“It’s true she is not the easiest person to warm to. I’ll give you that,” the countess said. Her husband snorted. “But she was quite wonderful to me when I most needed it.”
“She’s a dragon.”
“Who you adore,” the countess said. “Now, hurry it along, Iris. You and Henry will have a lovely time.”
“Yes, do come, Henry,” Ella said. “We will have so much fun.”
Her son smiled again.
“I really don’t think it’s done to just turn up—”
“Oh please. The duchess has no concept of what is done,” Dimity said. “She does exactly as she wishes, and if she allowed you to take Walter that day you saw her in her carriage, then I know she likes you… well, as much as she likes anyone.”
Iris looked at her son. “Do you wish to go to a fair, Henry?”
He nodded, his eyes still on Ella and Patrice. The little girl was now rummaging about in the flower bed.
“Do not let her eat the snail shells, Ella.”
“I won’t, Aunt Dimity.”
“Now I hate to be forceful—”
“But why stop now?” her husband added.
“We need to get moving, Iris.”
“I will need to change.” She looked down at her dress. “We could take our own carriage,” Iris said. Then they could leave when they wished.
“Ours is quite large enough to accommodate us all. It really is no imposition,” the earl said. He looked a happy man, Iris thought. Content with his life. She tried to remember when she’d felt that way and couldn’t. Except maybe when her husband had passed, and they were finally rid of his tyranny.
“I would like to go with them,” Henry said softly, which made her swallow the next refusal.
“Very well.” How could she say no to him when he rarely asked her for anything?
“Excellent,” the earl said as he bent to take a snail out of his daughter’s chubby hands.
“Would you like to take tea while you wait for us? We will not be long,” Iris asked.
“Thank you, but we shall be quite all right out here. The children can play, and Walter can wander before we need to get back into the carriage,” Dimity said.
Iris and Henry hurried inside. Was this odd? Was this the kind of thing people did? Came and collected others to take them on outings? She hadn’t walked in society before but thought this was not usual.
“Do you really want to go, Henry?”
“Yes.”
“Because you like Ella?”
“I like Dimity too. She said I could call her that,” he added quickly.
“Well then, you must call her what she wishes you to.”
“They’re nice people, Mother.”
“Very well then. We must hurry, as we do not want to leave the earl and countess standing in our gardens for too long.”
She handed him over to his nanny to change and then rushed to her rooms to do the same. With her maid’s help, she dressed quickly. Collecting Henry, she ran back down the stairs.
