“Maybe you have a chance yet, Ernie,” Sidney Sharpe said.
That was when Justin spoke up from his place at the head of the table. They were all present, except for Lady Maple.
“I am about to invite everyone back here anyway,” he said, his eyes meeting Estelle’s along the table. “Long before next summer. Even before Christmas. In October actually, when the valley will be at its absolute loveliest. There is to be a wedding here. My own to Lady Estelle Lamarr, who accepted my offer this morning and agreed to be my wife. My countess.”
He smiled at Estelle, and she smiled back. How very different he looked when he smiled, when the darkness had gone from inside him.
Everyone seemed to be speaking at once. For several moments Estelle let the sound wash over her without attempting to sort out individual voices or what exactly they were saying. She was just simply happy.
“How much was that wager for, Sid?”
“Estelle?You are going to marryEstelle, Justin?”
“It was not hard to see which way the wind was blowing, was it?”
“Not a single pound or guinea. No one was willing to bet against you.”
“Oh, Justin! I was never happier in my life. Well, except when Martin offered for Doris and she said yes.”
“Never mind winds. I told you it was sure to happen any day now, Irwin.”
“She is going to bemy sister?”
“Ernest is right, Sidney. No one would take you up on that bet. It was as clear as the nose on your face.”
“How splendid, Justin. But we all guessed, of course.”
“I say, Lady Estelle. You are going to be theCountess of Brandon.How grand it sounds.”
“A wedding? In October?Ma? Pa? Say we may come back for it. I will die if you say no.”
“A wedding? That soon? And you are going to be here alone after tomorrow, Justin? Without even Maria? However are you going to plan a whole wedding? Do you haveany ideaof all the work involved? But how could you? You are a man. You need help.Femalehelp, and it would be unfair to put it all on poor Mrs.Phelps. Some of us are going to have to put our heads together today and make some plans.”
“I will help, Augusta. We had a lovely wedding for Doris. Not a single thing went wrong. Well. Except that Rowanleft his shoes to put on until the last minute and then could find only one black shoe and one brown. And I had gone off to the church already. What we need is a few lists.”
Estelle looked into the laughing eyes of her betrothed and came back to herself. “Bertrand and I will be going to Redcliffe Court tomorrow,” she said. “Our stepmother will be happy to take charge of some of the planning, but I am sure she will appreciate any lists you can all draw up today. I think it might be a good idea, Justin, if instead of writing to Papa today, as you planned, you actually come with Bert and me tomorrow.”
“Do you, my love?” His eyes were still laughing. “Then I will come.”
And since everyone had more or less finished breakfast, the table was soon abandoned and Estelle was engulfed in hugs and kisses and exclamations while Justin was being hugged and was having his hand pumped and his shoulder slapped and it all started to feel very real indeed.
She wasbetrothed, Estelle thought. In two months’ time she was going to be marrying Justin, Earl of Brandon—of all people. She tried to think of him as she had seen him that first time by the riverbank and a couple of days later at Prospect Hall. Just a few weeks ago. If anyone had told her then...
Maria was hugging him, and he was hugging her back, rocking her in his arms and drawing back his head to say something to her. She listened earnestly to him and then smiled and nodded. And he hugged her again.
Well, if anyone had told her, Estelle thought, she would simply not have believed that person.
Bertrand squeezed her shoulder and hugged her again. “I feel duty bound to remind you that you are making a ghastly mistake,” he murmured into her ear.
“What?” She drew back her head and frowned at him.
“He is not your perfect someone,” he said. “He does not have blue eyes.”
She gasped. “Andnowyou tell me,” she said.
***
Maria took a pot of chocolate, a cup and saucer and spoon, and a plate with two oatmeal biscuits up to Lady Maple’s room an hour before noon. It was what she usually had at that time, her maid had explained.
