“We missed you too,” Maisie sighed. She was the first to pull away, but she kept ahold of Catriona’s hand. “It has been dreadfully dull without you around, Cat. It simply isn’t the same.”
“I doubt that is truly the case, but I’m glad to know my absence is felt,” Catriona said with a laugh. “It has only been a week, but it feels like months. Writing to you both was not nearly enough.”
“We should visit every day then,” Ava suggested excitedly. “Or shall we take turns? Today we visit you, and tomorrow, you shall come to visit us. I’m sure Uncle would be happy to see you. Heacts as if he’s fine, but it is easy to see that he misses you since he mentions you constantly.”
“He has said as much in his letters as well,” Catriona said. “But you know how he can be. He won’t give you an opportunity to tease him. It is he who wishes to do the teasing.” She glanced behind her sisters, frowning. “Why didn’t he come with you?”
“He said there is a particularly interesting book that he is very close to finishing, so he will join us next time.” Ava rolled her eyes. “I’m sure next time he will have another particularly interesting book to finish as well, but we shall see.”
“You know he simply did not want to interrupt Catriona a mere week after her wedding, Ava,” Maisie chimed in, clucking her tongue at her older sister. “This is the honeymoon period after all.”
Ava blinked in surprise. “I thought such things were only reserved for those who married for love.” She winced, glancing at Catriona. “No offense intended.”
Catriona waved her off, ignoring the pinch of… surely that could not be hurt? She knew what this was, so what was there to be hurt about?
“You both speak the truth,” Catriona said. “We are certainly not on our honeymoon, but we are newlyweds. I think Uncle simply wished to respect my privacy. Little does he know that I have been longing to pay you all a visit for some time now. I’m sure having family come by is not so bad.”
“And can’t forget the—” Maisie was interrupted by two loud barks. Nina, who had been watching the exuberant exchange by Catriona’s vacated chair, bounded to her feet and raced by. Catriona hid her laughter behind her hand when she saw the butler struggling to restrain Gemma and Culver. His struggle was for naught because both dogs nearly pulled him to the ground in their eagerness to greet Nina. He let go just in time, looking flustered and annoyed.
“The dogs,” Maisie finished with a giggle.
“I see I’m not the only one who missed her siblings,” Catriona commented as she watched Nina prance about with Gemma and Culver. Then she gestured to the gazebo nearby. “Let’s sit right here.”
“Should we greet His Grace?” Maisie asked.
Catriona shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to bother him. He’s quite busy, you see.”
“Truly?” Ava opted not to sit, leaning against the railing of the gazebo instead. “Is the work of a duke so demanding that he does not have the time to greet his guests?”
“So it seems,” Catriona murmured. She didn’t want to talk about Joseph right now. “How have you two been? I know it’s only been one week, but I would not be surprised to find that much has happened while I’ve been away.”
“Not much,” Maisie said. “The only thing worth mentioning is that Lord Wentworth seems quite ready to propose at any given moment.”
“Maisie!” Ava squealed.
Maisie was too busy laughing to pay her sister any mind. “He came to call on Ava yesterday afternoon, you see,” she went on. “And he continuously mentioned how ready he was to settle down. Every time he did, however, Ava conveniently changed the topic.”
“It was a coincidence,” Ava protested with far less heat than before.
“What’s the matter, Ava?” Catriona asked her. “Do you not like Lord Wentworth?”
Ava’s eyes were on the ceiling of the gazebo, her lips pursed in thought. “I think… I like him too much.”
“Too much? Is there such a thing?”
“Of course! I hardly know him! There is no reason for me to feel so strongly about a man I just met and yet…” She sighed heavily, burying her face in her hands. “I’m afraid that I would accept if he were to ask me to be his wife.”
“Oh goodness.” Catriona couldn’t help huffing a laugh at her sister’s distress. “If you like him and he has shown you that hefeels the same, then there is no use dwelling on how quickly you two fell for each other. Instead, you should simply enjoy it. It is not as if you are being forced down the aisle, Ava. If you do not wish to be betrothed yet, you should simply explain that to him.”
“What if that chases him away?”
“Trust me when I say, Ava,” Maisie jumped in, “that there is very little in this world that would chase than man away from you.”
Ava seemed unconvinced for a moment, but the implications of Maisie’s words appeared to finally sink in, and she smiled, a faint blush caressing her cheeks. Catriona’s heart warmed at the sight, but she couldn’t deny the twinge of envy that twisted in her chest. All she’d ever cared about was ensuring her sisters received happiness, love, and protection. She thought that was all she needed to be happy herself. Now she wondered if that could ever be enough.
“Oh!” Ava’s sudden chirp pulled Catriona from her thoughts. She looked up to see Dorothea standing a few feet away, her hands clasped behind her back. “Good day, Dorothea! It is quite a pleasure to see you again.”
Maisie and Ava rushed over to Dorothea, who took a tiny step back at their enthusiasm, but there was no mistaking the curiosity in her eyes as she said, “Good day.”
