She found she really enjoyed an out of control Gunn. Her face heated just thinking about it.
Gwen, always the intuitive one, noticed right away. “What has ye blushing this time, Jocelyn?” She giggled, already knowing the answer. They all did.
And instead of being embarrassed like she would have been before, Jocelyn joined in on the bawdy laughter.
They were outside, enjoying the day by playing a game of badminton. Playing in two teams of a pair each, Willamina sat nearby, keeping score, her hands taking turns between massaging her back and her very large belly.
“If I didna ken any better, Willa, I’d bet ye are having twins,” Gwen stated.
“Och, dinna say such things. The doctor said there is only one bairn growing.”
Gwen shrugged and Clarissa chimed in. “Doctors can be wrong. If ye dinna have two bairns in there, that one bairn is going to be birthed a tot.”
Willamina waved her hand in dismissal. “Enough talk about my incessantly huge belly. Let’s talk about something, or someone else.” She winked and focused her attention on Jocelyn.
“When should we plan on attending the wedding?”
Jocelyn flushed. “You know that can’t happen right now. Not until, well, you know. Until Victor is dealt with.”
“Hmm,” Lizzie said. “I must say I am surprised that between all the men, they’ve been unable to locate the louse. He must be hiding well.”
“But why would he hide?” Clarissa asked. “He surely, by law at least, has e’ery right to lay his claim and insist upon Jocelyn’s return.”
She hated how they spoke as if she were property, but she also knew it was true. In the eyes of the law, she was Victor’s property. Just as if she were a prized pig in the city square.
It was funny how she always felt that way with him, but when she was with Gunn, or any of his friends, watching how they treated their wives, with love and devotion.
As equals.
The feeling was completely different.
“Mayhap he will stay in hiding and ye willna have to deal with him e’er again.”
She sighed. The thought was tempting. “If he does, then Gunn and I will ne’er be able to marry. At some point, he must show his face. Either in Rochester or God forbid, here.”
“Malcolm has some associates watching around Rochester. If your husband shows up there, he’ll ken.”
If she and Gunn could get away with living the rest of their lives as they were today, with no repercussions on either side, she would gladly do so. But she also didn’t want to be Jocelyn Townsend anymore. The name left a sour taste in her mouth.
She very much looked forward to being Jocelyn Burnett as soon as possible.
Gwen served the shuttlecock and Lizzie swung and missed, giving Gwen and Clarissa the point.
“Ha! That’s the game,” Clarissa hooted, punching her fist in the air.
Lizzie rolled her eyes. “We won the first one,” she announced, pointing her finger between herself and Jocelyn. “We need to play a tiebreaker.”
“I’m ready to keep score.” Willamina waved her hand in the air. “Winners get to serve first.”
“Ha!” Clarissa stuck out her tongue playfully and lobbed the shuttlecock to Gwen to serve.
The serve was fast, but Jocelyn hit it back.
Clarissa swung and hit the shuttlecock in such a way that it didn’t arc, just a straightforward hit.
Jocelyn lunged for it, her toe catching in a rut, and went tumbling forward, her ankle twisting painfully. She landed in an unladylike thud and the others gathered around her, faces pinched in concern.
She grabbed her ankle, putting pressure on it to stop the immediate throb of pain.
