"I would have given him a good piece of my mind if I had been in your place."
"I did and now I’m ready to move past it," she told her friends. "If he doesn’t want to be in my life then so be it."
"Alice…"
"Lavinia, please leave her be," Emma interjected. "Let’s not open up old wounds."
The stubborn girl sighed and lay back on their blanket, muttering under her breath. She shared a look with Emma before they launched themselves at her, tickling her till she laughed.
"All right. I surrender." She laughed, pushing at their hands.
"You’re much too stubborn," Alice laughed. "I really hope you marry a man much nicer than my husband."
"Please not you too," she groaned. "I am already weary of all this talk of marriage. My parents have talked my ears to near deafness at this point as if I were actively trying not to be married. It’s a wonder how I haven’t run away to come live with you yet. Even Jeremy has started asking questions. Isn’t that marvelous?"
"Jeremy asked about marriage?" she asked incredulously. "My! That is indeed marvelous."
Jeremy was Lavinia’s elder brother and a renowned rake who often expressed his opposition to the institution whenever he had the chance.
For him to inquire…
"I am sorry, Lavinia," she sighed. "It will come in time."
"That’s what I keep telling them." She frowned. "It’s not like there’s even a good batch to pick from. All that’s left are rakes and widowers old enough to be my father. I am truly not that desperate."
They laughed at that and soon settled back on their blanket.
"Emma, you’re oddly quiet," Lavinia noted.
The girl sighed and patted her cheeks.
"I cannot help but worry about my sisters."
"Cecilia and Dorothy? Has there been any trouble?"
"Hasn’t there always been?" she complained. "I ignored their willfulness as perhaps the rebellion that came with age but now they’re old enough to know better and they’re out right refusing instruction. They’re only three years away from their debut and still have so much to learn. Father cannot afford them both education at finishing school and has tasked me with it. When would I have the time then to find a spouse?"
Her eyes widened in surprise at her complaint, and she found her expression mirrored in Lavinia’s face.
"Why have you never said anything?"
"I didn’t want to bother you two considering we were in almost the exact same situations."
They lay back, the silence heavy between them as they pondered on their lives and the way forward for all of them until Roberts arrived to inform them that their carriage was set to return them.
"I will miss you both dearly," Alice hugged them.
"We will miss you too." They hugged her back just as fiercely.
"We will try to visit as often as we can but with the season still in full swing…"
"I understand." She smiled, trying not to feel downtrodden. "Perhaps I will attend a few events myself."
They brightened and hugged her again.
"That will be marvelous."
"You truly must leave now or you will be late."
