grown up?” he said. “Were we like that at their age, Olivia?”
“Christmas,” she said soberly. “It is not really that far in the future, Marcus. Will Sophia be very disappointed, do you think, to have to entertain us separately? Surely she cannot expect everything to change just because she is marrying Lord Francis.”
“We will have to wait and see,” he said. “All we have agreed to is this month, Olivia. And we have done the right thing. She is very happy to have the three of us together again. Let us just live this month through, shall we, and worry about the rest when it is over?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “I have not looked forward to Sophia’s growing up. If I had known that it would lead to this sort of complication, I think I would have looked forward to it even less.”
“Shall we go down?” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“I suppose so,” she said, shrugging.
“I have had some of the trees cut back from the river bank down there,” he said, pointing down the north side of the hill. “Those very old ones. Unfortunately, they kept shedding ancient branches and sometimes whole trunks into the water and caused flooding. It seemed sad at the time, but actually the cutting back has made for a pleasant walk or ride. Would you like to see?”
“Yes,” she said. “Have you made many changes, Marcus? I remember that you used to accuse your father of being quite unprogressive.”
“The ravings of a younger man who had not yet learned to appreciate tradition,” he said. “It is a good thing, perhaps, that most men are older when they eventuallyinherit. I have far more sympathy with my father than I used to have. Take my arm, Olivia. This section is steeper than it looks. Yes, I have made changes, of course, but nothing to destroy the character of the place.”
“What others have you made?” she asked.
A WHOLE HOUR passed and several of the guests, having finished their picnic tea, had already ridden back to the house before the earl and his wife came strolling around the bottom of the hill and began the climb to the remains of the feast.
“Oh, dear,” the countess said as if suddenly recalled to the present, “we have been neglecting our guests dreadfully, Marcus.”
“They do not look neglected,” he said. “In fact, I would say they look remarkably well fed. Is that Hathaway stretched out fast asleep? And several people are actually beaming down upon us—most notably Sophia. And Rose. Are you hungry yet, Olivia? I could eat a bear.”
“And I forgot to have bear patties packed in the hamper,” she said without stopping to think. His comment and her reply had been common ones during the years when they were living together.
“Cucumber and cheese and chicken will have to do instead, then,” he said. The old reply again.
Olivia felt a heavy ball of panic lodged deep in her stomach. Their plan must not be allowed to work too well. The plan was for public appearances for Sophia’s sake, not for private exchanges.
S OPHIA AND L ORD Francis rode off together, Cynthia and Sir Ridley Bowden a little behind them.
“What did you mean,” Sophia said accusingly when they were on horseback and on their way, “talking about our first child like that in front of Mama and Papa. I could have died of mortification.”
“Or of burst blood vessels in your head,” he said. “To say you turned scarlet, Soph, would be to understate the case. I was merely following your lead, that’s all. You are the one who started talking about Christmas and New Year and all that sort of sentimentality.”
“Inviting them for Christmas and a christening are two entirely different matters,” she said. “I scarce knew where to look. In one year’s time or less indeed. What a disgusting idea. I would rather …”
He held up a staying hand. “We are not going to have to go through all this toad and frog and snake business, are we?” he said. “Have done, Soph. The thought of infants and
“Christmas,” she said soberly. “It is not really that far in the future, Marcus. Will Sophia be very disappointed, do you think, to have to entertain us separately? Surely she cannot expect everything to change just because she is marrying Lord Francis.”
“We will have to wait and see,” he said. “All we have agreed to is this month, Olivia. And we have done the right thing. She is very happy to have the three of us together again. Let us just live this month through, shall we, and worry about the rest when it is over?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “I have not looked forward to Sophia’s growing up. If I had known that it would lead to this sort of complication, I think I would have looked forward to it even less.”
“Shall we go down?” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“I suppose so,” she said, shrugging.
“I have had some of the trees cut back from the river bank down there,” he said, pointing down the north side of the hill. “Those very old ones. Unfortunately, they kept shedding ancient branches and sometimes whole trunks into the water and caused flooding. It seemed sad at the time, but actually the cutting back has made for a pleasant walk or ride. Would you like to see?”
“Yes,” she said. “Have you made many changes, Marcus? I remember that you used to accuse your father of being quite unprogressive.”
“The ravings of a younger man who had not yet learned to appreciate tradition,” he said. “It is a good thing, perhaps, that most men are older when they eventuallyinherit. I have far more sympathy with my father than I used to have. Take my arm, Olivia. This section is steeper than it looks. Yes, I have made changes, of course, but nothing to destroy the character of the place.”
“What others have you made?” she asked.
A WHOLE HOUR passed and several of the guests, having finished their picnic tea, had already ridden back to the house before the earl and his wife came strolling around the bottom of the hill and began the climb to the remains of the feast.
“Oh, dear,” the countess said as if suddenly recalled to the present, “we have been neglecting our guests dreadfully, Marcus.”
“They do not look neglected,” he said. “In fact, I would say they look remarkably well fed. Is that Hathaway stretched out fast asleep? And several people are actually beaming down upon us—most notably Sophia. And Rose. Are you hungry yet, Olivia? I could eat a bear.”
“And I forgot to have bear patties packed in the hamper,” she said without stopping to think. His comment and her reply had been common ones during the years when they were living together.
“Cucumber and cheese and chicken will have to do instead, then,” he said. The old reply again.
Olivia felt a heavy ball of panic lodged deep in her stomach. Their plan must not be allowed to work too well. The plan was for public appearances for Sophia’s sake, not for private exchanges.
S OPHIA AND L ORD Francis rode off together, Cynthia and Sir Ridley Bowden a little behind them.
“What did you mean,” Sophia said accusingly when they were on horseback and on their way, “talking about our first child like that in front of Mama and Papa. I could have died of mortification.”
“Or of burst blood vessels in your head,” he said. “To say you turned scarlet, Soph, would be to understate the case. I was merely following your lead, that’s all. You are the one who started talking about Christmas and New Year and all that sort of sentimentality.”
“Inviting them for Christmas and a christening are two entirely different matters,” she said. “I scarce knew where to look. In one year’s time or less indeed. What a disgusting idea. I would rather …”
He held up a staying hand. “We are not going to have to go through all this toad and frog and snake business, are we?” he said. “Have done, Soph. The thought of infants and
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