Alexandra

Chapter Twenty Two

"Do you terribly mind remaining here for so long?" Allie asked curiously, posing the question to her sister and brother-in-law, both of whom were seated with her in the parlour. Juliette and Henry were chasing one another or, rather, little Henry was toddling about and unsuccessfully attempting to catch his elder and much faster sister.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Cassie asked, seeming bewildered. Allie had wondered, after Richard's casual mention, and she was glad she asked Cassandra, so that she might know what her family thought before she made any further decisions. "We certainly do not mind. It has been a nice reprieve from London and all its noise."

"Really?" Alexandra asked doubtfully, lifting Henry and placing him in her lap as he rushed past her. "We've been here ages and I am sure the both of you have much better things to do in town."

"I certainly don't." Kit shrugged, continuing, "Everything has settled at the estate and my manager is more than capable of looking after things for a few months. Family is far more important than anything else, Allie." There was a far-off look in his eyes, and Alexandra remembered that his childhood had been less than ideal too.

"I agree." Cassandra added smilingly, "You are happy here, Allie. Happy with Richard. You are more alive than you have been in a long while, and seeing you this way is truly wonderful. So, why would we ever wish to pull you from this happiness?"

Alexandra grinned widely at her sister. Although Nate had always been the loving older brother, Cassandra had been more of a parental figure, for she had been both strict and kind and knew exactly when to put a stop to anything Allie was doing. She appreciated Cassie more than she knew, and she wished that there was a way to make her feelings on the matter more blatant to her sister.

"That settles it then, doesn't it?" She asked brightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her squirming nephew's head before letting him off her lap. He went straight to his Mama, which caused his sister to follow and they both clambered on to the sofa, settling on either side of Cassie. Allie's heart squeezed with joy at the sight and she wished that her future would hold something like the scene before her, but she could only imagine such a thing with Richard and, as far as she knew, it wasn't a possibility.

"On that note, I have some correspondence to answer, so I must retire for a while." Kit informed them abruptly, before standing up to leave, with a short goodbye that they responded to in like.

"Allie," Cassandra said suddenly, a few minutes after her husband had left, and Alexandra looked up to meet her gaze. "You love him, don't you?"

"I think I do." She confessed, instantly looking away, embarrassed. Lying to her sister wasn't a thought that hadn't even crossed her mind, but the answer she'd given caused a blush to rise to her cheeks for it felt silly and childish and humiliating to admit something of the sort. "I am not entirely sure, but I have a strong belief that I do love him. I do not think he loves me, though." The last of her words was a whispered admission, one that brought a sudden heaviness to her heart.

"I think you do, too." Cassandra agreed, "Of course, I could not claim to know you better than you know yourself, but you very much appear to me a girl in love. I was exactly the same with Kit. I still am. As for his feelings, I have no doubt in my mind that he feels for you exactly the way that you feel for him."

"Do you really think so?" Allie asked doubtfully, for such a thought hadn't ever crossed her mind. She'd never allowed herself to raise her hopes so high.

"I do." Cassie confirmed, "I don't think either of you truly loved one another when you were first affianced, but from the time we have arrived here, I have seen you fall in love with Richard. The same has happened to him as well and, I assure you, I have no cause to believe otherwise."