“Do you think I’m blind, Emily?” Arthur asked. “One would have to walk around like this to think there was no bond between the two of you.” He turned round and closed his eyes, walking back toward the house with his hands outstretched in front of him and pulling laughter from them both.
“Do me a favor and trip up on that step in front of you.” Emily called after him.
“What step?” he asked, then promptly tripped on the very step she had mentioned thanks to his closed eyes.
“That one,” Emily said, pulling a full laugh from Lord Tattershall in front of her.
“Now, come on you two.” Arthur beckoned the two of them forward. “Or would you like me to be the one to tell our parents? Mother, father, guess what!” He turned to step inside, calling to them.
“Arthur!” Emily called after him, ready to reprimand him, but Lord Tattershall pulled her back first. “Ooh!” she exclaimed in surprise as she fell toward him, reaching out with one hand and finding it planting itself in the center of his chest to keep herself standing.
“One more moment alone,” he whispered, lifting her hand another time, and kissing the back. Emily could not stop the giggle that had escaped her.
“It seems to be your new favorite thing,” she teased him, earning another smile from him.
“That is because it is.”
“Lord Tattershall!” Archibald’s call from inside the house made them both freeze and widen their eyes. “It sounds like you have something you wish to speak to me about.”
“Well, it seems we can’t avoid this anymore.” Lord Tattershall took Emily’s hand, lacing their fingers together and led her back toward the house. As they moved, Emily could not take the smile off her face. It did not seem to matter that her cheeks were aching, the smile would not stop.
As they stepped inside, Charity, Grace and Julia were all sat at the table, whispering excitedly together. Arthur was restless, appearing like he was barely able to contain his laughter and Archibald was waiting for the two of them, with folded arms and a feeble attempt at trying to maintain a stern expression.
“Papa, please –” Emily began, but her father quickly cut her off.
“It is about time,” he said with a sigh and gestured to their clasped hands. “All right, who had a bet on the Brighton trip?”
“I did!” Julia declared holding up a hand.
“No, you did not,” Arthur said, turning round with an accusing glare at his wife. “That was my bet.”
“No, Arthur. You said it would be Christmas.”
“Did I really make such a long bet?”
“Yes!”
“Wait,” Emily called louder than the two of them, looking between them all, agog with surprise. “You have been placing wagers on the two of us?”
“We have.” Archibald declared first, smiling greatly. “If you’d held out for one more week, my Lord,” he said, addressing Lord Tattershall, “I would have won.”
“Ha!” Lord Tattershall laughed so loud that Emily forgot all her objections to her family placing wagers on the two of them. She was too busy looking at him, thinking how different he was to the first night they had met, where he had worn that sadness upon him. Now, he was truly happy. In a way that he should have always been.
“Right, do we have an official courtship then?” Charity asked. “If so, Archie, dear, perhaps we should ask Mrs. Hall to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate?”
“Mama, we haven’t actually said –” Emily tried to slow things down, waving a hand in front of her, but Lord Tattershall beat her to it.
“If Lady Emily says yes, then yes, we do.” He turned to her with a smile, waiting for her answer. Silence descended everywhere as heads swiveled toward her.
How is this possible?
Emily’s thoughts could barely arrange themselves. How could she have gone from fearing a letter that was telling her to stay away from Lord Tattershall to this very moment where he wished to court her, declaring that he was falling in love with her.
“Yes,” she said, realizing how breathy her voice was as she gazed up at him with her answer.
“Champagne it is then!” Archibald declared warmly, walking away again. As the others talked excitedly, each one claiming in turn that they knew there would be a courtship soon enough, Emily turned her thoughts on Lord Tattershall.
“I hope you realize what family you are connecting yourself with,” she said with a giggle. “They have been placing wagers on us!”
