Eliza laughed. “You’ve only two children, Pappa, and we are both here.”
“I have more than two. I’ve at least four of you from long ago, and now with the princes, I have two more. Not to mention my grandchildren.”
“Grandchild,” Hollis said.
“For now. I should like your attention, be you a relative by blood or by heart. I have an announcement to make.”
Everyone turned toward the head of the table.
“I have accepted a bench in Sussex. Ben has found us a lovely manor home and we will be making the move early in the year.”
“What? So soon?” Hollis asked.
“But...what of this house, Pappa?” Eliza asked.
“I’ll leave it to my daughters to decide,” he said. “And, yes, Hollis, darling, so soon.”
“I’ll look after the house for you if you like, Your Honor,” Donovan said. “Ruth will help me, won’t you, Ruth?”
“Of course,” Ruth agreed.
“Thank you,” the judge said.
“Cheers, Your Honor,” Donovan said, lifting his wineglass. “I’ll make it a point to visit you often in the country.”
“See that you do, Donovan. And bring my daughter.”
As everyone congratulated the judge, Hollis could see that everyone but her had come to terms with it. Her father deserved the peace of the countryside. But she felt so alone.
Lord Kendal brought up the peace accord. “Quite a new beginning for your country.”
Sebastian sighed. “It may be more symbolic than practical in due course. We learned this morning that Weslorian forces have seized the coal mines in the Astasian region.”
“What’s that? After the peace accord has been signed?” the judge asked.
“Unfortunately, peace was not as close as we’d hoped,” Sebastian said.
Everyone was solemn for a moment. Cecelia broke the tension by looking at her grandfather and babbling at him.
It was nearly seven o’clock in the evening. Most of them had finished their meals and had pushed aside their plates. Margaret had brought in a bowl of plum pudding that was so large Leopold said he might swim in it. They’d all had a fair amount of wine and nog, and the talk had turned to their childhoods, with Beck relating some unbelievable tale about Eliza and Caroline crawling up to the roof at Bibury with sheets tied as capes, prepared to fly.
“We didn’t mean tofly, Beck,” Caroline said.
“We were cold!” Eliza said, laughing.
“How lovely. It’s obvious your brother cares very much for you,” Lady Blythe said.
“See?” Beck said to his sister. “Even Lady Blythe can see what I do for all of you.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Then allow me to—”
They all heard the knock at the door at the same time. Jack and John launched into the hall and scrambled for the door. Caroline pinned Hollis with a look, and with her head, indicated she should go.
Hollis could only hope it was Marek. If it wasn’t, she might expire with disappointment then and there. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing away from the table so quickly that she very nearly tipped her chair over.
“Sit, Hollis. Let Ben—”
“She’s closer, Pappa,” Eliza said, and gestured for Hollis to hurry.
