****
The carriages were waiting outside on the front drive to take the guests to the fair. Vivian followed Gabrielle down the front stairs reluctantly. In no mood for the fair, she would have been much happier holing up somewhere with her sketchpad and charcoals. But Caroline tracked her down this morning and insisted she come along. Still fuming about Jack’s behavior last night, Vivian scowled. She couldn’t believe she turned away a perfectly respectable offer of marriage for a man who couldn’t even see how much she cared about him. Blast that puzzle of a man.
Descending the stone steps leading to the front, she missed the last step. She tripped, losing her balance. A strong hand gripped her arm, steadying her. Vivian looked up straight into Jack’s concerned eyes. Double blast.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Captain.” Shooting him her iciest look, she marched away and stepped into one of the carriages.
Caroline climbed into the carriage a few minutes later. She gave Vivian a sympathetic look. “If it makes you feel any better, I found him this morning in the kitchen, unshaven and looking like he hadn’t slept at all last night.”
“It does,” Vivian replied. She hadn’t slept much herself. She spent the night recounting their conversation and the horrifying moment she slapped him across the face in great detail. Ugh. Her temper always got the best of her. She had stared up at the ceiling, working out the exact words she should have used to deliver the proper tongue-lashing he deserved for insulting her. The fact that he thought she resembled those other scheming debutants crowding the London ballrooms hurt deeply.
“What happened last night?” Gabi asked from the opposite seat.
“Jack was jealous of Lord Davenport’s attention to Vivian, and he said something to hurt her feelings,” Caroline explained.
“He did say something quite hurtful. But mostly I cannot believe he doesn’t know my feelings for him by now. Does he think I would kiss him if I didn’t care for him? Why are men so daft?”
“As your chaperone, I am going to pretend I did not hear the part about the kissing. But as your friend I suggest you talk with him, let him apologize,” Gabi suggested.
“It’s clear he adores you,” Caroline chimed in.
Vivian crossed her arms and settled back against the seat. She wasn’t ready to say even two words to the man yet. The sound of happy children’s voices rang out. She peeked through the window of the carriage and watched Jack laugh and walk around with Tyler clinging to his leg. She couldn’t help but smile that he didn’t seem to care most of the other guests looked at him as though he were a madman. She made herself turn away from the scene lest her traitor of a heart go soft.
“Let’s talk about something else. Are there any good vendors who sell lace, do you think? I do like an outdoor market. It is so much fun to haggle over prices.”
****
Jack sighed as Vivian climbed into the waiting carriage. Definitely still mad. Caroline came up beside him and gave him a sympathetic look. “Maybe you can get her alone for a few minutes at the fair.” She patted his arm and walked over to climb into the same carriage as Vivian and Gabrielle.
“Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack.” Jack looked over as Grayson and Tyler raced over to him.
“Are you boys ready to go see the fair?” He grinned as Tyler wrapped his chubby little arms around his leg.
“Yes! I want to see the juggler and the puppet show.” Grayson said.
“I want to see the pigs.”
Jack looked down at Tyler, still attached to his leg like a barnacle. “The pigs?”
“Yes.” Tyler nodded his head in excitement. “Every year there is a prize for the biggest pig. Last year’s winning pig was enormous!”
“Off we go, then.”
Andrew came up to them and said, “I say there, Jack, you look different this morning. What’s that attached to your leg?”
“What do you mean? There’s nothing attached to my leg. You must be mistaken.” Jack started to walk toward the carriage while Tyler hung on to his leg, giggling like mad.
At the center of town, tents of every color lined up in neat rows across the green, to sell all manner of things. Vivian and the other ladies headed over to roam up and down the lines of vendors browsing the merchandise. The few gentlemen who had come along went straight over to the local tavern across the green to have a pint or two. At the other end of the green were the animal stalls. And that’s where he and Andrew ended up first with the boys, in search of the infamous pigs.
There were also cows and sheep, many for sale. The boys stopped to pet almost every animal. They ambled behind them. Then they came upon the pigs. Indeed, he was impressed by the giant size of the sow who had a medal hanging on her stall.
“This one is even bigger than last year.” Tyler exclaimed,
Grayson became distracted by something in the next stall. “Tyler, come here. Look at these.”
In the next stall there were two young boys with a crate of black and brown puppies. The puppies were scrambling all over each other, nipping each other’s ears and tails. Grayson and Tyler immediately asked if they could hold one. Each boy carefully chose a wiggling puppy, and turning to their father with wide eyes, chorused, “Please, can we get one?”
