.
She'd looked at Felix, who'd simply shrugged, smiled, and said, "A mother's ears are very different. I've learned not to question what she claims she's heard."
A few minutes later Eleanor returned with her son perched on her hip. The child was wearing a nightshirt, his little feet bare. He looked much more vulnerable than he had that afternoon when he'd arrived on his father's shoulders.
"Just as I thought, he was having a devil of a time. Storms frighten him just a bit," Eleanor said.
"What was his governess doing if not comforting him?" Felix asked.
"Oh, she was doing her job, rocking him, cooing to him, but sometimes a child needs his mother."
Felix leaned toward Josephine where she sat on a couch in the drawing room. "And sometimes a mother simply needs her son. 'Tis Eleanor who is frightened of storms."
"What are you whispering about, Felix?"
He winked at Josephine. "Only the truth, my love."
Then Josephine saw a side to her husband that she'd have never guessed existed. He rose from his chair near the fire and approached Eleanor, but talked to her son.
"Hello, Henry," he said quietly. "I'm your uncle Hero. We've not met formally, but I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Are you afraid of storms?" Henry asked.
"Dreadfully afraid. Do you know what I think? I think we should have a dog in here to protect us."
"We don't have a dog."
"I do. In my pocket. But I have to warn you that when he comes out to play, other animals come out as well. Do you want to see?"
Henry bobbed his head excitedly. "I like dogs."
"So do I. But my dog likes a lot of light. If your mother doesn't mind, I'm going to move one of the lamps down to the floor."
"Of course I don't mind," Eleanor said. "I'm equally curious about this pet of yours."
As was Josephine. She watched in fascination as her husband moved a lamp to the floor, set it near a wall. He sat on the floor and patted the space beside him. "Sit here, Henry."
The boy wiggled out of his mother's arms and without fear walked over to Hero and plopped down beside him. He looked up at Hero with complete trust.
Hero dug around in the pockets of his jacket. "Ah, here he is."
