“On that note, Stephen, ye should look where yer son has gone now.” Gerard’s voice was full of humor as he managed to catch a table Peter had just knocked over with one hand, and Charlotte jumped up to take Benjamin from his other.
“Peter!” Stephen declared, running after his son again who was now trying to find a new game to play.
“He needs to burn off some energy,” Allan declared. “How about we play a game?”
“What game?” Frederica asked. At the words, Arabella had woken up in her lap. The little girl yawned widely then reached toward her mother with little grabbing hands. Dorothy took her gladly, lifting her high and kissing her on the cheek.
“What about blind man’s buff?” Allan suggested.
“Excellent,” Stephen’s voice was somewhat muffled from where he had dived under another settee to drag his son from his hiding place. “That will burn off some of his excess energy. Even if it is just a little.”
Benjamin looked delighted at the idea and was now pleading with Charlotte to put him down, so he could play.
“We can use this.” Allan stood, moving to the side of the room and returning a second later with a white scarf they could use for a blindfold. “Now, who wishes to be blindfolded first?”
“I do!” Peter declared happily, leaping out of his father’s arms.
“Thank God for that,” Stephen said with a heavy sigh. “Though we should lock the doors. If we play this game with them open, Peter will run through them just to escape whoever is blindfolded.”
Frederica giggled along with the others in the room, unable to believe just how happy and at ease she felt in this room. She watched, smiling gladly as they all set up to play their game.
A few months ago, she had been confined to Cornwall out of fear. Had she known such happiness as this was possible, she may have returned to London much sooner.
“Come, Freddie,” Allan said, leaning over the back of the settee and whispering in her ear so no one heard him. She jumped in surprise, turning to face him. “You’ll play, won’t you?”
“Well, if you insist.” She gladly took his offered hand and allowed him to steer her to the middle of the room.
Furniture was pushed out of the way, and Arabella took part in her mother’s arms, perhaps not fully aware of the game they were playing. Charlotte and Gerard each held onto one of Benjamin’s hands to help him stay standing as the game began.
It seemed blindfolding Peter did little to stifle his energy. After spinning him around, so he was completely dizzy, his father steadied him with a hand on his shoulder, then Peter was off, diving at them all. None of them ran very far, making the game easy so that Peter could win.
When he latched onto Frederica’s leg, practically knocking her over, Allan reached out to catch her — his arms flinging around her waist to keep her standing. There was a cacophony of laughter around her as she looked up into Allan’s face.
They were much closer than she had anticipated. Her face heated to what she was certain was beetroot red.
He winked at her, conspiratorially.
“You didn’t think I would let you fall, did you?” he whispered. She felt such a rush of excitement; she couldn’t immediately answer.
“Auntie Frederica’s turn!” Peter declared.
Frederica was so stunned at being called an aunt that the next minute passed by in a blur. Peter offered up the blindfold, and Allan quickly tied it around her head.
“Don’t be afraid, Frederica,” Charlotte called to her as darkness descended.
“Nay reason to be afraid,” Gerard agreed. “We’ll be kind.”
Despite his words, Frederica felt a little fear as hands descended on her shoulders. She was spun around fast.
“Not so fast,” she pleaded in a giggle. The chief sound reaching her ears was Peter’s mad laughter though it seemed to grow more and more distant.
There was the sound of a door opening though she couldn’t be certain as she was turned back around again.
“Time to play,” Allan whispered in Frederica’s ear.
There was an excited lurch in her stomach at his proximity, a thrill she couldn’t tamp down, no matter how hard she tried. When his hands released her shoulders and he stepped away, her dizziness meaning she had no idea where he had gone, she felt those nerves return.
She reached out in the darkness, hearing a little giggle which clearly meant she had nearly caught Benjamin at one point before he managed to hide. There was Gerard’s heavy breathing too then Arabella’s light giggle then everything fell quiet.
