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Beck laughed jovially. “Hardly so.”
“Oh, I see. You think I’m a shrew.”
“Ashrew?”
“You clearly meantsomethingby it.”
“I meant...” Beck bent down and picked up Birdie. Alice began to bark, and Mathilda dropped him. He raced across the room to Beck and Birdie, and Birdie, favoring the dog, leaned so far forward to see the mutt that her father very nearly dropped her. “Nothing. I meant nothing, darling.”
“In ten days, we are hosting a ball for three hundred guests in honor of a royal princess!” She pointed at Amelia in case there was any doubt about which royal princess. “Are you not theleastbit concerned about preparations?”
“I’m not concerned—”
“Because you expect me to do it all!”
“Of course I don’t!” Now Beck’s voice was rising. “But you will recall that when I offered my opinion on the menu, you very curtly informed me that you had not asked for it, and I took that to mean my opinion was not wanted unless expressly summoned.”
Blythe stared at him. “I asked you not to offer an opinion on themenu,Beck. Why would I need your opinion on the menu when I have Mr. Banbridge to do the cooking? But of course I desire your opinion on most other things!”
“Aha, see?” Beck said, pointing at her. “There it is.Mostother things. How is a man to know which things?”
Amelia glanced at Mathilda. She was inching closer, enthralled by the argument unfurling between her parents.
Beck put Birdie on the floor and she instantly grabbed Alice by the ear. “But if you want my opinion, it is that everything is proceeding along quite well.”
Blythe gasped. “The house is not ready! How can you possibly think this house is ready?”
Amelia saw her opportunity to support Blythe and win back some of her good opinion. “You’re absolutely right, madam,” she chimed in.
Lord and Lady Iddesleigh, as well as Mathilda, looked at her with surprise.
“I don’t mean to interfere, but I’ve attended a hundred balls if I’ve attended one, and I agree, there are things that ought to be done.”
“Such as?” Blythe asked.
“Well...the scaffolding above the entrance should be removed. It’s unsightly, and I know you would like to have an immaculate entrance.”
No one spoke. Amelia didn’t understand their silence—was she wrong? “It’s a bit distracting...don’t you agree?”
Blythe slowly turned to face Amelia. “Thank you for the suggestion, Your Royal Highness. However, I don’t think one can simplyremove—”
“You’re quite right, Highness,” Beck said, and picked up Birdie again and handed the tot to her mother, then stepped between his wife and Amelia. “Which is why we have determined our guests will enter from the terrace. But I will ask the builder what he thinks about your idea. In the meantime, Donovan will be arriving this afternoon—”
“Donovan!Thank God, Donovan is coming.” Blythe’s voice was filled with obvious relief. She placed Birdie into the wagon again.
“Pull, Mama!” Birdie commanded.
“Ask your father,” Blythe said.
“You see?” Beck said, sounding also relieved as he picked up the handle to the wagon. “Donovan will take care of everything, I’ve no doubt of it.”
“Yes, we will be saved by Donovan once again,” Blythe agreed.
Beck’s smile faltered. “What do you mean by that?”
“Splendid!” Amelia said, before Blythe could answer. “Now that we’ve sorted it, I think I’ll go for a walk. Tilly, would you like to join me?”
Mathilda looked like she would much rather stay and watch the argument take a new turn, as the couple clearly were not sorted at all. But she reached down and scooped Alice in her arms and came forward. Amelia put an arm around the girl’s shoulders to lead her from the room. As they exited, she heard Blythe snap, “And will you please stop dragging that thing through the drawing room? Look what you’ve done to the carpet.”
