CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

C HAPTER T WENTY -N INE

G race Worthington climbed the stairs to the front door. Her eyes crinkling at the corners, she greeted Oriana. “I am so happy to see you again and to welcome you into the family.”

“I am delighted to be joining it.” She was glad she had had the opportunity to meet most of the family before she and Charlie decided to marry. “Your rooms are ready. Tea will be served continuously in the morning room.”

“What an excellent idea. We will all be in various states of travel-worn. Naturally living so close, the journey has not affected us. I shall shed my travel clothes and have some tea.”

“Thank you.” Oriana hoped she was not blushing too much under her soon-to-be sister’s praise.

Grace’s older children, Gideon and Elizabeth, raced to the door and stopped. “We’re glad you will be our aunt.” Elizabeth curtseyed quickly. “We will see you later.”

“We’ll be with Hugh and Constance.” Gideon sketched a bow and ran off after his sister.

“Welcome.” Worthington grinned and bowed. “I see you are already taking the children in stride.”

“Hugh and Constance have given me some practice.” Oriana smiled back. “Tea is being served in the morning room.”

“Excellent.” He inclined his head to Charlie. “Stanwood. Well done.”

Once they had disappeared into the house she exchanged a glance with her betrothed. “That was easy.”

He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. “Most of them will be like that. The only couples you haven’t met are the twins, Alice and Eleanor, and Madeline, and their husbands. They will be more curious.”

“Am I correct that Madeline and Harry will be moving from Stern Manor to here?”

“Yes.” Charlie’s forehead wrinkled. “I believe that’s correct.”

“Well, I have their rooms made ready in any event.” Oriana shrugged. She had prepared for everything. The schoolroom and nursery had been cleaned for the children. Spaces had been made for the additional servants. Two carriages rolled up the drive and stopped. Footmen assisted maids and removed trunks, carrying them into the house.

“Louisa and Rothwell.” Oriana raised her brow at him. “They must have got an early start.”

Before an adult could be assisted from the second carriage, a little girl jumped down and dashed toward them. “Alexandria?”

“Yes.”

The child quickly hugged Charlie and curtseyed to Oriana. “Good day. Schoolroom?”

“They are.” She glanced back at the child running into the house. “Well, I see where future aunts rank.”

Charlie barked a laugh.

As Louisa and Rothwell climbed the stairs, she shook her head, chuckling. “Did she at least greet you?”

“She did.” Oriana took Louisa’s outstretched hands. “Then verified the location of the other children.”

Louisa bussed Oriana on the cheek. “Welcome to the family. I expect that you will hear that a lot today.”

“I am happy to hear it and thank you. Your usual rooms are ready, and tea will be served all day in the morning room.”

“Thank you. I will take a few moments to refresh myself,” Louisa said.

“Good afternoon.” Rothwell bowed. “You are the first female to marry into the family. Feel free to come to me if you have any questions.”

“I will. Thank you.” That was something she had not considered. All the family members who had married before had been ladies. Before she had time to consider it at length, three carriages arrived.

Charlie glanced at her. “Charlotte and Theo returning, Madeline and Harry, and Dotty.”

One coach went directly to the stables. Charlotte was handed out of the second carriage along with a lady with black hair accompanied by a girl with black curls barely contained in braids who looked to be the same age as Constance. “Vivienne?” Oriana asked.

“You are doing an excellent job remembering the names of the children.” Charlie beamed with pride at Oriana.

“I think it helped that they were with their parents when I was introduced.” She smiled at Dotty, Charlotte, and Theo.

Dotty also held out her hands. “It is a pleasure to welcome you to the family. Do not worry about the other problems. We have them all under control.”

“I am glad to see you again. Your regular rooms are ready, and tea is in the morning room.” It was not until the three ladies had entered the house that it dawned on her what Dotty had said. “Our difficulties? Do you think that she . . . ?”

“I do.” Charlie appeared as if he might elaborate but then said nothing further on the matter. “I hear at least one carriage coming up the drive. I wonder who it is?”

As it happened, two coaches that looked as if they had been on the road for several days if not more than a week pulled up in front of the house. A gentleman with dark reddish hair jumped down and turned to hand down a lady with blond hair that reminded Oriana strongly of Grace. Following them was another couple. A gentleman handed down a lady who resembled Theo and Louisa.

Oriana turned to Charlie and lifted her brow. “Alice and St. Albans and Augusta and Phinn.”

“Augusta. She is the one who traveled to the continent and managed to obtain a university degree?” Oriana was thankful that Charlotte had explained the members of the family to Oriana who she had not met before. They had been in Scotland. “The lady with her is Alice.”

“Indeed.” Charlie smiled at her.

Alice rushed into her brother’s arms. “I am so glad to see you.” She turned to Oriana. “I feel as if I know you already. I am thrilled to finally meet you,” Alice said, then hugged her as well. “I assume the babies are all in the nursery.”

“They are. And your rooms are ready.”

“Wash up and go to the morning room for tea,” Charlie added.

“Excellent.” Smiles wreathed her face.

“Madeline is already here. We are just waiting for Eleanor and Montagu.”

Augusta and Phinn were next. She hugged Oriana. “I am glad to finally meet you as well. Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you.” Oriana returned the embrace. “Your—”

“I heard, thank you.” His sister hugged Charlie as well. “We shall see you both later.”

Phinn bowed to her and smiled. “I know very little about you, but I am glad to meet you.” He shrugged lightly. “I had a paper due and didn’t have time to read the letters.”

“Understandable.” Oriana waited until he was climbing the stairs before she started to laugh quietly. “I had heard he was a scholar.”

“They can both appear quite odd to some.”

She reached up and bussed his cheek. “But not to me.”

He wrapped his arm around her. “Which is why you are the perfect lady to become my wife.”

They did not have to wait long before the last couple arrived. An elegant traveling coach rolled up the drive and came to a stop. “Eleanor and Montagu.”

The gentleman had lighter reddish hair and the lady looked like Alice’s twin. Oriana would have to find a way to tell them apart. Charlie grinned. “Welcome. You are the last two to arrive. Where is your baggage coach?”

“It had a problem but will be here soon,” Eleanor said. “Ah, here are the boys.” Two nursemaids led them up the stairs under the jaundiced eye of their nurse. One clearly had red hair, while the other was blond. “This is Adam Timothy Charles, the Earl of Fauconberg, and Lord Bertin Oliver Fredrick Tapton.”

“They are adorable.” A rush of longing hit Oriana. She would soon have a child. “These are the first of the babies I have met. The others were rushed past us. Are they twins?”

“Yes. Fraternal twins like Alice and I are. But we resemble each other more than they do.”

“Thank God for that.” Montagu heaved a sigh. “I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”

“We did mark them. Fortunately within a few months they started to grow hair.”

“I shall look forward to meeting the rest of the children.” Oriana was pleased the boys allowed her to take their little hands in hers. “Well, I should tell you that tea is being served in the morning room.”

“And your chambers are ready,” Charlie added. “Naturally the babies are in the nursery.”

“Welcome.” Alice hugged Oriana and smiled. “We will chat later.”

Charlie didn’t think he would ever stop smiling. As he had known they would, his sisters were writing to each other, exchanging information about Oriana, and they made her feel like she was already a member of the family. He was also proud of the way she had stepped up and taken her place by his side. He held out his arm. “Shall we repair to the morning room and avail ourselves of a cup of tea?”

“Indeed we should.” She smiled broadly. “I like your family a great deal. All of them.”

“You are family now. We just must wait a few days to make it official.” He turned her into his arms and kissed her. “Did you receive a separate chamber for the night?”

“I have no idea.” Her eyes widened. “I am certain Penny set one aside for me.”

“Hmm.” He was almost equally certain that the housekeeper might have forgotten to do just that. He supposed they would find out later. It was only then that he wondered why everyone had arrived today. The wedding wasn’t for a few more days. He gave himself an inner shake. It wasn’t information he actually needed to know. And with his family he might not want to know.

When they entered the morning room, almost everyone was already present. Toddlers and babies played on the floor. Through the window, the older children were running about outside. It reminded him of when his parents were alive. Oriana was quickly carried off by the twins and Madeline, and Grace sat next to him. “It looks much like it used to.”

“That’s what I was just thinking.” He took a sip of tea. “There will be children living here again soon.”

Her eyes misted. “I know there will be. You made a good choice.”

Charlie smiled. “I had the great good sense to fall in love with a lady who has all the qualifications to be my wife.”

“And she had the good sense to fall in love with a gentleman who has the qualifications to be an excellent husband.” She glanced at Matt. “We are extraordinarily lucky. All of us.”

“We are.” Charlie looked across the large room to see his betrothed laughing with his younger sisters as some of his nephews attempted to pull up using her gown. “She’ll make a wonderful mother.”

“She will.” His sister had followed his gaze and was smiling. “I am glad that you decided she should act as hostess for all of us. It allows her to become used to us and for us to see her in the role she will have in just a few days.”

He actually hadn’t thought of it in that way. He’d just wanted her with him. “Why is everyone here today?”

Grace glanced at him in surprise. “You do not know?” He shook his head. “Lady Stern invited everyone to her ball tomorrow night. We have also been invited to dine with them before the ball.”

“I wonder why no one thought to tell me.”

“I am sure Charlotte had not got around to it. You have been rather busy since she arrived back.” Grace didn’t seem to think it mattered. Perhaps it didn’t. Still, he’d ask Charlotte as soon as he had an opportunity. He knew they were scheming, but he would like to know the schedule. Oriana probably didn’t know either. “If you’ll excuse me . . .”

“Yes, of course.”

As usual, Charlotte was sitting with Louisa and Dotty. “Charlotte, do you have a moment to speak with me?”

“I do.” She glanced at the others. “I shall be right back.” Taking Charlie’s arm, she walked aside with him. “What is it?”

“Grace just told me that everyone has been invited to dine at Stern Manor tomorrow. Is there a reason I was not informed, and was Oriana invited?”

“No and yes. Charlie, I have been very busy today. I would have told you before tomorrow evening. Oriana as well.” His sister patted his arm and glided back to her group.

This secrecy might be getting out of hand. Then again, he trusted them. And they knew the problems as well as he did. He gave himself a shake.

Oriana came up to him. “I have a feeling something is being kept from me.”

“From us.” He slipped an arm around her waist. “We are expected to dine at Stern Manor tomorrow before the ball.”

“Well, that I was told. I will have to send Kerby back to Rose Hill tomorrow for my ball gown and something else to wear.”

“Send her now. That way she can still dine with the servants. Have her take a footman or one of the grooms with her.”

“That is a good idea. I will be right back.” She walked to the door and entered the corridor. A few seconds later she returned to his side. Once again he slipped an arm around her. “She does not think it will take more than an hour.”

Nursemaids were quietly slipping in and collecting their charges. Soon only the adults were left. A glance out the windows showed the older children returning to the house as well. “I predict that we will dine in about an hour.”

She looked around. “All the babies are gone.” Oriana leaned her head against his shoulder. “They are so adorable. I hope we have children soon.”

Charlie pressed a kiss to her temple. “I do as well.”

“There are a good number of twins.”

“They run in my family. I think Louisa, Augusta, and Madeline are the only ones who don’t have them.”

“They run in my family as well.”

He turned her around and stared at her. “Do you mean to tell me that we have twice the chance of having twins?”

“When you look at it that way, I suppose we do. That would be interesting.”

Eleanor strolled by with Alice and Madeline. “Who has twins in their family? Aside from us of course.”

“Oriana.” Charlie grinned at his sister. “Montagu does as well, doesn’t he?”

“He does. His sister had a single first, but she recently had twins.” She indicated her sisters. “We are going to tidy up. We’ll see you in the drawing room.”

“We’ll see you there.” He watched as they left. “They are going up to spend time together. They were thick as thieves and hardly ever separated before their marriages.”

“It looks as if it was the same with Dotty, Charlotte, and Louisa,” Oriana commented.

“Charlotte and Dotty have been friends since childhood. They included Louisa shortly before Matt and Grace wed.” That seemed an age ago now. The only ones left to wed were Theo, Mary, Phillip, and Walter. “Shall we go freshen up as well?”

“Oh, I forgot to ask Penny where my chamber is located. I will see you in a bit.”

Grace came up to him as he watched his beloved hurry out of the morning room. “That’s a sly look you have on your face. What are you planning?”

“Me?” He pointed at himself. “Nothing. But Penny might be stirring the pot.”