Emma nodded eagerly, beaming. Reeves was so happy to see her smiling that he found he had nothing critical to say about the wild behavior. Better to see her being undignified and happy than shrinking away into corners, as she had been when she had first come home.
“So, how about this picnic?” he said. “I suppose we should go if we’re going, before we lose the light or the weather turns on us or something.”
Emma picked up a tart and held it out to Bridget, obviously inviting her to take a bite. Bridget took the pastry in hand, regarded it for a moment, then ate the entire thing in one bite, just as Emma had done.
Reeves laughed again, of course. Seeing a grown lady behave like that was even funnier than seeing his young daughter do it.
But then he noticed something.
Emma was laughing too. Laughing out loud, in bright peals that filled up the whole kitchen. It shocked him so much that he fell silent to listen to her.
At once, Emma fell silent too, looking up at him in clear concern.
“No, no,” he said quickly. “Nothing is wrong. Itwasfunny, wasn’t it?”
He met Bridget’s eyes over Emma’s head. She was still chewing her tart, but her eyes shone brightly with mirth, and he was suddenly sure that she had done what she had precisely to try to get a laugh out of Emma. She had seen this result coming.
He wanted to praise her aloud, to thank her for recognizing this thing Emma needed and providing it. He had been too serious, he realized, focused on worrying over Emma and trying to learn what had happened to her. Meanwhile, it had been Bridget who had made a stride forward today, simply by acting foolishly and giving Emma a chance to laugh.
Bridget swallowed her tart. “You’re right,” she said to Reeves. “Let’s get outdoors and have our picnic. Emma, are you ready to go?”
Emma nodded eagerly and hurried around the counter to grab a picnic basket that Reeves hadn’t noticed. She held it up for her father’s inspection.
“Got a whole lunch packed?” Reeves asked.
“We sure do,” Bridget said.
“I hope you added some of those tartlets. Apparently, you ladies can’t get enough of them!”
Reeves was immediately rewarded with another giggle from Emma, and his spirits soared. From now on, he decided, this was what he would do. He would make it his mission to get her tolaugh as much as possible. After all she had been through, she deserved the chance to take things lightly, and if he could be the one to give her that, it would mean the world to him.
Together, Reeves, Bridget, and Emma made their way out of the kitchen, through the foyer, and out the front door. Bridget was right—the weather was unseasonably warm today, and perhaps she had been wise to suggest a picnic. It might be the very last warm day they got this Season. They should take advantage of it.
And it is better than being cooped up in my study, that’s for certain.
Feeling more at ease than he had since Emma had arrived at home, he led the way down the lawn to a spot that would be perfect for their picnic. More than anything, he decided, he was simply grateful to have been included in this outing and glad that Bridget was helping him find ways to be a part of his daughter’s life.
CHAPTER 15
“Where is she going?” Reeves wondered aloud as Emma tore off across the yard.
They were on their way back up to the house after the picnic. The weather had stayed pleasant for hours, but now, finally, it was beginning to turn. The sun had been obscured by clouds, and the temperature had dropped considerably. Both Bridget and Reeves had noticed Emma beginning to shiver, and that was when they had decided to call a halt to the fun and take things inside.
At first, Bridget thought Emma was running ahead because of the cold, but then she noticed Agnes standing in the doorway. “She’s going to her aunt,” she said, pointing Agnes out to Reeves.
“Oh,” Reeves said. “That’s all right, then. I suppose they should spend some time together today.”
“They have a very special relationship, don’t they?” Bridget asked.
“Yes,” Reeves agreed. “I think Agnes would have been a wonderful mother, personally, but she’s never shown any interest in marriage. I suppose she’s just too clever for all the men she meets. At any rate, it’s a good thing she has Emma to dote on, because it means that motherly affection has somewhere to go. She’s a wonderful aunt. And I’m grateful to have her, too. She’s the closest thing to a mother Emma has in her life, and I’m glad Emma has something like that, since she lost her real mother.”
“Yes, that’s a wonderful thing,” Bridget murmured. “An aunt can be such an important person in a girl’s life.”
He glanced at her. “Did you have an aunt you were close to?”
“Well, not exactly,” she said. “I stayed with Prudence’s mother for a few years, and she and my uncle guided me through the Season. But I wouldn’t say I benefited much from that relationship. Still, I can see how it would have been good to have a truly caring aunt, as Emma does, especially since my own parents weren’t much help to me.” She could have bitten her tongue. “Though of course Emma does have a good father as well,” she said quickly.
Reeves smiled. “I understood what you meant,” he assured her. “It was good to see her laugh like that today, wasn’t it?”
