Page 57 of Bluebell’s Fate

She held her breath.

“Of course.” Nathaniel said.

With permission granted, Bell second-guessed herself for a moment. Could she do this? Could she trust herself to see the truth between Nathaniel and Miss Stone? Whether or not she wanted to know the truth, she needed it.

She sent off a note to the Stones’ house that very evening, wishing once more for a crown of bluebells to help her in her task.

Chapter Thirty-six

Nathaniel had never seen Bell so pointedly…focused. All day, she was set upon making preparations for the picnic. Between scouting out a spot, choosing blankets to cover the ground, and even helping Mrs. Carter in the kitchen, she was a force to be reckoned with. Either she didn’t need his help, or she didn’t want his interference, but he eventually just stayed out of her way. He knew that for some reason, this picnic was important to her. What he didn’t understand was why.

And for the life of him, he didn’t comprehend why Bell wanted to invite the Stones. They’d accepted graciously, and Nathaniel had prepared himself to watch Miss Eliza Stone on the arm of his roguish cousin. He still felt bad for the way things had ended between them, but he felt worse now that she was being manipulated into being courted by Ian. Chances were, Ian didn’t even really like Miss Stone. If he was walking in the path of Nathaniel’s brother, Edwin, Ian was simply using Miss Stone to make Nathaniel feel jilted.

Ian didn’t understand that the plans Nathaniel had made for Miss Stone were not only in his past, they were plans of his mind, not his heart. And although Nathaniel would have gotten along with Miss Stone, Nathaniel would have missed out on the magic that was Bluebell. Still, if he had an opportunity this evening to warn Eliza about Ian’s reputation, Nathaniel was going to take it. Miss Stone didn’t deserve to suffer because of Ian’s selfishness.

Bell planned the picnic to be at four o’clock. There would be some games and socializing after the food was brought out. Nathaniel finished his preparations with Wilson at half past three. He could hear Bell pacing in her bedroom, just beyond their connecting door. After Wilson left, Nathaniel walked over to the door and knocked lightly.

“Yes?” Bell’s voice came out a little high pitched.

Nathaniel shook his head, she sounded worried. “May I come in?”

He heard her soft footfalls approach the door before it opened. “Is there something I forgot?” A deep crease between her eyebrows marred her otherwise flawless face.

He stepped through the doorway and put his hands on the soft skin of her upper arms. The pink dress she wore set off the color in her cheeks and contrasted with her rich, dark hair. The gown had sheer sleeves and delicate beadwork across the bodice. In fact, this dress, if he was not mistaken, was the dress she wore on their wedding day. It was phenomenal, yes, but why had she felt the need to use her best dress for a simple picnic? He rubbed slow circles on her arms with his thumbs.

“Nathaniel…” Bell asked again. “Have I forgotten something?”

“N-No,” he stammered. What was it he had come to do? “I just heard you in here, and…I wanted to see you.”

Bell’s eyebrows shot up on her face. “Oh, I…well…”

Her nervousness was as apparent to Nathaniel as a wrong number in a ledger. What had her so worried? “You look enchanting.” Nathaniel dropped his hands from her arms, and held her hands instead, not willing to sever his connection to her entirely. “How are you feeling?”

She opened her blue eyes wide. Perhaps nervousness wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how she looked. “I’m excited…to meet everyone.”

“And…” he knew there was more.

“And,” she took a deep breath, and squeezed his hands lightly, “I really want everything to go off as planned.”

Nathaniel felt the truth of her words even though he suspected there was more she wasn’t telling him. “Everything will be fine. You’ve put in plenty of planning for this event, and everyone has accepted your invitations.”

She swallowed and nodded, almost to herself. “I hope so. Godmother helped me, of course, so we should have some good luck.”

“Luck isn’t going to be necessary.” Nathaniel squeezed her hand.

Nathaniel absent-mindedly tapped a rhythm on his leg. Apparently, luck—if it existed—was not on Bell’s side. Nathaniel didn’t typically factor luck into his plans. Probability, yes. But luck, there was no way to plan for that.

By the time he and Bell had come downstairs, his parents and Ian were already out back, walking around the lawn with his grandmother. Bell had begun biting her bottom lip before they’d even made it outside.

The guests were early. That wasn’t Bell’s fault. Her invitation had been quite clear that the picnic would begin at four o’clock. No one should be upset that it took her a few minutes to join them.

Nathaniel secured his wife’s hand in the crook of his arm as they walked toward them. He could tell that Bell wanted to hurry, but he kept her back at a sedate pace. He knew from experience that acting ruffled would only encourage people like Ian and his father to look for chinks in her plans. “Good afternoon, Mother.” Nathaniel dipped his head in her direction. He’d never had the familiarity he’d wished for with his mother. Edwin would have hugged her or bowed over her hand in an overly dramatic gesture. But Nathaniel was not Edwin, and his mother had never bridged the gap between what was and what could be in their relationship.

“It’s a bit windy for a picnic, don’t you think?” She glanced over at Bell as she spoke.

Bell rose to the occasion. “It is a bit windy. But I thought we might fly some kites. I just want to wait for all our guests to arrive.”

Ian sauntered to Bell’s other side. “I thought we were all the company you would need.” He put a hand on his heart as though she had hurt him.