He sighed dramatically. "Kingi."
Despite her hopes that all was in hand, the next morning saw a host of small commissions that simply had to be fulfilled. Leaving Serena in command, with Crisp and Figgs in their element, Alathea bundled Mary and Alice into the small carriage and escaped.
"It's a madhouse!" Face to the window, Alice peered back to where the red carpet was being shaken and swept. "If they put that out now, it'll be a mess by evening."
"Crisp will see to it." Alathea sank back against the squabs and closed her eyes. She'd been up since daybreak, and had already met with the caterers and the florist. All the major components for the evening were thankfully falling into place. Opening her eyes, she scanned the list she clutched in one hand. "Gloves first, stockings next, and then the ribbons."
The carriage bore them home an hour and a half later. Mary and Alice were bubbling with excitement; Alathea watched them with joy in her heart. No matter how tiring the day might be, tonight would be its own reward.
As they turned into Mount Street, she glanced out of the window-and saw Jeremy's head almost in line with hers. "What…?"
Jerking forward, she stared, then leaned out of the window the better to view her youngest brother, laughing uproariously, arms flailing, seated atop a pedestrian curricle propelled full tilt down the pavement by Charlie and Gabriel.
She forebore to scream.
The carriage pulled up before their front steps. Mary and Alice tumbled out, paused but an instant to view Jeremy and company, then giggled and ran indoors.
Alathea descended from the carriage more slowly, then drew herself up and waited for the miscreants to arrive before her. They did so in an ungainly rush; for one instant she watched, horrified, expecting to see her worst nightmare
unfold as, hauled to a halt, the unstable contraption slewed sideways, tipping Jeremy off the high seat-
Reaching forward, Gabriel caught him, swinging him clear, then setting him on his feet while Charlie neatly righted the curricle. Charlie and Gabriel grinned at her-Jeremy did his best to appear inconspicuous.
Alathea fixed her gaze on him. "I believe I had your promise on no account to ride this machine in town?"
Eyes downcast, Jeremy squirmed.
Gabriel heaved a sigh. "It was my fault."
Alathea looked at him. "Yours?"
"I arrived just as your footman was taking delivery and offered to show them how it was done."
"You rode it?"
The look he bent on her was dismissively superior. "Of course. It's easy. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
She nearly said yes. The notion of seeing him, hideously elegant as always, precariously perched on the awkward machine riding up and down the tonnish street was almost too good to pass up. But… "No." She transferred her gaze to Jeremy. "That's not the point."
"Ah, but it is, because once I'd ridden to the corner, I simply put Jeremy on the seat and told him to hang on. It didn't occur to me that the machine had been bought for him but that he'd been forbidden to ride it."
Alathea caught the swift upward glance Jeremy shot her. She pressed her lips together, then explained, "The agreement I used to gain Serena's approval to buy the curricle was that Jeremy would only ride it on the lawns at the Park. He's prone to broken bones-to date, we've survived three broken arms and a broken leg. A collarbone in three pieces would never be welcome, but it would be even less welcome today."
Jeremy glanced up again; Alathea caught his eye. "You are extremely lucky that it was I who took Mary and Alice to the shops, and not your mama-she would have swooned had she seen your performance."
Jeremy shuffled his feet, but his eyes sparkled. A small smile played on his lips, just waiting to dawn. "But she didn't see it-you did. Wasn't it grand!" His smile broke free.
Alathea twisted her lips in an effort to hold back her own. "Potentially grand-you could do with a bit of practice, but don't you dare ride it here again."
"What about the back lawn?" Charlie asked. "That's thick-he wouldn't break anything if he fell on that."
"It's got a nice slope to it, too," Gabriel put in. "And I promise I won't let him career into the rhododendrons."
Faced with three male faces ranging in age from twelve to thirty but all with the same little-boy-pleading expression, Alathea threw up her hands. "Very well-I'll go and prepare Serena." She caught Gabriel's eye as she turned to the steps. "At least it'll keep you all out from under our feet."
His grin would have done his namesake proud.
Leaving them wheeling the curricle around to the back gate, Alathea crossed the threshold and entered a world of pandemonium. She first sought out Serena and reassured her of Jeremy's safety, embroidering on Gabriel's promise without a second thought as soon as she realized Serena was happy to place her trust in him.