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‘Kev’s right,’ Arthur said. ‘But it won’t work. Tried it umpteen times. I was even going to offer some of the lady councillors a night with me, but Vivienne and Dervla vetoed that idea.’ He glanced at his wives with a fond smile. ‘They didn’t want to share.’
Dad, just shut up! Estelle caught Henry’s eye. He looked in acute pain.
‘Could we bribe them through the back door? Sponsor their kids’ football team or summat?’ Kevin asked.
‘Take too long,’ Arthur replied. ‘We need this sorted now.’
‘Estelle, James,’ Connor said firmly from the end of the table. ‘What do you both want to do?’
James glanced at her, his eyebrows lifting slightly as if asking the same question. Right now, all Estelle wanted to do was leave the table and run away.
‘I don’t know,’ she said, hating how unsure her voice sounded. ‘We need to show them the festival is different and we can work together.’
The tension etched on James’s face since he arrived at the manor softened a little.
He nodded. ‘Estelle is right. Perhaps we could invite the entire council, and others with unofficial sway in the community, to a night of entertainment to show the kind of event we want to put on?’
His words were addressed to everyone, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. Estelle let herself be held by his gaze, as if he was a safe port in a storm of nonsense from both their fathers.
‘And we could put it on here?’ he suggested.
‘We could display the maps and other information so they could see how far we’ve come?’ she said to him. ‘To show how serious we are?’
‘Well—’ Arthur began.
‘That sounds like a fantastic idea,’ Connor interrupted. ‘Willow, fancy accompanying me on the piano for a few songs?’
‘Yes, absolutely,’ she replied.
Estelle glanced towards the other end of the table where her siblings sat.
‘I can do a Shakespeare monologue?’ Leo suggested. ‘Or a scene with Mom?’
‘And I can run a short Regency dancing workshop,’ Libby said. ‘If you’d like?’
Estelle’s heart lifted. It might not sway the councillor’s minds, but it was a better idea than trying to bribe them or offer them sex.
Arthur waved his hand. ‘And I can do something!’
‘Dad,’ Henry said forcefully. ‘We all have to be on our best behaviour.’
‘I can do that!’ his father replied. ‘Look at tonight. I’m wearing clothes, aren’t I?’
Henry ignored him and turned to Estelle. ‘Whatever you need, we can help.’
‘Thank you. I think we have to move fast.’ She looked from Henry and Libby to her other siblings, then ended up gazing once more at James. ‘Do you think we could pull it together in a couple of weeks?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. And I’m going to hand write apology notes to the two councillors first thing tomorrow.’
‘Can I help?’
‘Yes, I would appreciate your input.’
Something shifted between them, as if they’d slipped away from the solid ground of their animosity onto a moving sea, where anything was possible. It was unsettling, but her nerve endings thrilled with excitement.
‘Ooh! And do you know what you should both do?’ Arthur cried excitedly.
James tensed, as if waiting for a blow to land.
