Page 12 of Waiting for Love (The Taverstons of Iversley #3)

T he table seating had been rearranged again. Olivia thought it must have been Mama’s doing because Vanessa would not have placed her mother-in-law at the foot of the table with Miss Jamison and Hannah. Olivia scanned the remaining chairs. Jasper sat at the head, of course, with Vanessa beside him on his right. Then Georgiana, Benjamin, and finally, Alice. Crispin had the place to Jasper’s left. Olivia was next to Crispin. And then Reg. The Taverston siblings reunited!

She took her seat and tried not to let sorrow intrude upon her gladness. She wanted to hold onto this. They were never all together anymore except for special occasions: funerals, weddings, births. The next wedding would likely be hers. And then Chaumbers would no longer be home, and she would no longer be a Taverston.

She caught Benjamin’s eye across the table. He looked wistful too. He quickly averted his gaze.

Circulating footmen began setting bowls of orange soup in front of them.

“So, tell me, Jasp. How was Binnings?” Crispin asked, in a tone that was far too innocuous. He was starting something.

Jasper groaned. Vanessa bit her lip to keep back a smile. Olivia knew Crispin’s cottage was in a sad state of repair, but he wanted to restore it himself. Without Jasper’s interference.

“Mother said you came home early from your honeymoon?” Crispin pressed. Then he glanced down at his bowl. “What is this?”

“Pumpkin,” Olivia said. “Pumpkin and cream. The Crofts have started growing it. It’s very good.”

He dipped his spoon and tasted. Then grimaced and set it aside. The footman behind him replaced it at once with a bowl of broth. Olivia ignored this. As did everyone else.

Jasper said, “Yes, we came home early.” He sounded defensive and annoyed. “Vanessa refused to let me touch anything.”

Crispin sniggered. Olivia was slow to catch why, but saw Reg and Benjamin repressing laughter and even Georgiana smiled. Oh! She got it. Jasper’s face reddened as he realized what he’d said.

Vanessa smiled wickedly. “I told him to restrain himself. But he insists on having his way.”

Now everyone laughed, everyone at their end of the table. Mama and Mrs. Jamison were engaged in a conversation of their own.

When the laughter subsided, Crispin said, “Confess. What did you fix?”

After a grudging moment, Jasper said, “I had the chimneys swept. They were dense with soot, and I thought it better than letting the place burn to the ground. Maybe I was mistaken.”

Crispin tapped his spoon lightly on the table. “What else?”

“Nothing of note.”

Vanessa cleared her throat.

Crispin said, “You brought six servants with you. Where did they sleep?” The spoon tap-tap-tapped. A little louder.

Jasper let out a huff. “I had to have the roof patched. It was leaking and the attic stank of must.”

“So you had the servants’ quarters cleaned as well.”

“Yes. Lud, stop with that drumming, Crispin. If you must know, I also had a Rumford stove installed in the kitchen. Mrs. Badge cannot cook in an open hearth.”

“Mrs. Badge cannot cook,” Crispin said, resting his spoon. “A stove will not help.”

Olivia couldn’t tell if Crispin was amused or angry. It made a little knot form in her chest.

Then Crispin laughed and everything was right again. “Vanessa said you came home because you found a mouse in your boot.”

Jasper’s expression turned wry. “That was not the only reason, but it was the most compelling.”

“Well,” Crispin said, “I thank you for your restraint. I’ll look into hiring someone. I know it’s too much for the Badges.”

“I will—”

“No, Jasper. I will.” Then he grinned. “Or I’ll ask Benjamin. He doesn’t seem to have enough to do.”

Her brothers all laughed. Benjamin did too, though not as easily. She wondered what that was about.

The conversation settled along more familiar lines as the second course was served.

Olivia enjoyed nothing more in the world than listening to her brothers’ banter. Their light-hearted insults. Mostly Jasper and Crispin played off one another, their voices rising to crescendos then dissolving into laughter. When they brought in Reg, he held his own. Olivia was never mocked, though she was teased, and when she tossed in rejoinders they roared, including her equally. She felt warm and happy and wished dinner would never end.

Cook outdid herself. There was haddock and ham, pudding, potatoes, beans, pickles, three types of black butter, two breads, and Crispin’s crumbly oatmeal biscuits. Their custom was to drink mead rather than wine on Christmas. She was not fond of mead, it had an off-putting earthy scent, but curiously, Crispin partook. She noticed Benjamin drank sparingly, and when the footman came around to refill his cup, he placed his hand over the rim to indicate no. Evidently, he was determined not to repeat the overindulgence of the previous night.

All too soon, footmen served out gingerbread and syllabub.

Ignoring the desserts, Crispin turned to Reg. “How are your translations progressing?”

Reg gave a modest, “Fairly well.”

“Reginald!” Georgiana cried, laughing. “He has been extended an invitation to speak at Oxford come the new year. And Frederick, Mr. Bastion, has offered to front the costs of publishing the first three manuscripts in a small volume. Better than ‘fairly well’!”

Everyone congratulated him and teased him. A book and a babe in the New Year! His brothers were comparative sloths!

After this, talk swirled in quieter eddies until they came to the end of the meal.

“We will retire to the music room,” Mama said. “Crispin has agreed to play for us, and we can sing carols until the villagers come.”

“And dance?” Alice asked.

For some reason, that made Crispin laugh.

Mama touched the brooch at her neck, a plain piece she had worn since Father’s death. Then she nodded. “I suppose we might.”

The music room was a long way from the dining hall, almost all the way to the library. Olivia tried to walk slowly, to give Benjamin opportunity to fall behind as well. But Alice looped an arm through hers and propelled her along.

“Oh, this corridor is chilly,” Alice complained.

Fortunately, the music room had been prepared with a woodfire at one end and a coal brazier at the other. Servants had already lit the lamps. Crispin sat at the pianoforte and let his fingers roam over the keys. He started to sing, and Georgiana added her beautiful soprano. It was such a lovely duet, everyone else simply listened. Then he began to play “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night.” Precious Hannah jumped up and down, singing at the top of her lungs. The family joined in, laughing as much as they sang.

After a few more carols, Georgiana, growing breathless, was obliged to sit. Crispin struck up a country dance.

“Push back the chairs, Taverstons!” he cried.

Olivia clapped her hands, delighted. She hadn’t danced in so long! She helped drag the chairs against the wall. Everyone but Georgiana formed lines and swirled from partner to partner. Reg swung Hannah up into his arms and they passed her around. Soon they were all breathless. Crispin drew the tune to a close.

“All right,” he said, rising from the bench. “Mother, will you entertain us with a waltz?” He gestured for Mama to sit. “Come, Alice. Dance with me.”

“Crispin, really!” Mama scolded.

“Pardon me.” He bowed with a flourish. “Miss Fogbotham, will you do me the great honor?”

Jasper wrapped his arm around Vanessa’s waist. Reg glanced at Georgiana, who shook her head. He offered his hand to Miss Jamison. She blushed bright red, but stood, nodding. That left Benjamin, standing near the brazier, and Olivia, on the opposite side of the carpet. He had little choice but to walk across.

“Will you favor me with a dance, Lady Olivia?”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Carroll.”

Mama began to play. Olivia found Benjamin to be a competent partner, although they might move more gracefully if he did not leave quite so much distance between them and if his hand on her waist was less tentative. Reg looked more comfortable holding Miss Jamison.

Reg danced well, but he tended to heavy-footedness. Jasper and Vanessa, of course, waltzed to perfection. And Crispin spun Alice around the room as if they were in flight. He had a way of keeping to the balls of his feet and steering his partner into extra whirls while still keeping time with the music.

After several minutes, Hannah wriggled away from Georgiana and darted onto the floor toward her father. Reg quickly caught her. Even so, Benjamin drew Olivia closer, as if to shield her from a collision, flattening his palm against her waist and tightening his hold upon her hand. And then they were truly waltzing. Olivia found herself gazing into Benjamin’s dark-gray eyes. Her heart seemed to liquify in her chest. She held her breath, unwilling to break her gaze until he broke his. He pulled her a hair’s breadth closer.

“Whoops!” Alice cried, laughing, as she and Crispin came a little too near.

“Ah! Switch with me, Benjamin,” Crispin said, taking Olivia’s hand in trade for Alice’s and whirling her away. Olivia blinked, then tried to keep the reproach from her expression as she quickened her steps to match his.

“That was not kind to Alice,” she said, hiding the true source of her annoyance.

Crispin snorted. “It was not unkind. We aren’t at a ball. And I wanted to tell you something.” His voice dropped low. “In confidence.”

“What is it?”

“I’m leaving before daybreak.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want everyone fussing, but I wanted to tell you goodbye.”

“Oh, Crispin.” At once, the world seemed a little darker.

“Chin up!” he commanded. “Don’t pout or everyone will guess something is wrong. And I hate long drawn-out farewells.” He gave her a long sympathetic look, then a scolding tsk . “You have a tendency, Olivia, to wear your heart on your sleeve. Step lively!”

He waltzed her gaily around the room.

*

After the dance, Vanessa asked Jasper to retrieve a large box from behind the drapery. The men gathered the chairs and circled them in front of her, and the ladies sat. Olivia was still warm from exertion and now felt a silly thrill of excitement. She loved presents. Vanessa opened the box and began passing out beautiful boots to the women, including Miss Jamison, who blushed and thanked her over and over. Lastly, Vanessa pulled out a tiny pair for Hannah.

“Oh, how sweet!” Georgiana cried, then they all exclaimed over the cheerful little daisies engraved in the leather.

“That is very kind,” Benjamin said, his hand on Hannah’s dark hair. He looked touched. “Thank you.”

Olivia frowned, peeved not that he graciously thanked Vanessa, but that he had excoriated her for letting Hannah have a hairpin. To her embarrassment, Benjamin caught her frowning. His chin dropped and a light flush rose in his cheeks. Guilt, she imagined. He was thinking the same thing.

When Vanessa finished her gift giving, Jasper passed out boxes to the men. Reg received a dusty old book that made his eyes light up. Crispin’s box held a new greatcoat. Sorely needed. Olivia suspected it had been Vanessa’s gift for Jasper, quickly repurposed. For Benjamin, there was a bottle of whiskey.

“Irish,” Jasper said. “I could not locate a bottle from America.”

Benjamin gripped it by the neck and held it up like a prize. “I expect you will want me to share.”

Jasper laughed. “If you can bear my society.”

Crispin and Reg laughed too. Olivia wished they would explain their little jokes. She understood she was female and a good deal younger, but she hated when they left her out.

Peters appeared just then to announce, “The villagers, my lord. They are in the drive.”

“Ah, excellent,” Jasper said, turning to Vanessa. His voice changed. From laughing to solicitous. “Are you ready, love?”

Olivia felt a catch in her throat. She’d heard that commoners could be brutal when one of their own defied conventions. Just like the ton.

Vanessa rose. Her features were resolute. “Yes, I am.”

And then, all the Taverstons stood.