AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” Gram yelled.
Mabel set down her fork and knife and gave her grandmother a patient smile. “That is very kind of him.”
“I don’t know the time, Mabel. I am telling you about Charles’s letter.”
“And what did he have to say?” Mabel yelled.
“Well, he inquired after my health.”
Mabel refrained from flicking her eyes toward Giulia, though she could feel her friend struggling to remain composed on the opposite side of the table. “How very kind of him,” Mabel yelled.
Gram seemed pacified and returned to her meal.
“How is Charles?” Giulia asked.
“Good, as far as I know.” Charles was studying abroad, finishing his grand tour now that the war was over, and Napoleon finally defeated for good. Mabel took a sip of her soup and then continued, “Last I heard he was in Italy, though he spent a good deal of time in France before that.”
A look of sorrow passed over Giulia’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Mabel wondered momentarily if she should have refrained from mentioning the country where Giulia’s mother’s family was from.
She thought a change of direction was the best course of action. “I can’t believe it’s been so long; the last time I saw Charles was the day after Nick’s ball when he said his farewells to Pippa, Gram, and me.”
“That was the very ball when I had the opportunity to meet your cousin,” Giulia said with a swallow. “Though, I believe he really only had eyes for one,” she finished with a wide grin.
“Yes,” Mabel said, her eyes tracing the rim of her soup bowl. She looked to Giulia, hoping to quell the pain that scenario brought to her heart. “He has been smitten with Amelia for years. Probably our whole lives, to be honest.”
“Poor man.”
“Who’s poor?” Gram asked, darting her gaze between Mabel and Giulia. She snapped her fingers. “The reverend mentioned on Sunday that a new family is moving into the house behind the school.”
“Oh, splendid,” Mabel called. “I will prepare a basket and take it over.”
Gram nodded and went back to her plate.
“Are you going to see Nick tomorrow?”
“No,” Giulia answered. “He is leaving to visit his mother and sister for a fortnight. But I am going to Halstead Friday for dinner. Would you like to join me?”
“Perhaps,” Mabel answered. “Though I’m loath to leave Gram alone.”
“It is up to you. Uncle Robert likes the company, so you would not be a burden.”
Mabel raised an eyebrow and gave her friend a pointed look.
“He does.” Giulia laughed. “He’s too crotchety and grumpy to admit it, but he enjoys company. Particularly that of lovely young ladies.” She took a bite and then pointed her fork at Mabel. “You cannot repeat this, but Nick told me once that Uncle Robert has called us the daughters he never had.”
“That is too sweet,” Mabel said, thinking of the grouchy old earl with long scraggly hair and a permanent frown.
“I agree,” Gram said, causing both Giulia and Mabel to jump in surprise. “These yams are far too sweet.” The old woman smacked her lips with a look of disgust before pushing the yams to one side of her plate and eyeing Carson as if the over-sweetened vegetable was his fault. Carson, ever the stalwart butler, remained composed and took the fiery darts as if they were his due.
Mabel glanced over her goblet and caught Giulia’s mirth-filled eyes before choking on her water and coughing to cover the laugh. A moment of silence endured before both women let out their laughter, causing Gram to look between them in surprise and the ever-stoic butler’s mouth to curve in a very slight, and completely uncharacteristic, smile. Until, of course, he caught the footman’s grin and snapped back to attention.
