The prospect of her own room seemed to thrill Nancy beyond words. While she was recovering from this thrilling news, the footmen came around to clear the soup bowls.
What would come next? Would it be the partridge Letitia had spoken of? At fine houses, Amelia knew that many courses were served. Enough food to make their fine dinners back home look paltry. Those special dinners, with a soup course, meat course, fish, and then sweetmeats, were only arranged when her father visited.
Perhaps Mama always wanted us to associate nice things with Father’s visits. Presents, lots of nice food, and an air ofcelebration. Perhaps she thought it would make up for the fact that we barely saw him.
He’d tried, of course. She knew that. Her father visited as often as he could. It wasn’t fair to demand more from him.
Amelia swallowed hard, pushing away thoughts of her father. She hadn’t had the luxury to think of him in quite a while, what with their situation. They’d been thrown out of their home so quickly while they were still reeling from the news of her father’s death, and then her mama had taken to her bed…
Enough.Focus on the here and now.
The wine sloshed in her stomach, mixing with the few spoonfuls of soup she’d taken. It made her feel nauseous.
“We’re moving to another house?” she asked cautiously. “So soon? Why can’t we stay here? This place is lovely.”
“Compared to what you are used to, I’m sure it is,” Stephen responded with a tight smile.
The next course was served. It was a collection of steamed vegetables, with a delicate cut of meat on the side.
“But Redcliffe Manor has been my family’s seat for generations, and it’s high time I returned. You’ll like it, I’m sure. And since you and your sisters brought virtually no baggage, packing will be as easy as winking.”
“I, for one, am thrilled to be going home,” Letitia announced, lifting her wineglass. “A toast, everybody, to going home.”
Amelia obediently raised her glass. Marjory and Nancy also joined in, clearly thrilled to be invited to join something as serious and interesting as atoast.
“And when we are settled in,” Stephen continued, his gaze darting around the table. “There’ll be a party. Of course, you girls are all invited.”
Marjory and Nancy gave gasps of delight, glancing eagerly at each other.
“You really mean it?” Nancy squealed. “A party?”
“I certainly do.”
Amelia felt as though she’d been frozen. A party? Surely any party Stephen would host would be for the ton.
We can’t go to a party like that.
“A party?” she managed, with a hesitant laugh. “That seems quite a serious event. I don’t think you’d enjoy yourself at all, Nancy.”
“I would! I would!”
There was a hint of panic in Nancy’s voice now, as if she were terrified that the promise of a party had only been dangled in front of her and would be whisked away. A meltdown was coming, so Amelia hastily reached across the table and patted her hand.
“Never mind, we’ll talk about it later,” she whispered, nodding encouragingly.
“I’m not sure there’s much to talk about,” Stephen responded coolly. “I will be hosting the party. Grandmother will organize it, and as I said, you are all invited. I hope you’ll come. And for the party, Miss Spectacles, I hope to wear my father’s pocket watch.”
He leveled a long look at Marjory, who flushed, hunching her shoulders.
“I have it here,” she mumbled, reaching into a pocket in her skirt which Amelia had not noticed before.
Had her sister sewn pockets into her skirts? That would make sense, considering how many notebooks and pencils she carried around.
Perhaps she can sew a straighter seam than I thought.
Marjory produced a plain silver pocket watch. She set it silently on the table and pushed it toward Stephen. He reached out to take it, his throat working.
Amelia frowned down at the watch in question. It was a little tarnished, still dust-smeared. If the thing was so valuable, why had he locked it away in a drawer?
