How he and Pierce had become friends was beyond Nathanial. Then again, he could not deny that the same could be said about him and Charlaine.
“Nathanial,” Pierce exclaimed as Nathanial stepped out onto the terrace. “How wonderful of you to join us.”
Nathanial nodded to Pierce, then turned to the man’s friend. “Lord Ashhaven.”
“Mr. Caswell,” Lord Ashhaven addressed him, a polite tone in his voice. His expression, however, betrayed not a single emotion.
Pierce rolled his eyes. “There is no reason to stand on ceremony,” he reminded them, then looked at his old friend. “Ash, I—”
The girls’ voices echoed along the hall as their small feet carried them onward. A moment later, they burst out onto the terrace, Daphne in the lead and Susan following close behind.
“Ladies,” Pierce greeted them with a formal bow, a wide smile upon his face. “May I introduce you to my old friend, Lord Ashhaven.” He grinned at the man. “You may call him Ash.”
Lord Ashhaven remained straight-faced.
“Ash?” Daphne asked. “Like the tree?”
Pierce chuckled. “It’s short for Ashhaven.”
Daphne nodded knowingly before Susan tugged on her arm and then whispered something in her ear, her little eyes wide as she stared at their visitor.
Again, Daphne nodded, her own gaze sweeping over Lord Ashhaven. If the man was made uncomfortable by the girls’ scrutiny, he didn’t show it.
“Ah, here you are,” Caroline exclaimed as she stepped out onto the terrace, followed by Charlaine and Emma. “The girls darted off, and I admit we lost sight of them.” She smiled at Pierce, who embraced her warmly and then pulled out a chair for her to sit.
Charlaine, too, seated herself while Emma remained hovering near the doors, her face somewhat pale as though she wished to leave, her discomfort written all over her face.
“You have gray hair,” Daphne observed rather loudly. “Are you old? You don’t look old.”
While the majority of them chuckled ever so discreetly, Emma’s jaw dropped in shock. “Daphne!” she chided with a somewhat fearful glance at Lord Ashhaven. “Where are your manners? You are not to—”
“It is all right,” Lord Ashhaven assured the young woman, who looked close to fainting, mortification burning in her cheeks. “The young lady merely made an accurate observation,” he told her before turning his attention to Daphne. “However, your conclusion is not accurate.”
Pierce laughed. “No, Daphne, Ash is not old.” He paused. “Or at least not older than I am.”
“Then why does he have gray hair?” Daphne asked with a sideways glance at her governess, who still seemed unable to shake off her discomfort.
“That, I cannot say,” Pierce replied before he looked toward his friend.
Lord Ashhaven sighed. “My father’s hair turned gray early as well so I believe it is something that runs in our family. Why it does so is something I cannot answer.”
While not completely satisfied with that reply, Daphne was willing to accept it.
Tea and lemon tarts were served then, distracting the girl from any further inquiries. Seating themselves under a large umbrella, Daphne and Susan sat munching their treats. Pierce offered one to his wife, who declined it with a bit of a scrunched look coming to her face, her hand fluttering down to her belly.
“Here, have one.” Shoving a lemon tart into Nathanial’s hand, Charlaine linked her arm through his and dragged him over to sit with her. “They’re good. I promise.”
Taking a bite, Nathanial smiled at her, once again relieved that no awkwardness seemed to linger between them. “They’re delicious.”
“May we have your attention,” Pierce addressed them, a wide grin upon his face as he looked down at his wife. Caroline, too, appeared to be glowing like a firefly at night, her eyes luminous and a deep smile dancing across her features. “We have a bit of good news to share.” Again, he paused, then shook his head. “In fact, it’s wonderful news.” He smiled down at his wife. “The best I’ve…we’ve ever received.”
Nathanial felt Charlaine’s hand tighten upon his arm before she turned to look at him, her eyes aglow and a large smile upon her face. “Oh, I’m so happy for them,” she whispered as though he ought to know what she was talking about.
Nathanial was about to inquire but, before he could, Pierce announced, “In only a few short months, there will be an addition to our family, a little brother or sister for our precious Daphne!” He smiled at the girl, who stared back at him with a rather shocked expression upon her little face.
While everyone offered their congratulations, hugs and well-wishes exchanged freely, Daphne sat pouting in her chair, the lemon tart in her hand all but forgotten.
“Are you not happy?” Susan asked her, eyeing her friend curiously.
Daphne shook her head. “What good will a baby do? They cry all the time,” she looked up at Pierce, “don’t they?”
Smiling, he knelt down in front of her, set aside the lemon tart and took her sticky hands in his. “They do cry, but only because they still need to learn to speak,” he told her gently. “However, before you know it, they grow and learn. He or she will be a new playmate for you. Someone you can teach. Someone you can impart your wisdom on. Someone who will look up to you.”
A tentative smile came to Daphne’s face. “Like Susan?”
“Hey!” Susan exclaimed in displeasure. “I know things, too. I’m not a baby.”
“Of course not, sweet one,” Caroline told her as she came to sit next to her. “You’re both big girls and our little one,” her hand fell to her belly, “will need both of you.” She smiled at the girls, who seemed placated by her assurance.
“Indeed, having someone to play with is great fun,” Pierce said with a sideways glance at Lord Ashhaven, who remained rather immobile in his seat, observing the scene with a rather inexpressive countenance.
“Did you have a brother or sister?” Daphne asked her father curiously.
Pierce shook his head. “No, I didn’t. But I had a very good friend.” Again, he looked at Lord Ashhaven. “Ash and I did all kinds of fun things when we were younger.”
The other man cleared his throat, his gaze moving out over the gardens.
Nathanial wondered if Pierce’s reminder displeased his old friend because his own remembrance of the time was an altogether different one or because he disliked being thought of as a joyful youth. Indeed, Nathanial could not picture it no matter how hard he tried. Was that how others saw him, Nathanial, as well? He wondered, knowing that especially compared to Zach, he had always been the serious one.
“What fun things?” Daphne demanded, eagerness in her eyes.
Pierce sighed, a bit of a devilish look coming to his gaze as he looked at his old friend, who continued to ignore them. “Oh, we played tricks on our cook.” His gaze sobered and met Daphne’s. “But don’t try that on Mrs. Colden.”
Daphne’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, I wouldn’t. I’m not a fool.” She shook her head from side to side, her dark curls bouncing up and down.
Pierce laughed. “We also spent a lot of time outdoors, just like you and Susan. We went to the lake.” A deep chuckle spilled from his lips. “One summer, we tied a rope to one of the higher branches and then swung out and let ourselves drop into the water.”