“Only enough to be so terribly endearing. You could get away with asking for anything with them,” Evelina cooed at her, pinching her crimson cheeks, laughing as the little girl blushed even more.
“All right, girls, I think that’s enough for now, we can chat more and get to know each other better during dinner-”
“Wait,” Penelope suddenly stepped forward, cutting Evelina off as she took Eliza’s hands in hers. “This is for you. I made it.”
Evelina watched as Eliza peered closely at the item Penelope carefully placed in her hand. “It’s a bracelet, a token, welcoming you into the family,” Penelope grinned widely, “All us girls have one of our own.”
“Really?” Eliza’s eyes widened as she looked up in pleasant surprise.
“Of course! Here, let me help you put it on.”
Smiles were exchanged around the room as the bracelet easily slid unto Eliza’s wrist and Penelope compared the one she had on to it. The little girls stared at their matching jewelry in contentment, their giggles mixing in the air.
“Oh, thank you! I have never received such a special gift before. It’s beautiful, I wish to never take it off!”
The sound of familiar barking filled the air suddenly, accompanied by a soft patter of tiny, quick feet across the floor. While her sisters’ gasps and coos echoed the room, Evelina’s eyes sparkled with delight as the small puppy rushed in her direction.
“Oh, Whiskers, how I have missed you as well! What are you up to these days, come here!” She laughed joyously as she bent to affectionately greet the small animal.
Eliza giggled, her face glowing with happiness. “I told him you’d be coming today, he remembered!”
“Is that so?” Evelina laughed and patted the puppy once more, “Well done, Whiskers. You’re a very good boy.”
“You have a puppy, Eliza?”
“Oh my goodness, he is so adorable!”
The girls gathered around Whiskers, who seemed excited to meet new faces showering him with attention. He barked, and wagged his tail excitedly, jumping and running towards all the hands stretched in his direction.
“Oh look how fast he is, he’s such a little beauty!’
Louisa chimed in with a laugh, “He seems like a little mischief-maker, though, still, he’s adorable all the same.”
“Oh, he is quite mischievous indeed,” Eliza giggled, rubbing his fur affectionately along with the girls. “He has done quite a bit to make father threaten to put him out! Thankfully, he also seems to learn fast.”
Evelina lifted a brow in the direction of the duke, “Threaten to put him out? I thought we’d had an arrangement, Your Grace?”
Her playful pout resulted a chuckle from him. “If only you’d been here to witness the showdown. We shall simply have to go over the terms of the agreement on a later date.”
Evelina nodded with a smile, her eyes returning to the girls, still crouched over, caught up in the infectious joy of the moment, continuously showering Whiskers with affection, petting him and playing with him as he wagged his tail happily.
“He’s such a charmer, Eliza! You’re lucky to have such a lovable companion,” Penelope remarked, her smile warm and genuine.
“You can come over and play with him whenever you’d like,” Eliza gave a shy smile in response. “He seems to love everyone already. He can become the family puppy.”
“Really? Hurray! Oh, thank you! I love puppies!”
As the girls shared jokes and anecdotes about Whiskers’ antics, Eliza seemed completely at ease.
Evelina’s eyes shifted to Gabriel’s at the sight, a silent exchange of happiness passing between them as he nodded, his eyes reflecting the same sentiment.
From the corner of her eye, she then saw her father’s face squeezed in slight discomfort. He’d been standing silently the entire time, an awkward expression on his face.
Ever astute, Gabriel’s gaze followed hers, then his voice then cut through the merriment, a smile lifting his handsome face.
“All right, everyone. Let us adjourn to the dining room. It is time to feast.”
“Quickly now, my love, before they hear us.”
