Page 47 of Love Abandoned

Chapter Twenty-One

The eye—it cannot choose but see;

We cannot bid the ear be still;

Our bodies feel, where’er they be,

Against, or with our will.

—Wordsworth, “Expostulation and Reply”

Elizabeth had enjoyedplanning the picnic. Sophia and Catherine had helped write the invitations and rush them out. She’d worked on a small well-chosen guest list, but Sophia would have none of it. She’d declared she had no intention of spending an afternoon with mamas and their babies. To which Catherine had responded by pointing at her midriff, and Elizabeth had pointed at herself. They’d laughed uncontrollably until their stomachs hurt.

Sophia had a point though. This was an ideal opportunity to raise funds for the orphanage, and she should not waste it. Elizabeth had held her own in terms of William’s friends. It was his celebration, after all. But they’d carefully drafted a list of guests who were more than capable of contributing to the cause.

“These are brilliant,” Catherine declared, holding a small wooden fish by the tail and waving it in the air to dry. “It has been great fun painting them.”

“They were Richard’s idea. He said it wasn’t a picnic without fishing.” Richard had not been around a tremendous amount this past week, but when he was, he’d been very attentive and most helpful. He’d had the fish made and affixed loops of twine to their heads to hook with a rod. “We’ll have to decide where to set the water barrel.”

“Out of the way so no one gets a hook in the eye,” said Sophia as she wound another vine through the arbor. “I have ordered fresh flowers for the morning. Ensure one of your servants tucks them in among this foliage.”

“Oh, that will be lovely. Thank you, Sophia. And you, Catherine. I could not have managed this so quickly on my own.”

“The haste was imperative, no?” Sophia joined them at the table. “Entertainments in town will soon be increasing, as will the demand on wallets.” She picked up a fish, stared at it, then set it back down again. “Tomorrow this room will be swimming with people, not just fish. We must…usa una lancia.”

“I trust you mean spear their purses, not their persons,” Elizabeth said with a laugh.

“But of course,” Sophia said, smiling naughtily. “Although there are one or two I might be inclined to poke a few times.”

“Sophia!” Catherine leaned forward conspiratorially. “Who?”

Sophia gossiped wickedly about a few ladies while Elizabeth and Catherine finished painting the last of the fish.

“I bet Nicholas tries his hands at this,” Catherine said when they were done. “We should put a cup beside it and make the men pay.”

“I believe we should always make men pay,” Sophia said, smiling sweetly.

“Oh, that reminds me, Elizabeth, I hope I didn’t cause any friction between you and Richard. It seems I was wrong. Richard did come to see Nicholas. Apparently, I was in the drawing room when their meeting occurred.”

The tiny knot in Elizabeth’s stomach unraveled. Richard had not lied to her. Which in turn meant their time together this week had been genuine. She smiled at Catherine but did not miss Sophia’s arched eyebrow. Elizabeth was about to ask her what was running through that fertile mind of hers when a commotion arose outside the ballroom. Hastings entered looking flustered.

“My lady, pardon me for interrupting. There are birds. So many birds.” He flapped his hands around the room as though he was seeing them fly through the air.

“Birds?” they all said in unison.

“Birds,” he repeated as the door opened behind him and Catherine’s aunt sailed into the room, far spryer than she’d appeared at the Walfords’ dinner party.

“Auntie!” Catherine said, rising and going to her. “What are you doing here?”

“Contributing,” she said, clapping her hands.

Elizabeth gasped. Servants poured into the room, each carrying a birdcage. Some of the more elaborate cages were so large it took two servants to carry them.

“I have emptied my aviary. There must be birdsong at a picnic.”

They looked at each other and were unable to contain themselves. Catherine’s aunt looked both delighted with herself and confused at their laughter.

Catherine walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “You are my favorite auntie,” she said loudly against her ear.

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