“Sisters!” Joy hurriedtoward them as they disembarked from the carriage, her slight limp and bejeweled cane not slowing her in the least. “It is so good to see you all.”
Felicity hung back as Serendipity and Merry rushed to embrace their sister. She so admired Joy. Even though her sister had suffered an attack of apoplexy when she gave birth to little Lion, she had fought to regain her health and mobility and now only walked with a cane. Such courage, she had.
“I wish I had such courage,” Felicity said under her breath.
“Felli!” Joy called out with her arms open wide. “No hug for your favorite sister?”
Joy’s husband, Jansen, stood beside her, grinning as he attempted to hold fast to their son, whose given name was actually Richard Wager Lionheart Winterstone. “Shall I loose the Lion upon you? You know how silly he is about his Auntie Felli.”
After hugging Joy, Felicity held out her hands to Lion. “Come here, beastie. You only love me because Auntie always brings you treats.”
“Tweats!” the toddler crowed as he dove into her arms, then started twisting in search of her reticule. “Tweats!”
“I must set you down to fetch them from my bag,” she told the squirming lad. “Will you promise to stay right here and not run away?”
With sincerity born from his love for biscuits and his big blue eyes flashing with mischief, Lion nodded.
As soon as the child had a biscuit in each hand, he took off, but Nanny was at the ready and intercepted him. “Oh no, Master Lion. We shall be having a cup of milk with our biscuits, and then off we go for a nap,” she said.
Lion shook his head hard and fast. “No nap!”
“Yes, nap.”
The two argued all the way out of sight.
“I have a surprise,” Joy said, her eyes as sparkling with mischief as her son’s.
Felicity braced herself. One never knew what Joy might have in store for the family. Even though she was married and a mother now, she still adored a good game of chance or a dare. Rather than rise to the bait, Felicity withdrew a note from her reticule and handed it over. “Before you dazzle us with whatever you have planned, here are several more menu suggestions for the party in addition to the recipes I already sent over.”
Joy took the notes and brazenly tucked them inside her bodice between her bosoms. “Thank you. I shall hand these over to Cook. I am sure she will be most grateful, as am I.” She stamped her cane while excitedly looking at her sisters one by one. “Well? Do you not wish to know my surprise?”
Felicity backed up a step and shook her head. “Not I. The last time I saw you this excited about asurprisewas when you helped Blessing replace the pillows on Chance’s bed with sacks of stones.”
“Where is our darling brother?” Joy asked. “Is he so foolish as to shun my party?”
“He had several appointments he swore he could not possibly miss. Once through them, he shall be here.” Serendipity pulled Felicity forward. “What is your surprise, Joy?”
“Lord Wakefield is coming to the party. In fact, he has alreadyarrived.”
Felicity went cold and lightheaded, feeling as though all her blood had drained away. Over the past two weeks, she had refused to see Drake whenever he called after deciding they both needed a bit of time away from one another. She had decided their courtship would be the better for it if they both stepped back and took a breath, considering how easily a bit of malicious gossip had very nearly torn them apart. She had to conquer her insecurities about him and needed time to do so.
Of course, this tactic was a double-edged sword. It gave Serendipity’s exemplary contacts time to watch him and see how he reacted. Those results would give Felicity either the reassurance or the resolve to stop not only doubting him but also stop doubting her instincts. To his credit, the man had never left Wakefield Manor unless it was to stand on Broadmere Hall’s doorstep and bang on the door. Felicity had planned to move forward with theirfresh startupon her return from Winterswick.
“Felli! Are you unwell?” Joy took hold of her arm. “You have gone terribly pale.”
“She and Lord Wakefield are presently at odds,” Serendipity said in a hissing whisper. “Did you not receive my letter?”
“I wrote to you as well,” Merry said as she took Felicity’s other arm. “Do you still allow your correspondence to lie unread for days? I thought you were doing better about that.”
“Lion keeps me very busy,” Joy said. “Oh, Felli, please forgive me.”
Blessing joined them, holding her youngest son, Ross, on her hip. “What have you done to her? She’s gone as white as fresh cream.”
“I should not have invited Lord Wakefield,” Joy said as she wrapped an arm around Felicity’s shoulders and hugged her. “I am so sorry, dearest, but fear not, we can fix this.”
“Not if he has already arrived.”
“Did you not say you were ready to resume your courting?” Merry asked. “Simply do it here. Problem solved.”
