Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

The Sisters Reunited

"A nd just when I thought this week could not get any better!" Augusta exclaimed as the guests entered. "Oh, my dear! Come here!"

Augusta ran to her oldest daughter, Grace, and embraced her.

The Viscount Northwood, Grace's husband, stood with an approving smile on his face.

Leah went to her brother-in-law to greet him while Augusta and Grace hugged.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Northwood," Leah said.

"And you, Miss Moore. I have heard a rumor that you will soon be wed, and your betrothed is staying with you."

"Yes, His Grace is staying in our house while he visits London. He is in the breakfast room with Father. Would you like to meet him?"

"Yes, I shall do that. I can smell the coffee, and I would very much like a cup."

Leah smiled and nodded as the Viscount passed her—he nodded to Bridget on the way by.

Augusta and Grace finally came apart.

"Oh, my!" Augusta placed a hand on her heart, and her voice trembled. "My three daughters are all in the same house again. This is most wonderful. Soon, Leah will be gone, and then Bridget and I shall be all alone."

"Oh, Mother, don't say that," Grace said. "You will still have Father."

"Yes, but it will not be the same. You are all leaving me, and I would not wish it any other way, but it still saddens me. Oh, what will I do."

Leah laughed. "Mother, you will be fine. I can't speak for anyone else, but you can visit me any time you wish."

"Oh, yes," Bridget added.

Grace nodded her head in agreement.

"And will you have lots of grandchildren for me?" Augusta begged.

"Yes, of course," Leah said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

She had been thinking a lot about her time the previous night with the Duke and how he had made her feel. What he said and what he did to her made her want to be there for him, but it didn't solve her problem. She didn't have what Grace and Viscount Northwood had.

"Come," Grace said. "I am hungry, and I want to hear what everyone has been up to." She looked at Leah. "And I very much want to meet this new man of yours."

Leah couldn't help smirking back.

The four ladies made their way to the breakfast room, and Leah immediately felt bad that she had left Christianna in there by herself. Not strictly by herself as her older brother was there, but the Duke, Ernest, and James were all talking business, and Christianna looked glad to see the women enter as she sat silently not understanding anything.

Leah felt a nudge from Grace as they entered the breakfast room. It was a nudge of approval based on how the Duke looked.

Leah walked around the large table and took her place beside the Duke.

"Your Grace, it is a great pleasure to meet you," Grace said as she found her chair. "I have been most excited since my family took the trip out to your estate."

"I am glad to have finally met you," the Duke said. "Your sister has told me wonderful things about you and your husband."

"Well, that is nice to hear," Grace said.

The other ladies sat down, and the conversation mingled above the table as three separate conversations broke out between the group.

The Duke leaned in close to Leah. "So, do your sister and husband often visit, or have they come specially to scrutinize me?"

"Oh, they have come specially to scrutinize you," Leah replied.

The Duke smiled and sat back up straight again. Leah was sure he had nothing to worry about, not that he was the sort of man to worry about such things. Grace had given her immediate nudge of approval, and the Viscount was staring at the Duke intently. A Duke was a valuable addition to the family.

There was a lot of interest in the Duke from the recently-arrived couple, and they tried their best not to show they were directing almost every question toward him.

Solomon left the breakfast table early to go and visit his friend, though Leah knew he was really going out to talk business. Ernest and James retired soon after to the veranda to smoke cigars.

The five ladies spent a leisurely few hours at the breakfast table enjoying each other's company before they also went their separate ways. Bridget and Christianna went to practice some dances under the supervision of Augusta, giving Grace and Leah a chance to be by themselves and talk.

Leah and Grace were the last to leave the breakfast table and decided to take a stroll while the weather was pleasant. They walked past the men on the verandah, giving them both a wave before venturing toward the vegetable garden.

"You must tell me everything there is to know about your new man," Grace gushed.

"He is not my new man, Grace. You make it sound as if I have men all of the time, and he is the most recent one."

"I suppose it is quite the opposite," Grace noted. "You never have any men, so perhaps it is so surprising you have such a handsome one."

Leah's mouth hung open in shock, and Grace brought two fingers up to the bottom of her chin to push her mouth closed.

"You know I am only teasing you, dear sister. You have done very well for yourself. His Grace is very handsome and a Duke, no less. James was very excited when he heard. I watched the two of you at breakfast, and you make a good match."

"Do we?" Leah asked.

Grace stopped walking and took her sister by the shoulders. "It is usual to have doubts about a marriage, Leah. Don't think it is unusual that you are getting cold feet. Goodness knows I did before my wedding. If you are not nervous about spending the rest of your life with a man, then there is something wrong. But those nerves will leave you in time. They did with me."

"Were you in love with Viscount Northwood before you married him?" Leah asked.

Grace thought about it for a moment. "It took me some time to fall in love with him. I do believe in love at first sight, but it is a rare phenomenon. It is hard to love someone until you truly know them. You will fall in love with His Grace in time."

Leah started walking again, and her sister followed suit. She breathed in the earthy aroma of the vegetable patch—she could still remember running around barefoot with Grace and Bridget when they were all much younger.

"What is really troubling you?" Grace asked. "Do you not feel a connection to His Grace."

"I don't know," Leah admitted. She had always been most honest with her older sister. "No, we have a connection, but I don't know the sort of connection we have."

"What do you mean?" Grace asked.

Leah stopped walking again. She thought about taking off her shoes and stockings to feel the dirt between her toes but resisted the temptation. Leah looked around to make sure no one was close to them.

"We have kissed more than once," Leah said.

Grace's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Leah, you rake!"

"Oh, don't call me that," Leah moaned.

"Oh, I'm only teasing you again. I am sure everyone does that before their wedding."

"They do?" Leah asked.

"I can't know for sure, but there is more that goes on behind closed doors than you would think. Believe me."

"It is unladylike."

"He is to be your husband," Grace pointed out. "What does it matter if you kiss a few weeks before you are supposed to kiss? Sometimes, you have to take matters into your own hands."

Leah was most honest with her sister, but she didn't mention being unclothed and touched by the Duke in their library the previous night.

"And that should already answer your question," Grace told her younger sister. "You have a connection with the man you will marry. It doesn't matter if it is a physical, mental, or emotional connection. The connection is there, and you can build from it."

The two sisters began walking again, taking a route that took them all the way around the house. Leah was not sure if the connection could be built on.

"I have been thinking a lot about what I want in life," Leah admitted.

"And what is that?" Grace asked.

"I don't know if I want to say it," Leah admitted.

"You know you can say anything to me," Grace assured her. "It is common to have doubts in everything you do in life, but if you know what you want in life, then you need to figure out how to incorporate it into what you already have."

"Please don't judge me," Leah begged.

They turned the corner around the back of the house, and a small breeze picked up and swayed the bushes by the red-brick exterior wall.

"Leah, I'm your sister. I spend every single day of my life judging you, and that won't stop now."

"Haha," Leah stated sarcastically.

"Tell me what you are feeling, and I will do my best to help you," Grace assured her.

"I feel something when I am with Solomon," Leah admitted.

"That is a good start," Grace replied.

"No, it's not like that. I feel trapped or worthless."

"What has he said to you?" There was a grill in Grace's voice.

"No, it is not like that either. Will you please let me finish?" Leah begged. "Yes, we have a connection, and he has also made me feel things I have never felt before, but some of the things he makes me feel are not good. I realize that I want to be loved, Grace, and I don't know if he is capable of that. Not only with me but with anyone. I know I have some feelings for Solomon, but I don't love him either, and I am not sure if I can ever grow to love him when I know he will never love me. I have my guard up now, and I can't lower it. I can't let myself be hurt."

And now, he has a way out if he concludes his business here. Perhaps that would be best for both of us.

"Have you spoken with His Grace about this?" Grace asked. "Do you know if he feels the same way?"

"We have not spoken directly about it, but I know how he feels. I know he does not have feelings for me. We have been pretending we are more than we are, for Bridget's sake. She is so worried about me marrying for the wrong reasons that she spoke of delaying her own wedding, and you know that she is the rare case of love at first sight."

"My goodness, she hardly stops talking about Frederick," Grace agreed. "Still, if he is helping you do this, then maybe he does care for you enough to let those feelings grow."

"I don't know," Leah replied. "I know more about him now and the troubles he has gone through. I don't know what he is capable of. Do you know how frustrating it has been for me? We have pretended in front of the family, and when we do, it is wonderful, and all I can dream about is really having that. Not having to pretend with Solomon, but that's all it is. I hate doing all of this. I hate all these pretenses, and I feel dirty lying to everyone. I don't know what I should do."

Leah burst into tears. Grace immediately grabbed her sister and pulled her into her arms. She rubbed Leah's back, trying to soothe her.

"I can't tell you everything will be fine, but knowing you for as long as I have, I believe you will find a way, Leah," Grace whispered. "You will find a way to get through this." She leaned back and took her sister by the shoulders. "If you do not want to marry him, then you should not. I will support you in any decision you make, no matter what anyone else thinks. You can run away from here and come and live with me for a while. Whatever you need."

"Thank you," Leah replied. "Thank you, Grace. Oh! Look at me! This is supposed to be a happy time, and I am blubbering in your arms."

"Sad and happy times can coexist," Grace said. "Come on, let's get back inside and do something together. I know there are happy times to come. In fact, I have a surprise for you later. Well, a surprise for everyone."

"What is it?" Leah asked.

"You will just have to wait to find out," Grace replied.