Chapter 13 #2
Standing when her sisters entered the garden, Cordelia rushed into their arms, delighted at their visit.
“I am so glad to see you,” she said with much more relief in her voice than she’d intended.
“So I can see,” Danae teased, inspecting her expression before she found a seat. “We wanted to give you a little time to settle in, with your new handsome husband and all that.” Danae winked.
Emma rolled her eyes and sat down. “We thought it might be too much to host us as well as get your bearings. Please tell us. Are you well?”
Emma looked concerned; Danae looked delighted and hopeful, and Cordelia breathed out a large sigh.
“You were kind to allow me some time. I did need it, for there has been so much to do with the children, and now we’ve lost their nanny, Jenny.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear it!” Emma cried. “What happened?”
Cordelia explained everything, and it felt so good to tell someone, especially since Nicholas had not been around to speak to or to assist.
“And the children? Are they well?”
They all looked to where the children played, Olivia holding the ball and tossing it away again, Tim pulling out flowers, and Olivia reaching to take those out of his hands.
“Olivia! Be kind to your brother!”
Olivia frowned but hurried away towards the ball, and Cordelia felt some satisfaction that she’d been heard.
“I think they are happy enough, although it’s hard to tell sometimes,” Cordelia said with a shrug. “Olivia was crying endlessly for the first few days, but now, she seems to have resigned herself to the new life.”
“And a bit of sunshine doesn’t hurt,” Danae added. “They are adorable children. And the duke? Has he turned into the doting father?”
Cordelia’s back stiffened, and she frowned. “No, even though he could do a decent job of it and yet he simply refuses!” She sighed. “The man is insufferable!”
“Hmm…didn’t you already know that?” Emma asked.
Cordelia stood and began to pace, her blood heating at her frustration with the man.
“I will say that he has kept his promise, and his contribution and sacrifice have now made a huge difference to all our lives. But he could barely wait a week before rushing out of the house to get as far away from us as possible. After we first had a dinner together, just us, I have not seen him since! And he refuses to act as any sort of father to the children, thinking it is better this way.”
“Where is he?” Emma asked.
“I don’t know!” Cordelia flopped down into her chair again.
“Well, I suppose he is at his club, but he is gone full days, so he could be anywhere, anywhere in London! He gallivants about while I struggle to figure out how to find a new nanny and take care of the children. I’ve had to send notes to his club to inform him of goings-on instead of being able to speak to him in person.
And he couldn’t bear to stay away from his rakish habits now that we are wed, even though I asked him to because it would embarrass the children! ”
“But surely this is a good thing, in your mind. The longer he stays away, the less you have to deal with him. You call him insufferable and that you argue at all times. Now you don’t have to deal with him,” Danae offered, a wicked twinkle in her eye.
“Well, yes, I suppose you’re right,” Cordelia replied, a little dumbfounded.
“But for the children’s sake, he couldn’t be home?
The house feels so very empty…” she trailed off, blushing at her brash words.
“I only meant that we are to be united in helping the children start a new life, and he is refusing to take part.” She glanced up at the children, and they were looking toward her, but then Tim hit Olivia and Olivia burst into tears.
“Oh!” she rose and walked towards them, getting low to look Tim in the eyes. “You must never hit your sister, Timothy. Ever. You must not hit anyone. You must speak to ask for what you want. You must also apologize to your sister.”
Tim’s face crumpled as if he too was going to cry but then he reached out to Olivia, and this time, he touched her arm softly.
“Sorry,” he said, and Olivia quieted but turned away.
“Hmph.”
“Why don’t you come and sit with us?” Cordelia asked her, and Olivia looked up at her and nodded.
“Good.” Grinning ear to ear, Cordelia picked her up but as she neared the sisters, she pointed to Emma instead, and a little disappointed but not entirely displeased, Cordelia handed Olivia to her.
“What a dear thing!” Emma said, cooing at her. “You are a natural, Cordelia.”
“Oh, hardly. But I’ve been trying.”
“You know what I think?” Danae asked.
Emma harrumphed. “I think you will tell us anyway, dear sister.”
“But of course.” Grinning, Danae stood, and picking up a flower, she sniffed it deeply, clearly relishing her time in withholding information.
“Well, what is it that you think?” Cordelia asked, folding her arms.
“Returning to our earlier subject, I know that you are the eldest sister, and that automatically makes you the wisest, but there is something that you can’t see.
I think that you’re actually jealous, Cord.
You have no idea where he is, and you want him home.
Because you see that he is worth having around.
And the longer he stays away, the more you are interested in him returning!
” She sighed and clutched a hand to her heart.