A Lady's Guide to Courtship

VII. A Lady's Guide to a Hunting Party

Dearest William,

Snow has fallen! I could not wait to visit one of the holes.

I wonder what the people aboveground could be doing at the moment. I heard they celebrate Christmas grandly.

Where do you intend to spend the holidays? Will you be staying in Wickhurst or Wakefield?

Happy holidays, my friend. I wish you all the blessings there is!

Your friend,

Lady Weis

*****

Since their arrival back in Wickhurst, things were quite a bore. Ysabella and Emma had been counting the days until Levi and his wife arrived from Standbury with their daughter, Lindsay.

Since it was a Friday, she did manage to convince Emma to drop her books and come with her for tea with Lady Hayward. They did not stay long as the lady was preparing for an evening party that Thomas was invited to.

And to prevent another encounter with Wakefield's brother, Ysabella said their goodbyes to the lady and went on to deliver a flower to Wakefield's estate, Emma brooding as Ysabella conversed with Morris.

Like all other Fridays, his lordship was not in residence.

"Someday will come and I will no longer accompany you to any of this," Emma dryly uttered.

"I did not force you to come today."

Her sister sighed beside her. "I would not have if Margaret and Cole are in residence, but they are in Ashmore until next week."

Ysabella did not utter a comment. She missed their sister as well. Faye and Fiona, Margaret and Cole's adopted children, would be a breath of fresh air in the past boring days. But the entire family was away in Ashmore to spend time with Cole's mother who was adamant that she wanted to spend more time with her new grandson, Harold. Lady Ashmore never acknowledged Faye and Fiona as family, but then it was her loss, really. The two girls were amazing. They would soon be attending school, a thing that Ysabella and Emma never enjoyed as their mother had opted for governesses and tutors instead.

Ysabella could not help but smile. Their family was growing. Margaret had given them Harold a year prior and their nephew had been naught but amazing.

Agatha was pregnant and she prayed it would be a success this time, making their family one baby richer.

"He was home, you know," Emma told her as they approached the Everard estate. "I meant Wakefield."

Her brows cocked in surprise. "How do you know?"

"I saw the curtain on the second landing move," Emma said with a shrug. "He was watching."

Ysabella hid a secret smile. "He was?"

"But do not get any wrong ideas, sister. He could have entertained you if he wanted to see you."

"Oh, he did see me. He was watching me."

"I want to believe he was waiting for you to leave."

"Well, whatever it may be, he was watching."

"And Lindsay is here!" Emma suddenly cried out, jumping to her feet to run up to the driveway.

Indeed, Levi's carriage was parked outside. Ysabella momentarily forgot everything about Wakefield, excitement taking over as she ran after Emma to find their niece.

Their three-year-old niece was already waiting for them in the parlour and squealed with delight upon seeing her two aunts.

"Ah, here we go," Levi ground out as his daughter leaped from his grasp to stumble toward Ysabella's outstretched arms.