Chapter Nine #2
She immediately pulled away, making him wish he hadn’t said that.
“You did not fail me.” She patted his chest and straightened the folds of his cravat that she had crushed.
“You are a very nice, large, handsome man. No one could expect you to catch a slippery street urchin who possessed the speed and cunning of a rat. Only one of Gracie’s hounds could’ve hoped to catch that little… that little…”
Jansen grinned. “That little what?”
“My manners and my mama watching from heaven forbid me from saying what I wish to say. I believe you understand, though. Do you not?”
“Fully, and I quite agree.” He noticed Copper and Aurelia were heading back.
That meant that one of Society’s loose tongues was probably headed their way also.
That, and the fact that Aurelia was anxious to know Joy’s reaction to the special gift.
“But I am glad you love our engagement bracelet. I wanted something unique.”
She smiled down at it, turning it on her wrist and touching each of the charms. “I cherish it more than you will ever know, and as I said, I shall wear it always. Seri and the girls will adore it as much as I.” She looked into his eyes and grinned.
“I’m sure they’ll also be jealous, and that is never a bad thing. ”
He lifted both hands in surrender. “Far be it from me to start a war among the Abarough sisters.”
“A friendly war,” she said while shaking her arm and making the bracelet dance and rattle with the softly tinkling sound of the precious metals.
“Do you love it?” Aurelia asked as she climbed into the barouche and joined them.
“Beyond words,” Joy said. “Your brother has made me feel so special and so loved.”
“You are, my darling,” Jansen said. “I swear to you that you are.”
*
“Now, you have to set a wedding date.” Envy and excitement filled Merry’s voice as she gently turned Joy’s wrist to make the bracelet sparkle in the sunlight streaming in the parlor window. “What a lovely gift. And so very thoughtful. It is you, Joy. It is absolutely you.”
“Thank you, dearest. I must admit, I feel ever so fortunate.” Joy ignored the comment about choosing a date. She wasn’t quite ready for that just yet.
“Then why wait to have the banns read?” Felicity asked. “And I can start planning your wedding breakfast. What shall we have? Hmm?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?” Serendipity asked as she smiled down at the bracelet. “Chance gave you his blessing. Grudgingly. But he gave it after speaking to Mr. Sutherland the elder.”
“Why was he speaking about me to our solicitor?” Joy asked.
Serendipity rolled her eyes. “Some nonsense about checking the will for terms regarding marriage to commoners.” She threw up her hands to stave off any outbursts. “But pay him no mind. Mr. Sutherland set him straight. All that matters is true love—not status.”
Indignance rising, Joy was ready to storm out of the room, find her brother, and pummel him. “Chance can go to the devil! He is such an arse.”
“Joy.” Serendipity gave her the same long-suffering look Mama had always used whenever one of them resorted to language considered inappropriate for young ladies.
“You know I am right.”
“I know.” Serendipity deflated with another sorely put-upon sigh. “I just wish you were more appropriately eloquent about it.” She clapped her hands. “Now—about that wedding date.”
“Not until he has met Fortuity, Blessing, and Grace.”
“You truly expect me to believe that if one or all of them do not approve of him, then you will set him aside and break off the engagement?” Serendipity arched a brow.
“Well…”
“Joy—be honest.”
“Do not use that tone with me.” Joy pressed her hands to her middle.
Every time she heard the word wedding, thousands of tiny, winged creatures fluttered so wildly through her innards that she almost cast up her accounts.
What was wrong with her? Surely that wasn’t normal.
“I simply cannot manage it just yet. I am so…so…”
“You are afraid,” Serendipity said, her voice filled with amazement. “Why?”
“Why? Are you so thickheaded that you cannot comprehend why? I know nothing about running a household or a husband. All I know is gaming.”
“You will learn, and it’s not as if you won’t have a housekeeper to help you.” Serendipity hugged her. Merry and Felicity joined in.
“We will help too,” Felicity said. “I can teach you all about meal planning and budgeting the pantry properly with your cook.”
“And when the babies come, you know I am happy to help,” Merry said. “Why, I would even move in for a while until you found a proper nurse and nanny.”
“And my help is always there for you,” Serendipity said. “I know we fuss and fight, but we Abarough sisters always lift each other up. No matter the circumstances. You know that, dear sister.”
“I know.” Joy pulled in a deep, shuddering breath, then blew it out. Confessions were always so hard. “I’m just afraid. I truly am. Afraid of being an adult. A wife. A mother. Instead of a carefree daughter and sister.”
“Remember what Mama always said?” Serendipity gave her another gentle hug.
“Everything changes. Nothing in this world remains the same except for love, and even that can change…hopefully for the better. It deepens. Becomes richer. Grows even stronger. Is that the sort of love you see between yourself and Jansen? If it is, then you must be brave and embrace that love and the change that comes along with it. Change isn’t always a bad thing, you know. Sometimes, it’s just…different.”
“I still do not want to set a date until Fortuity, Blessing, and Grace have met him. I just don’t feel it would be right.
” Not only that, but it would buy her some time to come to terms with all these changes her sisters spoke of so casually, but in her mind were absolutely catastrophic.
“And there is the matter of the blackmailer yet to settle. How can I set a date with that misbegotten fool still on the loose? Who knows what mischief they would attempt to stir if they heard about my wedding?”
“I think it’s time to tell Chance and call in the Bow Street Runners,” Merry said. “You said you’ve suspended the club meetings ever since the blackmail started, haven’t you?”
“Yes, the club is suspended, but we operated for quite a while. And you know Chance will have nine kinds of fits when he hears about it. I truly don’t wish to deal with him right now.”
“Well…nine kinds of fits or not,” Serendipity said, “the Bow Street Runners would make short work of this foolishness.”
“What do you prefer on your buffet for your wedding breakfast?” Felicity asked from the desk in the corner. She sat with her quill poised above a fresh sheet of paper.
“I cannot begin to think of food right now.” Joy hugged her middle even tighter. “Too many winged demons have me churning.”
Merry went to the bellpull. “I’ll ask Mrs. Flackney for something to calm you. She makes the best digestives, and you’ll feel so much better.”
“Less talk about a wedding would make me feel better,” Joy retorted.
“Of course, there must be chocolates at one end of the table and an absolutely gorgeous wedding cake for the center,” Felicity said. “That goes without saying.”
“Did you hear me, Feli? I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Hot rolls, buttered toast, tongue, ham and eggs. Maybe even kippers,” Felicity continued as if Joy hadn’t said a word.
“And I have the very best recipe for fruit jams. They would go so well with a larger variety of breads other than the usual rolls and toasts. And honey. There must be honey available, too. How would you feel about including some custard tarts? Those would be loveliness itself.”
Joy almost gagged on the rise of bile burning at the back of her throat. She stamped her foot. “If you continue, I shall cast up my tea and biscuits all over you!”
Felicity stared at her, open mouthed in shock. “Forgive me, Joy. I was only trying to help.”
Lovely. Now Joy felt even worse for hurting dear Felicity’s feelings. “Forgive me, Feli. There is just so much to deal with. Can we leave it for another day? Please?”
“Of course.” Felicity set aside her quill and slid the paper back inside the center drawer of the desk.
Walters appeared in the doorway. He bore a silver tray that held a single envelope—a disturbingly familiar single envelope. When no one addressed him, he cleared his throat but still refused to speak.
“Walters,” Serendipity said, “you are being childish. Now stop it this instant. You know we love and consider you a member of the family. Stop this sullenness at once.”
Stoic as ever, the butler jutted his chin higher, held out the tray, then cut a hard look Joy’s way.
“You are being ridiculous, Walters.” Joy marched over and snatched the note off the tray. “Thank you. That will be all.”
“I shall ask Chance to speak with him,” Serendipity said as the man turned and left. “Again.”
Joy ignored her and tore into the envelope. Her heart fell, and her bile rose, burning the back of her throat even worse.
I am not pleased. How dare you frighten my delivery boy? You will pay. Even more. Just you wait and see.
“Well, isn’t that lovely?” She handed off the note to Serendipity. “Jansen will be enraged.”
“As well he should be,” Serendipity said. “It is time for the Bow Street Runners.”
“Not until I speak with Jansen.” Joy refolded the note and tucked it down inside the front of her dress. It would be safe and secure there until she had a chance to show it to her betrothed. “I owe him that much.”
“Very well, then.” Serendipity nodded at the desk. “You might send him a note to warn him.”
“I will.” Joy touched her beloved bracelet, running her thumb across the smoothness of the golden heart. Jansen would sort this, and then she could get on with convincing herself that change wasn’t such a bad thing after all.