“But we aren’t finished here,” his sister said.
“Hey, I just work here. Tell Nellie.”
“Well, I will.” Kaitlyn and the others stopped what they were doing and headed toward the house as a group.
When Jem saw that Reese was holding back, he went over to look at what they had been doing. A pile of large bows made of ribbon sat on a wooden table.
“We’re not real fast at this,” Reese said, straightening a couple of them. “I think we took longer than Nellie expected.”
Jem went to stand beside her, aware of the maids who had come over to gather the finished bows. Her fingers brushed his where they hung at their sides, and he linked his pinky finger with hers. Lulu’s familiar cough came from behind them.
“Aunt Nellie requires your assistance as well, miss,” the maid said.
“Lady Ellen is here.” Jem offered Reese his arm and, as they had when walking back from the ride, he laced his fingers with hers. “She sounds excited about having a sleepover.”
“I really like her,” Reese said. “Nellie says she’s gifted at arranging flowers. I hope she’s a miracle worker because that’s something I’m no good at. I can copy something well enough, if I have a sample. I just go brain dead if I have to come up with the design myself.”
“You have other strengths.” He ran his thumb over the top of her hand and tried not to smile when she shivered. “I’m not sure what she has planned for us, but it should be interesting.”
With Lulu following close behind them, he made meaningless conversation as he escorted her back to the house. She dropped his arm once they were inside.
“Hurry,” Kaitlyn called from the library. “Lady Ellen’s ready to begin.”
“Thanks,” Reese whispered and followed his sister.
His heart light, Jem went to find the rest of the guys.
Chapter 10
“WELL,” REESE SAID, “I NEVER dreamed that anyone would ever be able to teach me how to arrange flowers. You’re really good at this.”
Ellen blushed as she often did when someone paid her a compliment. She had such a gentle personality and was so kindhearted. Reese hoped that her dreams of one day being a political wife would not set her up to being hurt by callous people and cause her to lose that sweetness of spirit.
“You put me to the blush,” the girl said, not looking up. She picked up one of the vases and took it over to the table with the others. The rest of the girls had finished with their flowers and gone up to bed. “I do thank you for allowing me to share your room, Miss Clarisse.”
“Just Clarisse.” Reese didn’t think she’d get her to call her by her nickname.
“If you wish me to,” Ellen said. “And you may call me Ellen when we are private—ifyou remember. I have seen how you struggle to be formal. It does not seem natural to you.”
“It’s not,” Reese admitted. “Idoknow how to behave, but back home our formal is not nearly as formal as your formal.”
Ellen laughed and tucked her arm through Reese’s. “I suppose we should retire. It will be an early morning.”
“It’s always an early morning for me,” Reese said. “I like to exercise first thing, and then Jem enjoys a morning ride together right after breakfast.”
“Is not your morning ride exercise enough?” Ellen asked.
“Not for me.”
Both their maids were waiting for them when they reached the bedroom and assisted them out of their dresses. Reese was actually getting used to it, and she wasn’t sure she liked that. She had no idea how she would get out of some of the dresses by herself, but she resented the need to rely on someone else like this. It made her feel helpless, and she hated feeling that way.
“Which side do you wish to sleep on?” Reese was glad that Nellie had provided her with a room with a large bed.
“It isyourbed.”
“I usually sleep in the middle, so that won’t work,” Reese said. “Since I don’t have an alarm clock here, it doesn’t really matter to me.”
Ellen frowned as she climbed onto one side of the bed. “I believe I may have heard of such a thing. Does it make a terrible racket to rouse you?”
