Lawrence craned his head to watch with obvious interest, then outright confusion.
Elizabeth was relying less than usual on her cane—Chloe was delighted to see her sister’s new stretches had eased some of her chronic pain—and Jacob sported a tricolored parrot on one shoulder.
“Ho there,” Jacob called out. “What’s this party?”
“Ho there,” his parrot echoed, with a flap of its red, yellow, and blue wings.
At least, Chloeassumedthe squawk had come from the parrot. One never knew, with Elizabeth close by.
“Keep that bird away from me, nephew,” Tommy barked as Great-Aunt Wynchester. “There are no crackers in my reticule.”
Lawrence’s startled gaze went from Elizabeth’s pale features to the golden bronze of Graham’s skin to the rich brown of Jacob’s. Belated realization dawned upon his patrician features.
“Oh!” he blurted out. “I didn’t realize the Wynchesters weren’trealsiblings.”
No other words could be a greater or more instantaneous call to arms.
“To the devil with you,” Graham spat, fists clenching. “Nothing is more ‘real’ than our family.”
Elizabeth’s eyes flashed. “‘Wynchester’ is something you feel in your heart. Not something one must be born to.”
“Someone like him has no heart,” Jacob scoffed. “Peers needn’t bother. Their ‘lineage’ matters more to them than actual persons.”
“Arrogant nob,” squawked the parrot.
Definitely Elizabeth.
Lawrence angled his head. “Well, actually—”
“Here he goes.” Tommy gave a noisy sigh. “Prepare for two hours of His Grace pontificating in great detail how he’s the expert on what makes a family and that we’re wrong about everything we’ve lived in our own lives.”
“I haven’t time for that.” Jacob tapped his chin. “But I do have a python and a Highland tiger I could feed him to.”
“And an ill-tempered hedgehog,” squawked his parrot.
“I have cable for tightropes,” Graham offered. “I could string it across the roof like a spiderweb, and tie him to the—”
“Not every situation calls for a trapeze stunt and a rose clutched between your teeth,” Elizabeth hissed.
“Then you’re not doing it right,” Graham whispered back.
Lawrence turned to Tommy in frustration. “Can you not control your nieces and nephews for one moment?”
Elizabeth let out an unladylike snort.
Jacob grinned at Chloe. “He really doesn’t know?”
She shook her head. “He hasn’t a blessed clue.”
“I can’t wait.” Graham rubbed his hands. “This will be amazing.”
Tommy smoothed a white tendril. “Just say the word.”
The others turned to Chloe.
“Why are they all looking at you?” Lawrence demanded. His eyes widened. “You’re theirleader?”
“We’re all leaders,” she said firmly. “We are a family and a team.”
