Violet shook her head and grimaced, pressing a hand to her side once more.
“So what else brings you here today, Miss Fyffe?” Lady Aster gave a decidedly wicked smile, reaching for a pickle sandwich. Clearly, the twin’s spirits could not be repressed for long. “Please tell me it involves the handsome Master MacTavish—”
“Aster! It is hardly polite to bring up the subject in such a manner—” her ladyship broke off mid-sentence, wincing and rubbing a palm along the outside of her belly. She panted for another moment.
Eilidh set down her teacup and half stood, extending a hand out. “Are you poorly, Violet? Shall I summon—”
“I am fine.” Violet took in two deep, deliberate breaths and waved Eilidh to sit back down. “Just the skin of my belly tightening over and over. It isn’t painful, just uncomfortable. Alex said it’s the body’s way of preparing me for birth. Anyway, where were we?”
Lady Rose poured Lady Aster more tea. “Eilidh was going to tell us about how delicious Master MacTavish is—”
“Rose! Honestly. Not you, too.” Violet rubbed the space between her brows, as if she were too weary to say more.
Eilidh wasn’t sure if the twins’ enthusiasm for the opposite sex was humorous or alarming. But they were not necessarily wrong about the purpose of Eilidh’s visit.
“Uhm, actually—” Eilidh nibbled on a biscuit. “—I was hoping for a bit of . . . advice.”
The twins both perked up.
“Romantic advice?” Lady Aster leaned forward.
“Pleasetell us it’s romantic advice,” Lady Rose agreed.
“Yes, it is.” Eilidh closed her eyes for a second, gathering her thoughts.
She then spent a solid ten minutes outlining the gist of her problem—Simon, marriage, Kieran—ending with a distressed, “So I do not know what to do. How much do I tell Simon right now? He is justifiably concerned about me, but I feel I should tell him the specifics of my current situation in person, not via letter. But I need to tell himsomethingand do not wish to abuse his trust—”
“Is Simon handsome?” Lady Aster asked.
“Handsomeness is not the only noteworthy criteria when it comes to a gentleman, Aster.” Violet all but sighed. “How many times must I tell you this?”
“That is true,” Lady Rose agreed, tapping her lips. “Do you swoon when you kiss him, Miss Fyffe?”
Eilidh blinked. “I haven’t kissed Simon.”
“Pardon?” Lady Rose was aghast.
“But . . .” Lady Aster floundered. “But how can you possibly consider marrying a gentleman whom you have never kissed?”
“Simon is far too much of a gentleman to kiss a woman who is not his betrothed. Though he has kissed my hand a number of times.” Eilidh thought for a moment. “And he did kiss my cheek once, after politely asking permission. Does that count?”
“That doesnotcount,” Lady Aster said.
Eilidh shook her head. “We are veering off track, I fear. I merely wished advice as to how much I should tell Simon about Kieran.”
The twins stared at Eilidh for a moment.
Violet set down her teacup and rubbed her belly again.
“I beg to differ,” Lady Aster said. “How much you tell Simon depends entirely upon how serious you are in marrying him. So first, we must determine that.”
“I agree.” Lady Rose returned to nibbling on a biscuit, but a dent had appeared between her eyebrows. “So aside from his calm demeanor and staid nature, what else do you like about Simon, Miss Fyffe? Does he make you laugh?”
Eilidh paused, frowning. “I cannot say that Simon is much given to laughter. He is a curate and takes his duties to the parish quite seriously. He is very attentive to his mother, however. My own mother always said that a man will treat his wife much as he treats his mother. And based on that, any wife of Simon’s could expect to be lavished with kindness and forbearance.”
The twins went back to sipping their tea.
Silence hung again.
