unaware that Anne had already given him these details. “He ran a high fever some years ago now. Everyone was certain he would die. When he came out of it, he was never the same.”
“Miss Gardiner has no siblings, no other family?” Weston asked before he remembered that Pastor had told him this.
“No. Her mother died when she was 14—a gentle and lovely woman. She’s the reason Anne is such a lady.”
“She is that,” Weston said quietly, his eyes on the meat he was cutting.
Lydia couldn’t help but notice the comment. She looked at her guest and then glanced at her husband. Their eyes met for just a moment, but much was communicated.
“He smiled!” Lizzy Palmer said with excitement.
“I saw that,” Anne said, eyes on the baby in her arms.
“I’ve got to tell Mama that Oliver smiled!”
Lizzy darted off, but Emma stayed close, leaning against Anne to have a look at her brother.
“Is he a good baby?” Anne asked Emma.
“Yes. He doesn’t cry very much at all. We hope that Marianne has a boy too, so they can play together.”
“That would be fun, but don’t forget that you’re a girl and you like to play with your brothers.”
“Not as much as I do with Penny and Lizzy.” Emma’s reply was a fervent one and her eyes had grown large.
Anne smiled at her, and after Emma smiled back, she transferred her gaze back to the baby.
“He’s so sweet,” the eight-year-old said in a sweet voice of her own.
“Yes, he is,” Anne agreed, glancing over at Emma. “Isn’t it fun when babies finally arrive and you can meet them?”
“Yes, and Mama’s not so tired now.”
“I can see that,” Anne said after she looked over at the group of women visiting in the center aisle of the church, completely unaware that she was the topic of conversation.
“Anne’s birthday is next week,” Judith told Marianne and Lydia.
“Which day?” Marianne asked.
“Sunday.”
“Let’s have a party,” Lydia suggested.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“We can have it at the manse. Whom should we invite?”
The women grew a bit quiet. Lydia peeked around her sister-in-law to see the back of Anne’s head as she bent over to see the baby, and she was struck with one thought: vulnerable .
“Let’s keep it small.”
“I think that’s a good idea. How about our three families and the two new families—so we can get to know them?”
“The Allens and the Shepherds?”
“Yes.”
“Good idea.”
The matter settled, the women separated and went on their way. Marianne found Jennings outside talking with several other men. Palmer invited them to lunch and even offered to take their brood in the carriage. Because they were alone, Marianne told her husband of the birthday plans as soon as they were underway.
“Are we inviting Weston?” Jennings asked immediately.
Marianne turned to gawk at him.
“Why did you ask that?”
Jennings shrugged. “Surely it hasn’t escaped your notice, Mari, that Weston’s falling for Anne would be very convenient.”
Marianne’s hand came to her mouth. This was so unlike her spouse that she wanted to laugh, but she could see that he was sincere.
Jennings glanced over and caught her look, causing a smile to tug at the corners of his handsome mouth.
“You’re on the verge of laughter.”
“It’s out of shock, I assure you.”
Jennings didn’t comment; he only smiled and captured his wife’s hand in his larger one and held it in his lap.
Marianne did nothing to disturb the silence for the remainder of the trip, but she was still in shock when she arrived at Tipton. She was mulling on the exchange, or rather trying to, when her sister-in-law approached.
“Palmer thinks we should invite Mr Weston to Anne’s party. What do you think?”
Marianne’s mouth swung open.
“Jennings said the same thing.”
The women stared at each other, unsure of what to do.
“I think this might be something that Judith and Pastor need to decide,” Marianne said at
“Miss Gardiner has no siblings, no other family?” Weston asked before he remembered that Pastor had told him this.
“No. Her mother died when she was 14—a gentle and lovely woman. She’s the reason Anne is such a lady.”
“She is that,” Weston said quietly, his eyes on the meat he was cutting.
Lydia couldn’t help but notice the comment. She looked at her guest and then glanced at her husband. Their eyes met for just a moment, but much was communicated.
“He smiled!” Lizzy Palmer said with excitement.
“I saw that,” Anne said, eyes on the baby in her arms.
“I’ve got to tell Mama that Oliver smiled!”
Lizzy darted off, but Emma stayed close, leaning against Anne to have a look at her brother.
“Is he a good baby?” Anne asked Emma.
“Yes. He doesn’t cry very much at all. We hope that Marianne has a boy too, so they can play together.”
“That would be fun, but don’t forget that you’re a girl and you like to play with your brothers.”
“Not as much as I do with Penny and Lizzy.” Emma’s reply was a fervent one and her eyes had grown large.
Anne smiled at her, and after Emma smiled back, she transferred her gaze back to the baby.
“He’s so sweet,” the eight-year-old said in a sweet voice of her own.
“Yes, he is,” Anne agreed, glancing over at Emma. “Isn’t it fun when babies finally arrive and you can meet them?”
“Yes, and Mama’s not so tired now.”
“I can see that,” Anne said after she looked over at the group of women visiting in the center aisle of the church, completely unaware that she was the topic of conversation.
“Anne’s birthday is next week,” Judith told Marianne and Lydia.
“Which day?” Marianne asked.
“Sunday.”
“Let’s have a party,” Lydia suggested.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“We can have it at the manse. Whom should we invite?”
The women grew a bit quiet. Lydia peeked around her sister-in-law to see the back of Anne’s head as she bent over to see the baby, and she was struck with one thought: vulnerable .
“Let’s keep it small.”
“I think that’s a good idea. How about our three families and the two new families—so we can get to know them?”
“The Allens and the Shepherds?”
“Yes.”
“Good idea.”
The matter settled, the women separated and went on their way. Marianne found Jennings outside talking with several other men. Palmer invited them to lunch and even offered to take their brood in the carriage. Because they were alone, Marianne told her husband of the birthday plans as soon as they were underway.
“Are we inviting Weston?” Jennings asked immediately.
Marianne turned to gawk at him.
“Why did you ask that?”
Jennings shrugged. “Surely it hasn’t escaped your notice, Mari, that Weston’s falling for Anne would be very convenient.”
Marianne’s hand came to her mouth. This was so unlike her spouse that she wanted to laugh, but she could see that he was sincere.
Jennings glanced over and caught her look, causing a smile to tug at the corners of his handsome mouth.
“You’re on the verge of laughter.”
“It’s out of shock, I assure you.”
Jennings didn’t comment; he only smiled and captured his wife’s hand in his larger one and held it in his lap.
Marianne did nothing to disturb the silence for the remainder of the trip, but she was still in shock when she arrived at Tipton. She was mulling on the exchange, or rather trying to, when her sister-in-law approached.
“Palmer thinks we should invite Mr Weston to Anne’s party. What do you think?”
Marianne’s mouth swung open.
“Jennings said the same thing.”
The women stared at each other, unsure of what to do.
“I think this might be something that Judith and Pastor need to decide,” Marianne said at
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