Page 39 of Pursuing Mr. Mattingly

Breakfast was aboisterous affair, where he took more than a few comments and ribbing from Sophia’s male relatives. He merely grinned and introduced several different topics that had nothing to do with anything relating to wedding nights or beds.

It must have been the correct course of action, for his wife smiled at him in the way that had awareness prickling over him, while Hannah kept up a stream of conversation more or less related to the subjects at hand. Only once did a kitten jump onto the table, but when the other one vaulted onto the sideboard and leapt into one of the chafing dishes, breakfast was declared at an end, for no one wished for cat hair in their scrambled eggs or to partake of kippers licked by felines.

“If the weather clears this afternoon, perhaps we should attempt to play nine pins or even battledore and shuttlecock,” the earl suggested as he stood up from the table while a footman removed the kitten from the eggs. “Hannah!” The earl gawked while bits of golden egg clung to the kitten’s fur and whiskers. “Attend to your animal this instant.”

“Apologies for him, Uncle Arthur. He’s only a baby yet.” Hannah hurried out of the room after the footman.

Ettesmere shook his head before including the remainder of the family in his gaze. “Julianna will come over and bring her father.”

“You know battledore and shuttlecock is one of my favorites,” Sophia said with a smile before she hid it behind a sip of tea.

“Then that’s what we shall do.” The earl glanced at his brother. “Gilbert, will you be joining us? We can form teams. Surely you can be a good sport, even with the limp?”

The other man pushed away his plate of half-eaten food. “Do I have a choice?”

Sophia pulled a face at him. “No, you do not. Be grouchy and morose on your own time, but I would love it above all things if you’ll play this game with me.”

Once again, the reality of the situation came home for Oliver. His heart constricted as she interacted with her siblings. Everyone in this room would mourn her loss quite deeply, and now his life was intwined with theirs. That thought had the power to humble him. They were his family. He had a family and was no longer alone. Why had that not occurred to him before? Perhaps he’d been so focused on Sophia, on telling her she wasn’t alone that he’d completely overlooked the same was true for him. Forever after, he was connected with the Winterbournes. There was a certain warm comfort in that.

All too soon, he grinned at their teasing and bickering.

At some point, the earl frowned. “Why are you staring at us like that?”

Both Sophia and Gilbert glanced at him with interest in their faces.

Oliver shrugged. “I have a family—you are my family.” A chuckle escaped him as he shrugged with a bit of scrambled egg sitting on his fork halfway to his mouth. “I’m not alone in this life any longer, thanks to my marrying Sophia.” The awe and humbleness that came along with the knowledge didn’t fail to astound him.

“As it should be.” She left her chair, came around the table, and bussed his cheek. “We all need each other, Oliver. Never forget that.” The subtle scent of roses wafted about him. “We both made a good decision yesterday.”

“So it seems.” Deeper he fell into love with her, and he refused to stop the slide even knowing the outcome. For the moment, there was no greater feeling than the contentment found therein.

*

By the timemid-afternoon rolled around, the rain had cleared and ushered in blue skies with partial clouds the sun flirted with, so everyone poured out onto the back lawn for a rousing game of battledore and shuttlecock.

Oliver had no idea how to play such a thing, but he was game to try, especially since Sophia’s eyes sparkled when small rackets—battledores—were handed around. As he experimentally swished his racket through the air, Hannah joined them.

“Will you be on my team, Mr. Mattingly?”

“Of course.” He glanced at his wife and then back to Hannah. “If you’d like, you may refer to me as Oliver. We are family now.”

“I would like that very much.” The girl nodded. She pointed to the fat beagle. “Did you know Regent snuck into the morning room an hour ago and stole all the sandwiches from my grandmother’s tea tray when she wasn’t looking?”

“Oh?” Despite his wish to remain a role model for her, a snicker escaped. “He is a naughty dog indeed. Will Lady Ettesmere join us this afternoon?”

“I don’t think so. She is working on her costume for the upcoming masquerade.”

Sophia poked his shoulder with her racket. “We need to peruse the attics and find you something to wear. With everything else going on, it slipped my mind.”

“You have been preoccupied of late,” he responded in a low voice, and when he met her gaze, heat twined up his spine. “I don’t see that ending any time soon.” His grin felt positively wicked, but he didn’t care.

“Neither do I.” The answering smile she gave him brimmed with the same deviltry.

Hannah snorted. She bounced her attention between them. “Adults are odd at times.”

“Agreed.” Oliver offered the girl his arm. “Shall I escort you over to the ground where the game will go on?”

“Yes, thank you.” She slipped her gloved fingers into the crook of his elbow. “The object of the game is to keep the shuttlecock in the air. The person who lets it fall to the ground is out. A winner is declared when there is only one person left.”

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