She slowly crossed the floor, her head high, nodding to the right and left as the crowd parted before her. She caught sight of the badminton court and arched a brow.
Magnus and I walked over to greet her.
Wilfred looked very handsome, like a young Robert Redford, and was perfectly tailored, dressed for an eighteenth century Great Hall. His clothes were much finer than ours, as if a costume designer for a movie studio had dressed him, not just a seamstress from Etsy. His clothes were similar to Magnus’s except with ruffles and lace at the neck and embroidery down his lapels, fine shoes instead of boots.
Lady Mairead was wearing dark crimson and looked gorgeous and regal. When we approached them I heard Wilfrey say, “God, I love this century, Mairead. No, genuinely — look at this room. You cannot build a room like this anymore, nobody has the patience.”
Magnus nodded. “Mother, when did ye get in?”
“Wilfrey and I just arrived, Magnus, ye remember my husband…?”
“Of course I do, aye. How could I forget?” The two men shook hands and I greeted him. Lady Mairead, instead of greeting me,said, “I suppose you are responsible for the sport being played in the Great Hall, Kaitlyn?”
“Not me, per se, um… James and Zach and Quentin sent it, I um… built it though and showed them how to play.”
She said, “So ye are responsible for the sport being played in the Great Hall.”
I said, “Yes, I am, it’s really fun.”
Her brow raised and she gave Wilfrey a look.
Then she asked, “I hear my brother is in residence, where is he now?”
Magnus said, “He retired tae his chamber.”
She sighed. “I had hoped tae see him at dinner tae save me the trouble of waiting until the morn. But I do want him tae meet Wilfred. I expected he would see us as we walked in.”
Magnus said, “He is in a terrible mood, ye will be glad tae hae waited.”
“What on earth does the Earl hae tae be in a bad mood about?”
Her eyes settled on Lizbeth. Then they narrowed, and without waiting for Magnus’s answer, she stalked over, pulling Wilfred along after her.
We followed.
She said to Sean and Lizbeth, “Ye remember my husband, Wilfred Weaver, the award-winning actor and now a Duke?”
They both nodded and greeted him. He had a formalness to his speech and manners that seemed well-practiced, and he had that celebrity glow around him, an aura. He sounded earnest about his love for Lady Mairead and his pleasure in meeting us, but he was so handsome it was hard to believe. While we talked for a moment, he looked all around the Great Hall and then broadly smiled. “I keep telling Mairead, if she would let me, I would simply stay here, content to live here permanently. I would die fulfilled.”
Lady Mairead said, “And I keep telling ye, this is a visit.” She said to us, “He daena ken what tis like tae endure living here. He would miss his movies.”
“That is true. I stand corrected, but it is wonderful, as this is my favorite year.”
Lady Mairead said to Lizbeth, “Daughter, ye look troubled.”
Lizbeth furtively stuffed the handkerchief back in her bag, “Nae mother, twas just a long day, unexpected visitors and a great deal tae do. Now I am watching the boys play this game in the Great Hall and worrying that they are going tae break their necks or worse, topple one of the Earl’s precious statues.”
The rough game grew even wilder. I saw Maggie give Sean a look and he and Liam stalked over to talk the boys into chilling out.
Magnus excused himself to go help his brother corral the boys.
Lady Mairead kept her eyes on Lizbeth.
Then she said, “Join me at the table, I need tae be fed.”
She swept around the table, directly for the Earl’s spot and lowered herself into his chair with Wilfred pulling the chair out and pushing her back in, then he moved to the empty chair to her right, formerly Magnus’s, and sat elegantly, they both unfurled the napkins that had been rushed over by the servants for their laps, at exactly the same time, looking almost as if it were practiced. She smiled at him proudly.
Magnus said, “Looks like we are having a second dinner.”
