Page 94 of A Murder at Kew Gardens

Cosmos ate nothing whatever.

Grandmother pretended not to notice. The rest of us pretended not to notice Grandmother pretending not to notice.

It was a very successful breakfast.

Claire came at two. She had waited for Cosmos to reunite with us. “He has had enough people taking things from him,” she had written the night before after my note had reached her. “He needs a few hours with his family before I intrude.”

“You would not have intruded, Claire,” I told her when Honeycutt brought her to the morning room.

And then Cosmos was there. And something very private, and not meant for anyone’s eyes but theirs, was shared. I left the room, quietly closing the door behind me.

Grandmother appeared from nowhere. “Perhaps some tea?”

I had no need of tea. Neither did the rest of the family. But we drank it anyway in the drawing room. While we waited, Laurel read the same page of a book for twenty minutes. Chrissie embroidered a hundred stitches and removed most of them. Holly and Ivy played chess without moving a piece.

Petunia didn’t even try to appear to be doing something. She simply lay on the carpet and stared at the door.

It was nearly an hour later when it opened and Cosmos and Claire came in, hand in hand.

My brother had spent eleven days in Holloway Prison accused of murder. He was thin, badly shaved and wearing a coat that no longer fit. He looked happier than I had ever seen him.

Claire had been crying. She was also radiant.

Grandmother set down her teacup.

Cosmos looked around the room. “Claire has agreed to marry me.”

Petunia screamed. The twins screamed. Laurel dropped her book. Chrissie covered her mouth with both hands. Fox simply nodded.

I went straight to Claire and put my arms around her. “Oh, thank God.”

She laughed into my shoulder.

Behind me, Grandmother said, “Thursday.”

The room went quiet.

Cosmos blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“The ceremony will be held on Thursday,” Grandmother repeated. “Eleven o’clock. My house. Wilton Place.”

Claire stared at her.

So did I. “Grandmother⁠—”

“You’ll need to obtain a special license, Cosmos. It should be available in two days’ time. The drawing room will take the family for the ceremony. The dining room will take the breakfast afterward. Mrs. Ellison owes me flowers after that monstrosity she inflicted upon us at Easter.”

Cosmos looked at me. I looked at Grandmother. “How long have you been planning this?”

She gave me a look of profound disappointment. “Rosalynd. Your brother has been in love with Claire for months. How could I not plan for it?”

Claire began laughing again.

Cosmos shook his head.

Grandmother rose. “Now, I shall require everyone’s attention at ten tomorrow morning. We will have a rehearsal. Chrissie, you will play the pianoforte. A wedding piece. Laurel, find something suitable to read. Fox, you will help with the flowers. Holly and Ivy, I shall discover tasks for you which neither of you can ruin.”

“We never ruin things,” Holly said.