"I imagine he could be persuaded to attend if I request it."
"And Joyce?" Alethea asked gently, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"Joyce may join if she likes," he said after a pause. "It is your home as well, Alethea, and your family is always welcome."
The answer was noncommittal, but it wasn't a refusal. Alethea smiled, deciding not to push further just then.
"Wonderful. I'll send notes to everyone straightaway and speak with the cook about preparing baskets."
The arrangements were made rather quickly. At the final hour, only Daphne and Joyce accepted the invitation to attend. Felicity was busy with some event.
Alethea greeted her sisters while Oliver appeared relaxed in shirtsleeves and an open waistcoat, having shed his coat. He had been coaxed by Clara into helping fly a small kite for a while, and the sight of the tall Duke running across the grass trailing a kite had brought laughter to everyone.
Now, he returned to the blankets, breathing a little hard but smiling.
"I'd forgotten how much energy a child's game demands," he chuckled.
Alethea handed him a glass of lemonade, which he accepted gratefully.
"You did brilliantly. Clara is over the moon." The little girl was presently running to show her elder sister Eleanor how high the kite had gone.
Oliver took a long sip and regarded the scene.
Nearby, Daphne was unpacking more food from baskets with the help of their maids. Their husbands lounged under a tree, discussing some recent Parliamentary debate. Joyce sat on a blanket with Daphne's baby. And not far off, Theodore stood by a makeshift pall-mall court that the servants had just finished setting up.
Or more specifically, as he watched Joyce singing to the baby.
Alethea followed Theodore's gaze and saw the soft yearning on his face. It made her heart ache. Joyce, sensing the attention, glanced up and met his eyes. Though she quickly dropped her gaze back to the baby, a rosy flush tinged her cheeks.
Alethea leaned subtly into Oliver.
"Don't they look pitiable, the pair of them?" she whispered.
Oliver had seen the exchange as well, and his expression hardened.
"They brought that on themselves," he murmured back.
Alethea bit her tongue. This was precisely the tension she hoped to ease today. So far, Oliver and Theodore had kept a distance, exchanging only a terse greeting at the start. She had to find a way to bring them together more naturally. Perhaps a bit of competitive fun would do. Oliver and Theodore had often been a team in childhood games, so perhaps this the best way to ease the tension.
"Shall we have a game of pall-mall?" Alethea suggested brightly, raising her voice enough for the group to hear. She stood and dusted off her skirt. "The course is ready and it looks terribly inviting."
The children cheered at once, even though they were too young to play properly, they simply liked any excitement.
"Oh no, not I. I haven't swung a mallet in years. I'll watch, thank you," Ambrose said.
Daphne, however, popped up eagerly. "I'll play a round or two. I warn you all, I was quite the terror in my day."
"Excellent," Alethea grinned. "We have mallets enough for five or six, I believe."
"Theodore?" Alethea called over. "Will you join us?"
Theodore seemed a bit surprised to be directly invited by her, but he managed a smile. "Certainly, if you wish."
"And you, Oliver?"
He peered up at her, trying to gauge her intent. She simply smiled serenely. After a moment, he nodded and got to his feet. "Of course."
Joyce remained seated on the blanket, but Alethea noticed how her eyes followed Theodore as he moved to the pall-mall course. Alethea quickly bent down to her.
