It was still a small wonder how easily they stood together now. There had been a time, not so very long ago, when Beatrice had kept Margaret at arm’s length, convinced her cousin carried misfortune with her like a trailing ribbon simply because trouble always found her, never the other way around.
But Margaret had dismantled that foolish belief with quiet persistence and kindness until Beatrice could no longer imagine a version of her life where Margaret was not firmly, affectionately tangled in it.
She was just turning back to Mrs. Hart’s notes when the faint, unmistakable groan of carriage wheels drifted through the open window. The sound threaded through the room like a drawn breath.
Beatrice stilled.
That would be them. Earlier than scheduled. Of course, they were. Sebastian prided himself on punctuality and best expressions for absolutely everything except his own wedding, which he had attended with an expression better suited to a man facing a duel. Margaret loved retelling that story.
Before Beatrice could fully process the familiar mix of anticipation and warmth rising in her chest, a second maid appeared in the doorway. “Your Grace, the Ravenscourts’ carriage has just passed the southern fountain. They’ll be at the steps shortly.”
A bright smile broke across Beatrice’s face without her permission; it was almost girlish.
“Already?” She shook her head with a quiet laugh. “Very well. Please have the footmen assemble in the hall. And tell Cook that the luncheon may be served earlier than usual. The Duke and Duchess will expect something substantial after such a long journey.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The maid bobbed another quick curtsey and disappeared down the corridor at a near run.
Beatrice smoothed her cuffs—an old habit she had never quite broken—before making her way out of the room.
There was no reason to rush, and yet she found herself walking a little faster than usual, intent on greeting them before anyone else could.
It would be really good to see Margaret again.
“Let them know I’ll receive them in the entrance hall,” she instructed the footman.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, the front doors were already opening wide. Footmen hurried into place. The coachman hopped down, calling instructions. The faintest chill drifted in the air.
The butler stepped forward with practiced dignity. Beside him, Edward had already taken his place. She hadn’t heard him approach, but there he stood, composed as ever, hands clasped behind his back.
He looked over as she descended. Their eyes met, just for a moment, before the carriage door opened.
Sebastian stepped down first, tall and at ease. “Wrexford,” he called, spotting Edward immediately. “I trust your house hasn’t collapsed in our absence?”
Edward’s mouth twitched. “Regrettably, no.”
Sebastian grinned as he offered his hand to his wife with a fondness that looked new and natural, even after a year of marriage.
Margaret appeared next, taking her husband’s hand as she descended. She braced her weight on the step gently. Beatrice noted the subtle carefulness, the lingering habit of a mother with a young child at home.
The moment Margaret spotted her across the hall, that carefulness vanished, replaced by a bright, unguarded joy, her whole face lighting up.
“Beatrice,” she breathed, her voice warming in a way that made Beatrice’s heart swell.
Beatrice didn’t bother with propriety. She hurried across the hall, and Margaret met her halfway. Their hands found each other first, before Margaret pulled her into a warm, long embrace that Beatrice returned without hesitation.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you again,” Margaret murmured as they broke apart.
Beatrice laughed under her breath, an unexpected rush of emotion tightening her throat. “I think I do. I’ve missed you.”
Margaret’s eyes softened, searching her face. “Then we came at the right time.”
Edward stepped forward, extending a hand toward his friend. His tone softened in a way most people never heard. “Welcome, Ravenscourt.”
Sebastian clasped his hand with a familiar grin. “It’s good to be here. I trust you’ve kept yourself properly occupied without me.”
“Blissfully so,” Edward replied with a big yawn. “Peaceful. Quiet.”
