Page 77 of Waiting for Love

Alice said, “Well, I have news. The Belfords’ musicale is cancelled tonight. Their soprano cannot make it. Miss Annie DeBelle has an inflammation of the throat.”

Reg choked on his coffee. Badly. Coughing until he was red-faced.

“Everything all right there, Reg?” Jasper taunted him.

Reg coughed too hard to scowl, but Mama scowled for him. She turned to Alice.

“Thank you. I assume we’ll get a notice from the Belfords, but it is good to know.”

Jasper said, “It would have been good to know the performer ahead of time. Eh, Reg?”

“That is quite enough, Jasper,” Mama said. Her voice was much too sharp for the offense.

Olivia, Georgiana, Alice, and Vanessa all exchanged confused glances. Reg had stopped coughing but was still red-faced. Jasper popped a biscuit in his mouth and crunched, grinning, but he looked down at the table and didn’t say anything else.

Then Georgiana said, “If we have no plans for this evening to prepare for, perhaps we can take Arthur and Hannah to the park to feed the ducks. I’ll ask Benjamin if he will come with us or at least lend us his daughter. Arthur finds her fascinating. He stares and stares.”

“That sounds lovely,” Mama said. “I’m going to rest a while and then Mr. Boring is coming to go over a few things, but you young people should go.”

Alice said, “I have to beg off as well. I owe my father a long letter and I have to write it this afternoon or it won’t get done.”

Olivia kissed Arthur on the top of his sweet head and beamed. A walk in the park with her family and Benjamin. Now that was something she would enjoy.

*

It was a nice spring day—less of a chill in the breeze, and the sun was at least trying to poke through the clouds.

While servants set up a picnic on the hill, the Taverstons walked to the pond. Leading the way, Georgiana pushed Arthur’s pram, and Reg carried a basket of day-old bread. Olivia could swear Reg was walking taller these days.

Vanessa and Jasper lagged, arm in arm, talking. From time to time, they both laughed.

Which left Olivia and Benjamin with Hannah. At first, Benjamin held Hannah’s hand tightly, but then Hannah said, “Olly’s hand!” So she walked with Olivia. Then she said, “Papa’s hand!” So they switched again. Until they realized she wanted to hold both their hands, so they now walked three in a line, enjoying Hannah’s excitement.

There were ducks at the pond. Fat, lazy, ducks who waddled closer to investigate the basket, then scattered when Hannah chased them.

“Here,” Reg said, handing the basket to Benjamin. “I’m not sure what Georgiana was thinking. Arthur is not yet ready for duck feeding.”

Benjamin began breaking up the loaf to distribute. Vanessa and Jasper obliged by tossing a few crumbs, but the day belonged to Hannah, so they left the game to her. She was fearless, marching among the quacking monsters as though she were their queen. Benjamin’s eyes grew soft, watching her.

Then Jasper exclaimed, “By God, Livvy-pet, she reminds me so much of you!”

Olivia had no choice but to go dance among the birds with Hannah.

“More bread! More!” Hannah cried. Olivia chanted along. Benjamin put a bit of crust in Hannah’s hands.

“That is all. No more, I’m afraid.”

“No more bread?” Hannah’s eyes widened.

“No more. We have run out.” He showed her his empty basket.

Hannah stuffed the crust into her own mouth. Olivia caught back a giggle.

Reg said, “Now she reminds me of Olivia.”

There was nothing better than laughing with her family until her sides were sore. She couldn’t bear for the moment to end. But moments always did. The ducks wandered away. Benjamin hoisted Hannah to his shoulders.

“Are you hungry, Hannah?” Jasper asked. “Because we have a picnic waiting.”