Page 115

He just shrugged. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Adam guffawed. “Right, a surprise! You should have seen him gallop away in rage as he received the latest correspondence from James.”

“He is getting dismissed. You should know this,” Isabel grumbled.

Everyone laughed.

“I shall take him if you don’t want him,” Alan said with a smile. “I need to set up my townhouse now that I am back. And James seems like a nice chap. ”

“Yes, if you want Richard to know about your every step!” Isabel scoffed.

“Oh, don’t act all innocent!” Sam intervened. “I remember a time when James was spying on me and spilling everything to you.”

Isabel pursed her lips. “You were unmarried, and I was justifiably worried about your activities!”

“Since when does a family stop worrying about their sisters just because they got married?” Richard barked out.

“I would rather you worried like normal people. You know, actually asking instead of spying,” Sam said as she rocked her babe in her arms.

“Give her to me! Poor Angel will have vertigo if you keep rocking her like that.” Adam reached out his arms.

“As if you know how to care for a babe!” Sam exclaimed with a chuckle but still handed the child to her brother.

Sam’s nursemaid stood quietly in the corner, waiting for her lady to hand over the babe. Isabel doubted that would happen anytime soon now that there were so many people to carry her in their arms.

Adam took the child and walked away, murmuring something as he did so.

“I think Adam just needed an excuse to leave us,” Isabel noted.

Sam stretched out her arms. “Well, he can have both the excuse and the babe. My arms feel like they might fall off soon.”

“Why don’t you let your nursemaid care for her if you are tired?”

“I am not tired,” Sam protested, then added with a soft smile, “Well, at least not enough to hand her over for long. You will understand soon enough.”

Isabel’s entire face heated, and she was certain she was blushing furiously. She looked away. “Oh, I am being a terrible hostess! I shall order us some tea and then show you all to your rooms. Adam, if you want to—”

Adam shushed her. “Angela’s falling asleep,” he whispered loudly and turned away.

Sam blinked. “Well, looks like he worked a miracle on that child!”

Isabel shrugged. “Seems so. Well, let him bond with the babe while we have some tea.”

“Yes, and you can put Adam in the room closest to ours, so he can lull Angela when she has trouble falling asleep,” Sam added exuberantly.

Isabel chuckled. “I shall be certain to do just that.” She pulled the bell and had just instructed the housekeeper to prepare them some sandwiches and tea when Rhys approached her.

“Ashbury wants to see Thornsby,” he said. “Perhaps he can help with advice.”

Ashbury was a new baron, and only recently, he and Sam had brought the entire village from ruin. He and his fellow villagers worked day and night building housing for the new inhabitants, and it wasn’t surprising that he wished to see Vane’s progress and was willing to help if needed.

“Today?” Isabel stepped closer to Rhys and placed her hand on his sleeve.

“Yes, unless you want me to stay.”

Isabel looked at her family members lounging about the room. “Perhaps right now is the best time. I shall have my family to keep me company. Besides, I am glad that you’re getting along with Sam’s husband. You need to stick together if you want to survive my obstinate brothers.”

Rhys chuckled, lowered his head, and kissed her on the cheek. “We shall be back before nightfall.”