“How could I refuse?” Lord Tattershall’s answer made them all smile. All except Emily. She found herself looking up to him, baffled by his answer.
Why is he so happy to always be with us?
As Arthur and Julia descended into their own conversation, Emily turned to Lord Tattershall, lowering her voice so only he could hear.
“I apologize. My family can be a little over the top at times, and they like you. Can you tell?” she teased, making him laugh.
“I had a few hints.”
“I think even if I was blind, I would be able to see it.” She made an appearance of closing her eyes tightly and feeling around for her teacup, making him laugh even more.
“Do not apologize for them. You might be surprised by it, but I am quite taken with your family.” He leaned back in his chair, gesturing to the family with his teacup.
“You are?” she asked, turning in her seat to face him. He angled her body toward her, placing a hand on the back of her chair as if to speak to her more privately. Emily leaned toward him, loving how close his hand had come to her.
Stop thinking such things you fool!
For the last two days, she had been avidly reading her latest book whenever she could, and now she found she could not picture the hero in anyway other than him being exactly like Lord Tattershall. The problem was whenever she tried to picture herself in the heroine’s role, it did not last long. She felt out of place within that book.
“As you and I are fond of sharing secrets, Lady Emily, let me tell you another.” He beckoned her toward him with a crook of his hand. Emily did as he asked, leaning even more toward him. She was so close that she could mark the individual curls of his dark hair at his temple. She had to dart her gaze down to his eyes, trying to stop herself from admiring him. “They are everything I wish my family could be.”
“Really?” she asked, her focus now abruptly on his conversation. “I know it is not what you can have with your brother, but not even your parents?”
“My mother is just about the sweetest soul you will ever meet. Though I would say your mother would give her a run for her money.” He gestured across the garden to where Charity and the Duchess of Parson were talking, their heads bent together like old friends. “My father is somewhat distant though. At the moment, the animosity between my brother and I, prevents any chance of my mother smiling. That is one of the things that hurts the most. Not seeing her smile.”
“Then you should bring her here more.”
“What do you mean?” Lord Tattershall asked.
“Take another look.” Emily pointed back to his mother, urging him to turn round and see she was smiling in Charity’s company.
“I am beginning to think your family is like a panacea for mine. The company of all of you seems to be fixing not only my woes, but my mother’s too.” He shook his head in bemusement.
“We are fixing your woes?” Emily laughed at the idea. “That is not possible, surely?”
“You would be surprised how much my outlook has changed on meeting you. I mean…meeting you all.”
Emily heard the slip, but she thought nothing of it. Lord Tattershall spoke so quickly to correct himself that it was clear he truly did mean the whole family.
“I was wondering if I could ask you something, Lady Emily.” He shifted in his seat, suddenly appearing awkward.
“Have you sat on a pinecone?”
“Pardon?” he asked, looking toward her.
“It is the only reason I can think of as to why you would suddenly be so uncomfortable in your chair.” Her jest brought a smile from him as he made an appearance of trying to sit perfectly still.
“That better?”
“Much. Go on, what were you going to say.”
“A few months ago, I purchased some tickets for the theatre.” He still spoke awkwardly. It was the only time he had been nervous in conversation with her, making her brows furrow together. “It is a performance ofMidsummer Night’s Dream.I purchased the tickets for myself and another.”
“Should I avoid asking who?” Emily asked mischievously, earning a fake glare from Lord Tattershall.
“You should.” Emily tried her best not to flick her eyes in Miss Drew’s direction, but she failed.
“Evidently, it is not something the two of us can attend together now, and I thought maybe I should not go at all, but the tickets are there to be used, and after what you said the other day on Shakespeare, I am sure you would enjoy it.”
