Archive of Our Own

James doesn’t even like Daddy’s work! I am the one who wants to run Cavendish Foods one day! Yet at 7.30am that morning, Richard DeVere and his son James left Grantleigh Estate for London and she was stuck at home. 

Her bad mood was still obvious at lunch time and her mother Audrey, who had no patience for anyone sulking, gave in to her daughters demeanour and with a sigh asked, “What is it Katie?”

Katie adored her mother. She was beautiful and elegant, she was fearless and funny. She was smarter than her father and knew everything about horses. “I don’t see why I couldn’t go to the city with Daddy.”

Audrey looked at her youngest child. She was her father’s daughter through and through. As if it wasn’t bad enough that from the moment James met Richard he had stuck to him like a magnet, her daughter was the same. 

“Why did you want to go? I thought we could go for a ride together this afternoon.”

“Because I’m going to be the boss there one day and I need to learn now.” Katie was so serious that Audrey nearly laughed. Her daughter was determined and Audrey was relieved that she has at least one of her traits. 

“There’s plenty of time for that darling.”

“But Mummy -“ Katie started to use a whining voice that Audrey could not stand. 

“No, that’s enough. You can go another day. We will go riding.”

“It’s not fair - James doesn’t even want to work at Cavendish, he wants to run this old place.” Katie couldn’t help sneaking in the last word and Audrey frowned at her. 

‘This old place’ was Audrey’s ancestral home and she loved almost as much as she loved her husband and children. Grantleigh Manor was in her blood and she had even passed over the love of her life for it once. Hearing it described in such a derogatory manner had her stiffen her back. 

“This old place is your home and has been the home of your ancestors for the last -“

“400 years.” Katie interrupted with an eye roll. 

“Yes. It is an honor and a privilege to manage the Grantleigh estate. Don’t you forget it.” Audrey was stern and Katie got the message, at least enough to keep quiet and agreeable to an afternoon ride. 

…

James DeVere looked at the men around the boardroom table. He could sense that they didn’t like him, or his father. They were like the boys at his school, only there he was part of the clique. But his father was not. 

James could never remember his life without his father, without Richard DeVere. Apparently the first almost 3 years of his life, he called another man ‘Father’, Marton fforbes-Hamilton. In fact, his original birthday certificate had his name as James Greville fforbes-Hamilton. He couldn’t recall Marton or the early years. His only memory was of his pony Lucy and from there it was waking up on a mattress on the floor of his bedroom tucked up against Daddy with Mummy next to them. 

There had never been a moment when he wished for a different father. Richard DeVere was his idol. Smart, generous and loyal with a little bit of cunning, he worked hard and doted on his family.  James couldn’t remember moving out of Grantleigh but he did remember the day Daddy had bought it for Mummy and their move back in. 

He was only 7 when Daddy came home with news that made Mummy squeal with happiness. The manor would be theirs! Mummy had tucked him in and told him how exciting it was to return to Grantleigh and see his pony Lucy again!

People might say some nasty things about her, she told him, but not to worry she didn’t care and he shouldn’t either. 

“And is the scary man still there, the one who hit you?” 7 year old James asked innocently. He saw his beautiful Mummy’s face flinch before she smiled. 

“No darling James, Daddy has made him leave. We won’t see him ever again.”

“Good.” James snuggled down. “Daddy is the best. He won’t let that man hurt you again.”

“He is the best.” Audrey agreed as she kissed James good night. 

And now they were sitting in the boardroom together. Father and son. Unstoppable. James’ passion was for Grantleigh, not the city, but he loved his father too much to say no to him, and he liked being the visual reminder of how much more Richard had achieved outside of Cavendish. He owned and ran a profitable estate. From the racehorses to the farming, he had succeeded at everything he set his mind. But of everything, James felt, his father was most proud of his family.

….

Richard was proud to have his son with him. From the moment he saw young James he loved him deeply. It was like looking into a mirror but James had his mother’s beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to be mad at Audrey for keeping them apart, but he could never be mad at her, he loved her too much. 

James had grown into a fine young man. He was intelligent, humble and kind. He had managed to get the best from both he and Audrey. He had never given them any trouble. He shared Audrey's love for horses and Grantleigh, and his father's intelligence. The world of business did not appeal to him though and his father was slowly accepting it. James would take on Grantleigh estate one day.

Luckily he had a daughter full of gusto and street smarts. She had his brazenness, his cunning but her mothers charm. Katie had been indulged by him from birth, perhaps he was over compensating for what he missed with James. He was smitten with her and she would be successor if her passion for Cavendish remained. Katie loved being in his office at home, she would read the financial times and ask him hundreds of questions. Her grasp for economics and commerce was remarkable. 

Richard often thought about his life. He hadn’t believed in fate. But meeting Audrey was fate. Their night together before she married Marton fforbes-Hamilton was fate. His search of the manor for Greville and finding his son was fate, and from there there was no turning back. 

What would have happened if he stayed in the big room after Audrey’s parents funeral, and had not seen James? He couldn’t even stand to think about it. Instead everything he wanted, he now had. His family. 

Audrey DeVere. His wife. His everything. He had been in love with her from the moment he met her in a restaurant, set up by her Uncle Greville, when she was 19 years old. She wasn’t brought up to fall in love with a foreigner, city dwelling, business entrepreneur. But she did. She struggled to find her right place. They loved each other more than anything but she has chosen Grantleigh over him. He still loved her. He was patient. It paid off. 

Now, 19 years after he first met her, they were still in love. It had not changed. Their love had only become stronger. Audrey had given him a son and a daughter and a purpose in life that was not about financial success. He cherished his role as a father and husband. 

...

Audrey looked out of the french windows over the estate. Her home. It had taken a long time to accept that it wasn’t her home and just as long to accept it would be again. She was fearful of coming back, of what people might say about her, and, in particular James.

James was 7 and Katie only 2. Unlike James who had always been calm, Katie was handful. She had energy for days and a stubbornness that Audrey had to concede was worse than her own. She was also delightful more often than not and extremely affectionate. 

Everyone at Grantleigh fell in love with her and they were excited to have James back, their memories of him fond. The transition had been much easier than expected. It helped that Richard set a stern line with the staff to begin with, he was generous to them and Marton had let the estate run into the ground. 

And now here they were. Married for 14 years, 4 years too little, but that was the choice she had made and regretted every single day since she made it. Richard never let her dwell on it, he was grateful just to be together. He forgave her and never harboured any of those feelings that people who had been wronged usually did. 

Instead, he was an incredible husband and father. She couldn’t love him any more than she did, she adored him. Of course, he wasn’t perfect but he was close. 

She saw the chopper land, said a quick prayer of thanks for their safe return, and soon Richard and James were in the manor. James quickly said hello before going to his room, probably to play some of that pop music she detested, and Richard took her into his arms, kissing her. 

The thrill of being with Richard never wavered, maybe because she had nearly lost him forever. The safety of being in his arms always bought her comfort. 

They chatted about his day, Katie’s annoyance at being left behind and their plans for the weekend. It was almost time to harvest and they expected some tramps to turn up that would help. Richard didn’t like the tramps, he would have preferred to employ more local people but Audrey maintained that they were harmless and part of estate life.

Dinner was still an hour away and Richard whispered a suggestion of how they could fill the time. Audrey laughed, he was incorrigible, but she quickly agreed. She still yearned for him. Still had needs and desires that only he could fulfil. Time has not damped that.