“You are anything but,” her sister declared loyally. “Although, it was still rather ungenerous of you to leave me behind while you caught a whiff of fresh air.”
“If it is fresh air you seek, why, you merely have to open your window.”
“Claire! That is not what I meant!”
Claire laughed at her younger sister’s indignant look. “All right. The next time, I shall inform His Grace that your presence is absolutely necessary.”
“Oh, you better!” her younger sister huffed. Then, she peered at Claire. “It is good to see you smiling again. I feared that you would waste away and I would eventually have to be launched after a couple of years with both your dowryandmine.”
“Oh you!” Claire laughed, swatting the younger girl lightly. “You need to watch your words or you will never be able to marry when you come of age!”
“See! That is what I meant! You’re even laughing!” Trixie pointed out. She leaned towards Claire and hugged her sister in the middle. “Promise me you won’t act so again, Claire? I could not bear to lose you as well.”
“I promise.”
They sat there together by the window sill in silence, watching as the carriages rolled past them, pulled by horses. There were also errand boys scuttling about as their masters sent them on various tasks.
“It seems that His Grace cares about you a great deal,” Trixie murmured, laying her dark head on her sister’s shoulder. “So much so that he would venture out of the confines of his study just to take you out for a jaunt in the city.”
Claire paused in the act of running her fingers through the dark curls. “I am fairly certain that he does care for us a great deal. He is the kindest soul in the entire universe.”
“Well, he did not give me those little cakes you loved so much,” her younger sister pointed out. “I did mention to him more than once that I would dearly love a bonbon, especially the one you bought for me the last time you and Lady Suzanna went out.”
Claire shook her head at her sister’s words. The bonbons in question had been a box of sugar drops scented with violet and orange blossom that she had purchased at one of the best confectionery shops in London. They were a little expensive and Claire feared that Trixie, who was not exactly known for her self-control, would end up with an excruciating toothache if she bought too many of them or too often.
Claire, herself, preferred the chilled custards that the same shop touted—the very same custards that Oliver had brought home a few days ago when Claire had refused to eat several meals, citing a lack of appetite.
“Well, he was just being kind,” she stammered. “And you—well, you were not exactly languishing in hunger from a lack of appetite, which was probably why His Grace did not see the need to bribe you with sweets.”
“That does make sense,” Trixie muttered, although she did not appear to believe much of what her older sister said. “In any case, you have already given me your word that you will take greater care of yourself so you cannot refuse to eat your meals again.”
“I promise,” Claire said, her eyes glittering.
Admittedly, she had avoided Trixie earlier for fear that her melancholy would affect her sister. Now, she believed that she was utterly wrong, for her younger sister’s light was infectious and she had the uncanny ability to cheer anyone up with just her positive energy.
It was simply how Trixie was. She might not be the most proper young lady but she possessed the biggest heart that Claire had ever seen and she never could stand to see anybody miserable.
“You won’t leave me, Claire?”
“I most certainly will not.” She hugged her sister tighter. “It is just the two of us now. We will have to lean on each other more.”
Her sister blinked. “But you will get married, though.”
“Who said I was going to leave you if I got married?” Claire turned to her younger sister with a small smile. “If I did, who will keep you out of trouble until you are well and truly married?”
“Well, I have heard that you are head over heels in love with that Marquess something or other,” Trixie muttered. “I have seen him, though. He does not look much.”
“Where have you seen him? You were not supposed to be sneaking around whenever he came around to call!”
Trixie stomped her foot. “Well,youwould not tell me anything so I had to take matters into my own hands. Besides,” she added with a pout, “I had to know because if you ended up marrying him, I would not want you to be unhappy.”
Claire massaged her temples as a headache threatened to overtake her. It was true that she had been remiss in her duties as older sister to Trixie ever since the events of the Season took over most of her time. She had mostly left the care of Trixie to her governess, Miss Ellis, when she knew full well just how capable her younger sister was at flouting the rules.
If the Marquess had seen the way Trixie was acting, he might not be so keen on marrying into their family!
“I am fairly certain that whoever I marry will not object to you living with us,” Claire assured her.
But is Lord Draydon really going to be amenable to the thought of Trixie living with us if we did get married?
