Page 66 of Trouble

It had been jarring for a moment. Unexpected. But unexpected did not mean wrong, and it was easy to adapt. Just like a great many things, it was none of her business.

Emily sat down next to Grace on the floor and rested her head against the wall.

Everybody in this house seemed absolutely determined to surprise her.

‘And how do you feel about that?’

‘I’m not sure,’ said Grace. ‘Who’s he going to marry? And, actually, does that mean .?.?. is he really going to be a sailor?’

Emily laughed, more out of shock than anything.

‘I wouldn’t worry about any of that, Grace.’

‘All right,’ said Grace. ‘Goodness. A brother. A brother for Grace. I think I like it.’

‘Come on,’ said Emily. ‘Let’s go to the schoolroom, shall we? And then Aster can join us when he’s ready.’

‘If you think he’s coming to lessons today when he has a most excellent excuse to abstain,’ Grace said, as Emily helped her to her feet, ‘then you are the world’s greatest optimist, and likely deserve a medal.’

Everybody knew by dinner time.

Emily was a little on edge, waiting to see if there might be odd looks or off-colour remarks once they’d started drinking their wine, but she had underestimated these people; once Meera had broached the subject, there was nothing but gentle good cheer.

‘Can’t say I understand it,’ said Joe, ‘but if Aster’s happy .?.?.’

‘Do you know how hard it has been to saynothing?’ Oliver said. ‘To givenothingaway? I am the world’s worst secret-keeper, but he kept stealing my damned clothes, so of course when I asked him about it he justtoldme everything, and I had to walk around feeling like my head was going to explode—’

‘Aster toldyou?’ said Meera. ‘But why?’

‘Well, you know,’ said Oliver. ‘Not quite birds of a feather, but .?.?. birds who drink from the same fountain, you know?’

Emily did not, in fact, know – but this gave her plenty of reason to suspect.

‘Poor boy,’ said Akia. ‘With only you to confide in. Did you give him one of your famous speeches about confidence that always makes me long for death by the end?’

‘No,’ said Oliver. ‘Well .?.?. sort of. Not one big speech. A few little speechettes, along the way.’

Emily put down her wine glass.

‘Hold on. That night when I saw you two together, after the dinner party—’

‘And you accused me of being a vile scoundrel? Oh, yes, that was very delightful of you. He kept trying to run away, but not getting very far. I’ve had to fetch him back three bloody times.’

They all laughed at his outrage, and Akia patted him on the knee. It was a sign of the spirit of the evening that Meera didn’t even make him put a sixpence in the jar.

‘You did well, Oliver,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

‘Hear hear,’ said Joe, with a little tilt of his glass.

‘I suppose he won’t come to the ball next week,’ said Meera, going from laughter to logistics in an instant. ‘I shall have to ask.’

‘Is it optional?’ said Emily.

‘Not foryou,’ said Akia. ‘I am going to do your hair.’

Emily started protesting, but there was a loud and immediate consensus that shehadto attend the ball. She was a little taken aback by their insistence. Nobody but Amy had ever been so enthusiastic about an evening spent in her company.

‘Fine, fine,’ said Emily. ‘But I shall complain the whole time.’