CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Whatever was waiting for her had to be up front, where she couldn't see it. She was relieved that the river was only five feet away and that she was getting out on the river's edge. She climbed down from the carriage with trepidation, avoiding his offered hand and ready to flee if necessary.
As her feet touched the grass and she turned in the direction of the horses, she was suddenly assailed by a loud chorus screaming, “Surprise!”
A clutch of small children was running at her, among whom she saw Theo and Tara, and standing in a row behind them was Mary and Jacob, but also Will, his mother, and three sisters and what was likely their husbands. Rose felt as if her knees were going to give way in relief. The children had reached her and surrounded her, and Tara was screaming “Happy Birthday, Auntie Rosie” at the top of her voice and dancing like a Jack-in-the-box. Theo reached to pull on her hand. Mary was clapping her hands together with joy, with Jacob’s arm around her, and beside them, Will was standing watching her with a huge grin.
Rose was grateful for the pestering of the children to cover the sudden rush of emotion she felt. Mary came forward and wrapped her arms around her sister.
“Happy birthday, Rose,” she said, hugging her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
“You scared me to death,” Rose said. “I thought I was being kidnapped.”
“Kidnap, kidnap,” Theo chanted. “We kidnapped you, Aunt Rosie.”
Then he grabbed his mother and aunt’s hands and pulled them back towards his father and the others.
Will kept his eyes fixed on Rose as she approached him. He was standing in front of a number of blankets spread out on the grass, and she could see variouspicnic baskets behind him. He reached out, took her hand, and softly said, "Happy birthday, Rose." He raised her wrist to his mouth,kissingher on the back of her hand. The touch of his lips sent a current racing up her arm, a reaction she tried hard to hide by quickly lowering her eyes, afraid that everyone would see. She drew her hand back.
Thankfully, Jacob stepped forward and covered her disquiet by throwing his arms around her and lifting her from the floor in a bear hug.
“Happy birthday,” he said against her ear. “May you get everything your heart desires this coming year.”
“Thank you, Jacob.” She clapped him on the back, quite overcome by the level of affection she was receiving.
As he placed her back on the ground, Rose turned her head towards Will’s family. For a moment, she said nothing, just staring at them as they smiled at her. It had been nearly a decade since she had seen them.
“I can’t believe you are all here,” she said, feeling the tears gather in her throat. Will’s mother simply held out her open arms, and Rose went into them. While Maud Browning’s arms came around her, as they had done so many times before, so many years before, her tears finally spilled over. She let them fall. Besides Mrs. Bentley, the housekeeper, it had been Maud Browning she had gone to for motherly advice while growing up, but then she had betrayed her son and never gone back.
Rose pulled away slightly. “I’m so sorry,” she started saying, but Maud reached to wipe away her tears. “Nay, lass. This is not a day for apologies or tears. This is your birthday, and we have all come to celebrate it with you.”
Alice, Isabel, and Grace Browning fell in around their mother and Rose. Grace had been a child when shelast saw her, and she immediately hung off Rose's arm, as she had done so many times before. Their husbands smiled warmly at her.
“I cannot believe you arranged all this,” Rose said, turning to Mary.
“Not me,” Mary said, shaking her head. “Him!” She pointed at Will. “He chose the place and then threatened us all with dire consequences if we didn’t come.”
Rose looked at Maud.
“It is true,” she laughed. “But once he told us, we would not have stayed away anyway.”
Rose turned to Will. He spread his hands.
“Mary told me you no longer celebrated your birthday. I decided we needed to change that.” He did not take his eyes from hers. “I thought you might like a picnic by the river to celebrate.”
“Picnic. Picnic.” The children started to chant in unison and then rushed for the baskets. Their mothers tried to stop them from delving in, and for a moment, there was chaos all around her until she and Will were left standing side-by-side, and everyone else was setting out food on the blankets.
“I should punch you,” she said.
“Whatever for?”
“When the horses turned off down this tiny lane, I thought I was being abducted.”
“Yes,” his eyes twinkled at her. “That was my other plan, but then all these people got in the way.”
Rose blushed to the roots of her hair and looked at the ground. He reached out a hand and put one finger under her chin to raise her eyes back to his.
“I would give you a birthday kiss,” he said quietly, so none of the others could hear. “But you will just have to imagine it.” Then he added, “For now.”