She recovered quickly and apologized. “Nothing…I am sorry for interrupting you. Please, let’s just talk about something else.” She gave her friend and her aunt a pleading look. “Let’s speak of anything else besides this wedding.”
Eliza happily obliged her and began talking of her new home in Worcestershire with Mr. Hoffingbrooke, but Leticia found she was unable to peel her eyes off Richard—even for the briefest of moments. While he had broken their shared connection and gone back to surveying the rest of the party, she found her gaze returning to him.
I’ve never seen him look so miserable.
Leticia knew it was impolite not only to ignore her own table companions but to spend the party staring across the way at Richard, but she couldn’t help herself. She felt sorry for him, and every time he leaned forward a fraction of an inch in his seat, so the others could attempt to draw him into their revelry, she hoped that he’d take them up on the offer.
If I thought he was happy, none of what I overheard Miss Loery say would make any difference.
But, with Richard gazing about his surroundings as though he had no idea where he was or what was happening around him, basically just going through the motions of this wedding weekend, it was clear he wasn’t full of joy. And as for whether he loved Miss Loery or not, Leticia saw the indifferent look on Richard’s face when his soon-to-be wife addressed him. He cared not for her, one way or the other.
And so, when Aunt Amelia and Eliza finished their conversation a few minutes later and declared that they were both in need of a brisk walk, Leticia took the opportunity to excuse herself and go to Richard’s side. She made it most of the way across the lawn with Richard in her sights, but then, someone brushed up beside her, and she nearly took a tumble.
“I say,” Leticia yipped, not thinking so much about how embarrassing it would be to fall right there in the middle of the lawn, but irritated that she had been thwarted in her mission to speak with Richard.
I must talk to him. Maybe, if I tell him what I heard Miss Loery say, I can get him out of all this.
“Perhaps you should watch where you are going,” a smooth masculine voice said, and Leticia turned to stare wide-eyed at such a man who would speak that way to a lady. But, as luck would have it, she was met by no ordinary gentleman. It was her cousin Harry, and his face was lit with a teasing smile. Leticia stood on her tiptoes and ran her fingertips through Harry’s hair, making a complete and total mess of his perfectly coiffed hairstyle. “Leticia,” he groaned. “Play nice.”
“Or what?” she smirked. “You’ll tell Aunt Amelia on me?”
“Never,” Harry said, running his hands through his brown locks and trying to tame them. “But should you decide to persist in such a manner, I will be forced to retaliate.”
“A gentleman like you would never take advantage of an innocent lady like me,” Leticia replied, batting her eyelashes coquettishly.
That made Harry laugh which forced Leticia to join him. As Harry’s laugh was so loud and boisterous, it was agreed upon that anytime someone heard him, they felt as if they simply must take part in the merriment.
“Now,” Harry said, calming down a bit, and holding his arm out to Leticia, “can I tempt you to join me in a game of nine pins? I spent all morning yesterday practicing. Together, father and I defeated Sir Walter and his son, Charles, handily. But, with you as my partner, I am hoping we should take on Admiral Pickerington and his wife, Mary. I hear they have their own lawn, nearly as nice as this one, and they practice regularly.”
Leticia groaned. “I shall play on your team, but don’t expect me to take the competition seriously.”
Harry stopped right in his tracks and gave her a dubious look. “When have you not taken a competition seriously, Letty?” Leticia swatted at her cousin, and they began walking again. When she remained silent, he continued speaking. “Is there something wrong?”
“Yes—” Leticia answered.
“Fine,” Harry huffed. “If you don’t want to go in for a game of lawn bowling, I am sure we could join the round of hoopla.”
“No, it’s not that,” Leticia said, shaking her head dismally. “The trouble is, just now, I am preoccupied, and I am afraid that if I engage in any of the games, I won’t be at my very best.”
“Then, I shall take you at your worst,” Harry replied quickly, giving her a dashing smile.
“Really, Harry,” she said, glancing away from him, allowing her eyes to roam around in search of Richard. “I am quite worried about Richard.”
“Richard?” Harry scoffed. “Why?”
Leticia gestured widely around the Estate. “Because we’re at his Manor…as guests at his wedding celebration. How can Richard not be onyourmind?”
Harry shrugged noncommittally. Then, he glanced downward at her, and his expression softened. “Letty, it’s a party. Try to lighten up, will you?”
“Of course,” she murmured, and they began walking once more toward the bowling lawn. Over the course of the game, Leticia did her level best to take Harry’s advice and relax a little.
“That’s it,” Harry said as he handed her one of the bowling balls. “You are always telling Richard to unwind and learn how to enjoy his life. Why don’t you do the same thing for yourself?” He backed away from her then, and she zeroed in on the pins, clearing her mind before giving the ball a mighty toss. The ball made a robust sound as it knocked into the first few pins and then ricocheted off the last two.
“Ha!” Leticia cheered enthusiastically, tickled by her good fortune.
Harry raced forward once more and flung both his arms around her. “We make a pretty good team,” he whispered in her ear.
“That we do.”