“I won’t forget,” Robin said with such earnestness that Althea had to use the linen once again. “Ever.”
As Robin strutted back to his place, she couldn’t help but believe that any woman Benedict took to wife would emanate the same sort of pride at sharing his name.
“Oh, look, it’s snowing,” Gillie suddenly announced.
“Coming down quite heavily as a matter of fact,” Thorne added.
“Mum, Finn, and Lavinia were already planning to stay the night. Everyone else must stay as well. We have ample room.”
“Gillie, we didn’t bring any clothes with us,” Fancy said.
“Wear tomorrow what you’re wearing tonight. Your safety is more important than changing your frock. When you retire, you can borrow one of my nightdresses. I have plenty to go around. Think of the poor horses, drivers, and footmen going out in this. And what if it’s so thick on the streets tomorrow that you can’t join us?”
Althea paid no heed to the myriad voices over her shoulder as the others discussed the consequences of their options. Her gaze had returned to Benedict’s as though she needed confirmation that he’d not melted away, but was real, had never been only a dream.
“Do you want to remain or leave?” he asked quietly.
“They’re your family. The choice should be yours.”
“Are you comfortable being among them?”
They were like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day. “Yes.”
“We’ll stay then, shall we?”
Chapter 21
Althea lay in the bed, in a nightdress that fairly swallowed her since her hostess was several inches taller than she was, staring at the window where distant streetlamps or garden lamps provided just enough light to reveal that big fat snowflakes continued to fall as the wind whistled eerily beyond the glass.
Everyone had decided to stay, and the remainder of the night had seen a good bit of alcohol consumed following a sumptuous dinner. Robin Trewlove had eaten with them, but afterward he and Mrs. Trewlove had gone up to bed. Althea had been concerned that an awkwardness between her and the ladies might settle in when the gentlemen went off to have their port, but this family apparently didn’t follow the tradition of giving men their time alone. Everyone had headed to the billiards room where Selena had soundly beaten Aiden three times.
At one point, when Althea was sitting on a sofa with Benedict, watching Aiden’s thrashing, Thorne had wandered over and crouched before them. “I was wondering if you might have any ships heading to South America in the near future.”
“What do you need from South America?”
“A toucan.”
“What the deuce is a toucan?”
“Colorful bird with a large beak.”
“What the devil is Robin going to do with a toucan?”
“What the devil does he do with the massive tortoise I gave him?”
Benedict had sighed, but it had lacked any true irritation for what was certain to be an inconvenience for one of his captains. “I can probably arrange something.”
Thorne had winked at her. “It pays to have a brother-by-marriage with ships.”
After Thorne walked away, she’d asked, “How did you know the toucan was for Robin?”
“Because he’s always giving Robin animals. Tomorrow morning it will be a spaniel.”
The camaraderie among the siblings was unlike anything she’d ever known. They knew so much about each other. They’d exchanged stories, laughed, teased each other. They’d included the spouses. They’d included her.
What she had enjoyed most was watching Benedict’s interactions with the others. Mrs. Trewlove had told her that Finn had always been the most sensitive, Beast the most contemplative. All the times in the beginning when he’d merely watched her, she now realized was simply his way. While his siblings argued and debated, he merely listened, sorting things. When he did finally contribute, his words were usually met with, “Knew you’d have the answer.” Or, “Knew you could make them see sense.”
Observing their exchanges, she understood they’d shared secrets, sorrows, hurts, successes, and failures. They didn’t judge each other. They accepted each other as they were.
