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The staff were gathering on the front steps as Baird parked the car. The older woman came down the stairs to greet Ella, introducing herself as Mrs. Booth the housekeeper, and sharing how pleased she was that Ella was here for Christmas and that her ladyship would be so happy to see her and she was in her room now, and if Ella was ready, she’d take her straight up to her sister.
“I am Mrs. Johnson, or Cook, as the earl calls me,” the other woman said, coming forward to be introduced. “I make sure no one goes hungry here. Once you’re settled with her ladyship, I will bring you a lunch tray. Your sister did not want to eat until you’d arrived.”
Then before Ella could quite take in the grandeur of the house with its sweeping staircase that wrapped all three floors, or the glass dome topping the staircase, flooding the interior with light, Mrs. Booth was climbing the stairs pointing out things as she went. “This is the new part of the house,” she said, “and this is the formal entrance when guests arrive. The main room the family gathers in is the green drawing room and that is the first room off the entry, with the music room adjacent.”
They reached the second floor which was very high up due to the fourteen-foot ceilings. “To our right is the family wing, and to the left is the guest wing. Your sister shares the master bedroom with his lordship—”
“Is that strange?” Ella asked, rather amazed that Mrs. Booth could fly up the stairs and carry a conversation without being the least bit breathless.
Mrs. Booth stopped, expression thoughtful. “They are the first generation at Langley Park to share a bedroom, but they are a modern couple with a modern marriage.” She began walking again, hustling them down the long hallway. “If there is anything you need, anything at all, just ask. We couldn’t be happier to have you with us.”
And then on reaching a closed door on the right, Mrs. Booth gave a firm knock and when Cara called, “Come in,” she walked away.
Ella opened the door and peeked in, discovering it was a huge bedroom with an equally huge four-poster bed. The walls were papered in a rich blue, with luxurious velvet curtains of the same hue framing each of the tall windows. Cara looked like a doll in the big bed with the white sheets crumpled around her.
“What is going on?” Ella hurried to her sister’s side and gave Cara a hug. “Everyone has me so worried.”
“What have you been told?” Cara answered, hugging Ella back.
“Virtually nothing, but for you to be in bed, something must be wrong because you’re always busy, always planning something.” Ella drew back to examine her sister, but Cara didn’t look sick. If anything, she appeared rosy. Happy.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Cara said, pushing herself up higher and used an adjacent pillow to slip behind her back. “I’ve been counting down the days. I’m so bored and I want to hear everything… unless you’re too tired?”
“Not too tired, but I do want to know what’s happened to you. You haven’t mentioned being unwell in any of our calls or texts.”
“I’m not unwell, I just have to be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“I was going to wait until Alec was home, but he might not be home for a few days, so…” Cara smiled as she dragged out the suspense. “I’m pregnant.”
“Cara!”
“With twins.”
Ella sprang to her feet. “Cara!”
Cara laughed. “I know. I can hardly believe it myself. I thought Tom and Kristine had twins because of Kristine, but maybe it’s our family? Who knows, but Alec and I haven’t shared the news as there were some early complications, but now that I’m in week twenty they’re resolving, and the risk of miscarriage is much less than it was. The doctor is still keeping me on bedrest, though, just to play it safe. I should be up and about in the new year.”
“I’m glad your doctor is being cautious.”
“We all are. Although I had hoped to be off bedrest by now. It’s hard for me to not run around.”
“Which is probably why your doctor is keeping you on bedrest through January.” Ella laughed. “Twins, Cara. I can’t believe it.”
“I couldn’t, either. We only found out I was pregnant late September. I figured I was late due to the wedding and everything, but then I wasn’t feeling well and bought a test. I was shocked. We were going to wait for a couple of years, but apparently God had a different plan. We had our first appointment with the obstetrician October ninth, and that’s when the doctor said there were two heartbeats. I’m lucky I was already lying down. I think I would have fainted. I was beyond shocked. And Alec—his face! He was nervous about one baby, but two?” Cara grinned. “It’s been quite an eventful few months. Certainly not the honeymoon phase we expected.”
“You weren’t on birth control?”
“Almost always using protection, but there was that time on the private island. The yacht had dropped us off and—”
“I got the picture. No intimate details necessary.” But she was smiling so big. “But Alec’s happy?”
“Very happy,” Cara assured her. “He’s been so protective of me. I could be up more, but he’s insisting I stay in bed and take it easy. There’s to be no stress, he says.”
“So, you’ve cancelled your party this Saturday, then?”
Cara didn’t immediately answer. “Alec wanted to,” she confessed. “But I told him we need to have it. For his family. They’ve been waiting to celebrate us—our marriage—and they always come here for Christmas anyway.”
