A Lady's Guide to Courtship

XX. Drops

Dearest Lady Weis,

I did enjoy my visit to Sheills, thank you. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine invited me to visit a marvellous place in their woods. The holes were as big as those in Wickhurst, but I must say they have the most beautiful collection of trees. One, in particular, was in full bloom and if I am correct, they call it Cherry Blossom.

I wish you could see them in the future. You would find them quite lovely, even romantic!

Yours,

William

*****

"I was invited, was I not, Mother?" was Wakefield's fast and easy reply.

Lady Hayward seemed to be the only person in the room to accept it for Thomas and Ysabella remained staring at him as though he was the biggest liar in town.

"Or was I misinformed and my presence here is unwanted?" he added, turning to his brother. "Is it, dear brother?"

He saw Thomas' eyes flash with a glint of anger before he expertly covered it with a bright smile. "Of course, you are welcome, William. In fact, you are just in time for supper."

"Ah, at last!" Ysabella said from where she was standing. She started walking when Thomas turned, after giving Wakefield a curious look, to accompany their mother.

He managed to grab her arm to pull her back. Ysabella snapped her head up to stare at him, baffled. A tight smile was fixed on his face as he waited until his mother exited the room after Thomas.

When at last they were alone, with barely a few moments to spare before their absence would be noted, his smile disappeared and he frowned down at Ysabella. "What sort of foolish idea came to you that you allowed yourself be dragged here?"

Her frown hooded her green globes. And then realization crossed her features. "Are you here because you think you are rescuing me from something?"

His hand tightened around her arm. "You must be wary of my brother, even my mother, little one."

She looked at him incredulously. "Why so? They have been naught but accommodating and fun since we arrived!"

"You know why."

A sardonic look replaced her expression. "You think that because you have a bad relationship with your brother that he is capable of doing bad things," she said in a hurry, looking over her shoulder to see if they were being watched.

He shook his head once in frustration. "They might be up to something. For all you know, they took you here to convince you to marry Thomas."

Ysabella went still and he watched the slow play of emotions on her face before she burst out laughing. She pulled away from his hold. "My lord, if anyone is marrying me, it shall be you." When he opened his mouth, she added, "Why do you always think that your family is working against you?"

Stunned by her question, Wakefield did not realize that Ysabella had turned and was now walking away from him, muttering something that sounded like, "Thomas? Marry me!" with a ridiculous laugh.

He placed his hands on both hips and looked around the familiar music room when Ysabella was long gone. He grew up in this place, yet coming here did not feel like home at all. It felt more like he had decided to walk back inside a rotting prison cell.

*****

Supper was quiet and filled with naught but formal conversation. Wakefield did not feel he was part of it all, nor was he inclined to join. It was merely the rest of the group's attempt to fill the silence with useless babbles about the season and, not to his great surprise, Thomas' brilliant ideas on crop plantation.