“Good heavens, what chaos!” Chloe Wetherby stood in the doorway to her children’s nursery, dumbfounded by the mess they’d made. And by the fact that her sister, Cassandra, had allowed them to make such a mess. “Cassie, I thought you were watching them.”

Her little sister’s curls bounced frantically as she bounded across the room. “Oh, I have been, Clo! We’ve been having a grand time defeating Napolean’s army, haven’t we?”

Two chubby faces peered up at them with wide smiles. Four-year-old Samantha wore a hat made of paper upon her head and a mustache made of—

“Is that chocolate on your lip?” Chloe asked, trying not to laugh.

“Mm-hm, and it is delicious!”

Benedict, who was not even a year yet, sat giggling amidst a sea of pillows.

“Well, we’re going to be late for dinner if we don’t hurry. What a blessedly inconvenient time for Martha to take sick to her bed.” She picked up Benedict and stood by the door. “Cassie, please dress Sam for dinner and wash the chocolate off her face. I will send Deborah to help you dress when she’s done helping me. Good heavens, how did Mother handle six children with no help whatsoever?”

“Mother never had to dress us for fancy dinners,” Cassie rejoined as she led Sam through the door into the corridor.

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Her sister and daughter skipped toward the staircase. With Benedict on her hip, Chloe followed them to the children’s bedchambers. As she began to dress her sweet little boy, she realized her hands were shaking. So much so that she could hardly loop the buttons through the holes on his shirt.

She took a deep breath. Her nerves were on edge. She hadn’t seen her cousin in so very long. What would it be like? Had she changed very much? By her letters it would seem Lizzie—or Beth, as Michael had taken to calling her—had grown up quite a bit, no longer consumed with frivolities and gossip. But would seeing Chloe remind her of what had happened? Of her horrific betrayal?

Chloe hated that she’d done it, but in the end, she couldn’t feel badly about it. She’d fallen in love with Andrew, and according to Shakespeare, one could not help such a thing. Besides, she and Andrew had two beautiful children together, so any regrets she might have had before were now gone altogether.

Well, all but one. She did regret the rift that had formed between Lizzie and herself.

“There we are!” she said, smiling down at her son’s angelic face. “As handsome as ever.”

“I’m ready too, Mama!”

Chloe swung around to see Samantha fully dressed in a white dress with lace trim, a thick satin sash about the waist, her hair partially up with a mass of dark curls cascading over her shoulders. Chloe beamed at her daughter.

“You look lovely, my dear. Now, Cassie, go and get ready quickly, then hurry back so you can look after the children while I finish getting ready myself.”

“Why don’t I look after the children?”

Chloe looked up to find her husband in the doorway—her knight on a white charger. “When did you get home?” she wondered as he crossed the room towards her.

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek before ruffling Benedict’s hair. “Just now. But I’m desperate for a spot of tea.”

A little gasp came from the other side of the room. “Papa! I can serve you tea!” Samantha cried, her eyes alight with excitement.

“Perfect!” Andrew relieved Chloe of their son, and then took Samantha’s hand to lead them back to the nursery for a tea party.

Chloe smiled after them and then turned to her sister. “Well, shall we prepare for this evening?”

* * *

Andrew Wetherby walked into the parlor of Ashbury Manor, where his closest family members and family friends were making merry. Chloe and the children were already there as well. Samantha had found her cousins and now played with them on the rug before the great fire. His brothers-in-law, Steven and James Hawthorne, stood by the sidebar, which was stocked with fine scotch and brandy. And Chloe’s sister, Cassandra, clung to her side, clearly unsure, at the ripe age of twelve, whether she should be playing with the children or conversing with the adults.

He watched Chloe intently as he leaned against the doorjamb, wondering if she was all right. It wasn’t any secret that she was a bit nervous about her cousin’s return, despite the fact they’d visited them in Scotland. Still, it had been a long time since then. And Andrew would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit nervous himself. He’d spent a long time engaged to Elizabeth, and the fact that she married his brother could make for an awkward family gathering. Could four years really make them all forget what had happened?

Voices from the front hall brought him from his thoughts and sent his nerves skittering to his extremities. They would find out soon enough just how awkward this holiday would be.

Andrew stepped out into the corridor and waited for Michael and Elizabeth to make their way towards him. As they did, one thing became very apparent. He smiled widely at his brother and sister-in-law, and they both beamed back at him. His nerves melted away as he kissed Elizabeth on her cheek and then embraced his twin. It had been far too long.

“Oh, heavens,” Elizabeth said, as she stood by watching them. “I never expected to be so emotional, but this reunion…”

“Lizzie!”

Andrew and Michael stepped aside to allow Chloe into the corridor. She ran to Elizabeth and gathered her in her arms as both women dissolved into tears.