“But is it?” Graham asked again, confused.
“Yes,” Hope said firmly to her husband, who smirked at her tone.
“Very well then,” Faith said, looking at Hope again. “But isn’t her birthday only a few weeks away?”
“Yes, which is precisely why we must stary organizing immediately,” Grace said, going to her knees before the small table that sat before the sofa. “Hope? Bring me a sheet from Aunt Belle’s desk. We will start with making a list.”
“Perhaps I should leave you three alone then. I wouldn’t want to get in your way,” Graham said, walking behind Hope. He leaned close to her ear. “Tomorrow, noon?”
The blush that came to Hope’s cheeks made Faith discreetly glance away. Though Graham and Hope had been left alone during the early months of their marriage to do whatever it was newlyweds did, it seemed the return of Faith, Grace, and Aunt Belle had caused a bit of claustrophobia for the couple, who had taken to visiting the old hunting lodge at the northern edge of the property once a week to allow them some privacy.
But Hope apparently would not let him leave so quickly.
“Stop that,” she whispered, apparently embarrassed that he would be so brazen as to mention something everyone knew about. “And you can’t leave. You know everyone of importance within a hundred miles. You can help us make the invitation list.”
“I suggest you write my uncle. Laird McTavish knows everyone.”
“It’ll be too late before he responds. We must have these done and sent out tomorrow.” Hope gave him a pleading glance, and of course, Graham sighed and came forward.
“Very well. Are you ready, Grace?”
“Yes,” she said, studiously crouched over her paper as Graham began to list off a dozen names, all families and friends that Aunt Belle had grown close to during her thirty-year residence at Lismore Hall.
Faith was suspicious of the whole matter, but she couldn’t deny her love for her aunt and was privately glad to have such an event to celebrate the woman whom Faith had come to view as a surrogate grandmother. And in her heart of hearts, she had to admit that she felt rather more fondness for Aunt Belle than she had for their actual grandmother, Belle’s sister. Where Grandmother Alice had always tried to dissuade Faith from being too impractical, or too consumed by her own interests, Aunt Belle had nurtured Faith’s choices.
She understood that she and Aunt Belle had shared an independent streak, and while she was happy to celebrate someone who had lived life on her own terms, Faith wondered if she was as brave as her elderly great-aunt had always been.
“—Logan Harris, of course, as well as his father and sister,” Graham said.
“What?” Faith said suddenly, causing Grace to stop.
“What is it?” she asked, looking down at her list. “Did we already add them?”
“No,” Faith said, leaning forward. “But Lo—ah, Mr. Harris doesn’t like us. Why would we invite him?”
Hope’s brow lifted incredulously.
“Faith Sharpe, what manners you have. Of course, we will invite the Harris family.”
“I’m not say to exclude his father or Arabella, but Lo—I mean, Mr. Harris,” she said slowly, as if to chastise herself, “has never liked us. And he’s very loud about his dislike for the English.” When no one spoke, she sighed. “I just don’t see why we should bring him here if he’s going to do nothing but drink our wine and complain about us and the guest of honor.”
Grace’s mouth tightened and shifted slightly as it did when she was conflicted. Graham appeared confused while Hope came forward.
“Mr. Harris might not have always gone out of his way to be pleasant, but he has always been perfectly courteous at least to Grace and me,” she said. “Not to mention his friendship with Graham. And Aunt Belle has always spoken very fondly of him.” She paused before adding. “And I should think, after he was so accommodating during your bout of sickness, that you two might have come to an understanding.”
Instantly, Faith stood up.
“What understanding? I assure you; Mr. Harris and I have no understanding.” Everyone stared at her, confused at her overreaction. Faith exhaled, suddenly aware of how foolish she was being. “Very well. Invite whomever, but I think I will follow Aunt Belle and retire. I’m not feeling myself.”
“I hope you are not having a relapse,” Grace said, concerned.
“I’m sure she is fine. Simply tired. Aren’t you, Faith?” Hope asked.
Though she could explain it, Faith knew Hope was giving her an exit. She tried to smile but failed and left the room. She heard Graham say something along the lines of that he was not particularly interested in hearing the family dissect her behavior, causing a surge of gratefulness toward her brother-in-law to shoot through her.
At that moment, all she wanted to do was to fall into her bed and sleep away her misery.
Chapter Nine
