“I’ve heard the news just like the rest of the household,” she told them, her eyes shining slightly as she looked at Diana. “We shall miss you greatly, My Lady.”
“And I shall miss you. And of course, these biscuits. Whatever will I do without those?” She said with a smile, trying to ease the sadness that was all around her.
At least it made them laugh for a moment and she was able to gather up the tea things and shepherd her sisters to a table in the garden to set everything out.
A nice picnic for tea, far too many sugar biscuits, and a horseback ride were exactly what she needed for today, and she tried to take in every moment of it.
Matthew had no doubt that the special license would be approved immediately. A little money in the right hands and you could achieve anything, after all. Which was how he obtained it only a day after leaving Waterburry House.
Still, despite how urgently he wished to sort out this matter, there were others that also required his attention. Business arrangements that needed to be taken care of. Household matters that would not wait until he had brought home his new wife and must be handled immediately.
“Blast, will I ever be free to go?” he grumbled to himself as he looked over the papers strewn across his desk.
“What is all this noise about?” a familiar voice asked, striding through the open door.
John never minded his moods and instead dropped down into a chair with a glint in his eyes that suggested mischief.
“Ah, come in, John, have a seat,” Matthew replied wryly.
John only grinned. “Already settled. Thank you. Now, what’s got you all in a fuss? Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to choose your bride?”
“The bride is already chosen,” Matthew replied, indignant at his cousin’s flippant tone. “I only have to go and fetch her.”
John laughed. “And just how fares the lady?”
“She’s fine. She’ll be sufficient for what I need,” Matthew replied distractedly, staring back at the papers on his desk.
John shook his head. “If the bride is fine, then what could you possibly have to be so irate about?”
“Work, John. Not all of us can be layabouts, you know.”
But the words were tempered with a slight smile. After all, John was one of the few people in Matthew’s life who could ever coax a smile from him.
The two had been together far too much throughout their childhood for anything else.
Even before his parents’ deaths the two boys, and Isabelle of course, had practically grown up together, riding together, learning from their tutors, sharing … well, everything.
Though as they had gotten older Matthew’s responsibilities had increased … while John and Isabelle had continued on as before.
“Ah, yes, some of us are quite lucky in that regard,” John replied with an even wider grin. “Come now, I wanted to go for a ride through the park. What say you to that?”
Matthew glanced down at the paperwork on his desk again and then stood up. Clearing his head with a ride and a bit of fresh air was a good idea. And perhaps when he returned, he’d be able to make quick work of the things that needed to be done so he could go and fetch his bride.
“Where are you off to?” a bright feminine voice asked.
“Nowhere that concerns you,” John teased, quickening his pace slightly so that she had to hurry to keep up.
“You’re off to do something fun, and you had not even cared to invite me,” Isabelle retorted.
“Then perhaps you should run along and tend to your sewing,” John shot back, but as he was with Matthew, his eyes were shining, and a smile played on his lips.
“Perhapsyoushould go and tend to the sewing, and I shall go and have fun with Matthew,” Isabelle huffed indignantly.
Matthew couldn’t help a smile of his own. Isabelle was certainly not one to be thwarted by her brother’s teasing. And she always gave as good as she got. It was one of the things he had always admired most about his cousin. Even when they were children Isabelle never had a problem keeping up with the boys. And in fact she always wanted to be wherever they were. Annoying as it was at times.
But they also taught her to ride just as well as any man and she could run near as fast as well, though she had not had cause to do so in quite some time.
The ladylike traits however … well, he wasn’t entirely sure how she’d developed them without a mother of her own, and growing up nearly entirely with two boys who had no knowledge or interest in such things.
