Chapter Nine
Jansen placed the long, narrow, blue velvet box in the center of his desk.
He was almost afraid to open it, leery that the jeweler, Master Eibertson, had not gotten it right.
This gift had to be perfect, because his Joy was perfection incarnate.
A silent laugh huffed free of him. Well…
at least in his opinion, she was perfection incarnate. Her brother and sisters might disagree.
Aurelia exploded into his office without knocking. “Is it here? Did he really finish it so quickly?”
“Yes and yes, dear sister. Come. Let’s have a look at it, shall we?”
She hurried around his desk and hopped with excitement beside his chair, clapping her hands as if what the box held was intended for her. “Well, open it, then. Hurry.”
He slowly opened the box and gave a sigh of relief. “It is exactly as I intended. What do you think, Aurelia? Will she adore it as much as I adore her?”
“Oh my, it is lovely.” Aurelia clasped her hands to her chest and leaned over it closer. With a teasing glint in her eye, she shook her head. “But there is no possible way she can adore it as much as you adore her, because your adoration of Lady Joy Abarough is beyond compare.”
Lifting the box and moving it so the contents caught the light, he ran his thumb along the softness of its velvety exterior.
“I cannot wait to give it to her. As soon as Copper brings the carriage ’round, I am off.
Would you care to come along as chaperone?
It is a lovely day, and I’d thought to take her back to the Serpentine, to our shady oak and the swans. ”
“I would be honored.”
“Perfect.” Jansen snapped the box shut and slid it into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Shall we be on our way, then? I’ll wait for you at the door while you fetch your parasol and bonnet.”
“Lovely.” Aurelia skipped down the hallway in the opposite direction as Jansen went to the door and donned the hat and gloves Severns had waiting for him.
“The carriage is here, sir,” the butler announced as he turned from the long, narrow window beside the door.
“So it is.” Jansen turned and looked up the stairway, his excitement and anticipation building. “Aurelia!”
“Coming!” True to her word, she appeared at the top of the stairs and skimmed down them, her feet flying. “I am so excited. I cannot wait until she sees it.”
As Severns opened the front door, Jansen offered his arm and escorted her to the awaiting carriage. “Now, you know I shall wish you to meander off a bit for when I give it to her? I fear you won’t see her initial reaction.”
“That is all well and good. I shall easily be able to tell how much she loves it when she shows it to me upon my return to the carriage.”
“You are the best sister a brother could ask for.”
“I believe I have told you that for years. Have you not been listening?”
Laughing and in even higher spirits by the time they reached Broadmere House, they struggled to assume a modicum of decorum before knocking on the door.
“We must be serious now,” he said. “I don’t wish her to suspect anything.”
“Absolutely.” Aurelia quieted well enough, but her eyes still danced with glee.
Walters answered the door but didn’t say a word, simply swung it open wide and waved them inside, leading them to the main parlor.
Jansen found that somewhat disconcerting.
What if the man did that with someone who might be a danger to the family?
He made a mental note to ask at his first opportunity.
Felicity, Merry, and Serendipity joined them first, not seeming the least bit surprised at their presence, so the old butler must have simply recognized him and Aurelia. That made Jansen feel somewhat better, so much so that he decided not to mention their odd admittance for now.
Then his precious Joy entered the room, brightening it even more. He went to her and bowed before taking her hand. “My lovely angel.”
“What have I told you about teetering pedestals, sir? I am simply me—not an angel.” But she lit up even more at the compliment. “And what adventures are you and Aurelia up to today?”
“A ride in the park to check on our swans on the Serpentine,” he said, “and we thought you might enjoy coming along.”
“I would love to,” she said without hesitation.
“Parasol and gloves,” Serendipity said while Merry and Felicity groaned and rolled their eyes.
“Must you always kill the joy in everything?” Merry asked Serendipity.
“She would’ve gotten those things without your nagging,” Felicity added.
“We mustn’t side against Seri, sisters. She’ll begin to think we despise her.” Joy went to the bellpull.
“Sometimes we do.” Merry clapped a hand over her mouth, then scurried from the room with Felicity in hot pursuit.
Serendipity glared at the door, then gave Jansen a forced smile. “Excuse me. I need to have a word with my sisters.” With an unmistakable huff, she disappeared after them.
“Oh dear,” Jansen said, hoping such a development wasn’t a bad omen.
“Don’t worry,” Joy told him, “Seri will reign supreme. Merry and Felicity are too young to know how to handle her—yet.” When Walters appeared at the doorway, she added, “Please have Flora bring down my parasol, gloves, and hat. Thank you, Walters.”
He turned without a word and ambled off.
“I don’t believe the man has said a word since we arrived,” Jansen couldn’t help but comment. The butler was a man of few words, but he had always spoken the required niceties.
“He is angry,” Joy said. “We banded together and informed him of the butler in training we had hired. The man reports here the end of next week, and Walters considers it the gravest insult to his abilities, even though we assured him it was no such thing.”
“Ahh…injured pride?”
“Most definitely.” She accepted her things from a maid and donned them. “We have insulted him irreparably and can’t think of a way to convince him it is for his own good.” With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. “’Tis a sad time for poor Walters—and for us. He has always been our butler.”
“It is a hard thing to accept one’s limits.” Jansen knew that from personal experience, and he was still wrestling with those lessons. He offered his lady love his arm. “But today is too bright and fine for such dark thoughts.”
“Indeed.”
Once they were all comfortably seated in his barouche, he instructed Copper to head for the park, before nodding at Joy. “Parasol, my lady. If I bring you home with a red face or freckles, your sister will surely have my hide.”
“Seri can go to the devil. I love the warmth of the sun on my face.” She tugged the brim of her bonnet forward. “I am currently shaded enough. Should the angle of the sun become a problem, then I will deploy my parasol.”
“As you wish—besides, Copper will soon have us ’neath our friendly oak from the other day.”
“There, you see? Plenty of shade and no parasol needed. I don’t wish to frighten away the swans by waving that frilly thing about.”
Soon they were once again parked beneath the sprawling oak beside the Serpentine. Jansen nodded at Aurelia and mouthed, Take Copper with you.
His sister rolled her eyes. “Copper—could you come along while I go for a short stroll?” she asked as she rose to disembark. “I saw the largest eel last time, and it frightened me terribly. It was so huge, I believe it could rise up out of the water like a sea monster.”
“Absolutely, Miss Aurelia,” the driver said. “I’ll protect you from some old eel. Never you worry.”
As they strolled away, Joy turned to Jansen, giving him such a side-eyed glare, he had to hold his breath to keep from laughing.
“A sea monster eel?” she said, “Seriously?”
Jansen shrugged. “You know Aurie. She can overdress it a bit at times.”
Joy caught her bottom lip between her teeth and appeared worried. After a long moment of watching Aurelia and Copper walk along the banks of the lake, she hesitantly asked, “Why would she do that? Is something wrong? Are you angry with me about something?”
Alarm shot through him. “No, my angel. Nothing is wrong. She knew I simply wanted some privacy to give you this.” He pulled the velvet box from his pocket and placed it in her hands.
Her perfectly kissable lips barely parted, making him hungrily wet his own.
“I hope you like it,” he said quietly. “I had it made especially for you.”
She carefully opened the box and gasped. “Oh my heavens—how…how…exquisite.” Ever so carefully, she drew the silver bracelet out of the box and examined the silver and gold symbols that Master Eibertson had so expertly crafted at Jansen’s request. “How in the world…”
“I told Master Eibertson what I wanted.” Jansen touched the gold heart locket dangling from the silver chain.
“To symbolize the purity of our love.” Then he touched the next amulet attached to the delicate bracelet.
“A gold anchor for our eternal bond and a silver dove for the peace that shall always be between us. The silver book is for your Reader’s Dare Club, and that fine golden tiger with the ruby eyes symbolizes your ladies’ gambling hell.
Silver angel wings because you are ever my angel, and last but not least, the golden playing card, the queen of hearts with hearts of rubies, because that is who you are to me, my love: the queen of my heart. ”
Tears streamed down her face. Happy tears, he prayed.
She offered him her wrist. “Put it on me, please. I shall wear it always.”
“You like it, then?”
“Oh dear heavens, I absolutely adore it.” As soon as he secured it around her wrist, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Jansen, you are too wonderful for words.”
Cradling her close, he closed his eyes and breathed easily for the first time since the jeweler had delivered the bracelet. “No, my love. I am not wonderful—I am thankful beyond words.”
She kissed his neck, sending a surge of stronger yearning through him. “I love it, and I love you.”
“I hope this somewhat atones for my failing you.”