Lady Roberts shortened the distance between them. “I do hope you will stay for tea.” Her gaze flitted over the gathering of younger girls, and her smile became taut. “I have missed your company these last few days.”
Javenia tried to hide her surprise. She and Lady Roberts had made their bows to the queen the same year but had never been close. Her Ladyship had been Miss Louisa Stanhope back then and two years Javenia’s senior. Since her marriage to Lord Roberts, they’d seen more of each other, but Javenia had detected no particular affection. This request must have arisen from desperation. Was Her Ladyship so fatigued by the young ladies’ chatter?
If so, far be it from Javenia to deny her a sensible conversation. Especially since the request forwarded her plan. She didn’t need to pull out her paper to see number three on her list—ingratiate yourself into Algenon’s family.
She had the love of his sisters already, but his father would be nearly impossible if his warning was any indication. His stepmother, however, was a good first step.
Javenia relaxed her tense shoulders. “I would love to stay, if that is what you wish.”
Lady Roberts let out an audible sigh of relief, her cheeks pinking when Algenon and Nate glanced at her in question. She lowered her voice.
“You know how your sisters can be.”
Algenon didn’t bother hiding his smile as he followed the gaggle of younger girls into the house, Nate close behind.
A pang of disappointment filled Javenia. She’d hoped to speak with Algenon, to inquire what his plans were for the first weeks of the season, but apparently, he and Nate had some business to attend to.
His father’s hovering for the rest of the Harvest Ball and Miss Weston’s extended visit had already kept them apart far more than she wished. How was she ever to institute the other ideas on her list if they were hardly together?
Lady Roberts threaded her arm through Javenia’s and they followed after the others. “Will we see you in Town this season?”
Javenia glanced down at the smaller woman, realizing that she might be a better source of information about their schedule than Algenon himself. “I believe so. That is, if we attend the same functions. What are your family’s plans?”
Lady Roberts listed off a few of the invitations they had received as well as the days they hoped to attend Almack’s and the opera. Javenia stored the information away in her mind, wishing she had a piece of paper to write the dates and events so she would not forget any.
When Her Ladyship finished speaking, Javenia said, “I know my parents have accepted an invitation to the Fortescues’ soiree in a fortnight, so we are bound to meet there, and of course we shall meet at the Duke of Bedford’s dinner.”
Lady Roberts lit up. “Splendid.”
The group of women climbed the stairs to the second floor sitting room. Down the hall, Nate and Algenon ducked through another door. She narrowed her eyes to see it more clearly. Odd that they’d not chosen the billiard room or the library. It had been quite some time since she’d been in that part of the house, but if she recalled correctly, that door led to half of the family rooms on the next floor.
When Javenia turned to follow the other woman into the sitting room, Lady Roberts pulled her to a stop.
“Please forgive me, but would you mind if we visited the nursery before joining the others?” She ducked her head. “Lord Falcross’s visit pulled me away from my girls more than they are used to.”
“Or you are used to, I’d wager.” Javenia smiled.
Lady Roberts released her arm and gestured in the direction Nate and Algenon had gone. “You have found me out. I miss them terribly. I have no idea how I shall endure London without my girls. It will be unbearably long. What if they do not remember me when I return at Christmastide?”
“That is only a month away. I doubt any baby would forget their mother in such a short amount of time.”
The tension around Lady Roberts’s eyes lessened, smoothing out the little lines there. “I certainly hope so.” She opened the same door Algenon and Nate had gone through moments before, and Javenia followed, her heart doing a happy dance at having the chance to cross paths with Algenon before she’d be required to escort her sisters back home.
She was not as familiar with the third floor of Blackthorn as the other levels of the house. She and Algenon were twelve the last time she’d entered the third floor.
The memory made her smirk. There were three weeks of every year that they were the same age, their birthdays being exactly eleven months and eleven days apart. So, as children, they had chosen those days to accomplish their most daring larks.
It had been their plan to tie as many sheets together as possible, then anchor them to Algenon’s bed and toss the linen rope out the window. It was probably good that Paulette and Henrietta’s governess had come upon them for they certainly would have broken their necks trying to escape out the third-floor window like pirates in the night… except it had been daytime. They hadn’t even had enough sheets to make it past the second level.
A door opened and shut behind her as they made their way down the narrow hall to the nursery. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Nate striding toward the door they’d just come from. Her brow furrowed as she faced forward. Nate’s visit was awfully short. Then again, perhaps he was giving Algenon space to change out of his sweaty riding clothes. Why then had he followed him up to his private rooms?
All her questions fled the moment Lady Roberts opened the door to the nursery and she heard joyous baby giggles. It was the most beautiful sound she’d heard in days. The urge to join in thebabies’ enjoyment pulled her into the room. How did a baby’s laughter spread like an unattended fire any time she was near it?
Then her gaze fell on the source of their entertainment. There, on the floor in front of identical chubby cherubs, was Algenon, still in his riding attire, his hands over his eyes, playing peek-a-boo.
Be still her baby yearning heart. Could the man be any more adorable?
He opened his hands, his eyes wide and his mouth open. Both babies giggled until one of them tipped over from her seated position. Quick as lightning, Algenon’s hand shot out to keep the little one from hitting her head on the carpeted floor. The other baby clapped her hands and laughed as if her sister’s tumble was all part of the morning’s entertainment.
