Jessica sat as still as she possibly could while her lady’s maid Leona attempted to tame her hair. Her chignon had come all but completely undone during her shift at the hospital, and she was sure that wouldn’t do for dinner, even if her parents hadn’t had time to invite anyone special for Zac’s first night home.
Avery sat impatiently on her bed, already having been fastened into her own dress, a horrid chartreuse silk and lace affair that the family had purchased along with any number of terrible, supposedly fashionable items that would serve Avery well if she were to finally have her season the following spring. Jessica had long given up hope of her own season, and hardly even cared that she was still wearing many of the items purchased just before the war had been declared. Her own pink and blue chiffon dress was hopelessly out of style, as Avery had pointed out several times that evening alone, but all Jessica cared about was that it was comfortable, especially with the new-fangled brassiere she had purchased because hospital service in a corset was nearly impossible.
“One of my new necklaces might look good with that gown,” Avery said. “You need something to—”
“I don’t want something,” Jessica cut in, then bit her lip and sighed. “It’s fine the way it is. Maybe next time I’ll let you pick out the whole ensemble for me.”
“Would you do that? Really?” Avery asked, suddenly perking up.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” Jessica replied, trying not to giggle at the look on Leona’s face. Leona knew as well as Jessica did that it was often easier to go along with whatever Avery wanted, even if it resulted in a fashion disaster.
Avery had just begun to prattle on about her new jewelry and shoes when a sharp knock came at the door. It opened a mere inch that Jessica could see in her mirror, just enough to let in a familiar, soft voice. “Are the little ladies all decent?”
Before waiting for an answer, Zac nudged his way into the room, and glanced around seemingly unbothered that Jessica was still in her thin dressing gown.
“No, I must be in the wrong room,” Zac remarked. “These young women can’t be my sisters.”
Avery giggled and hopped from the bed to give Zac a very unladylike hug that Jessica didn’t even have the heart to criticize her for. After a moment to compose herself, Avery stepped down and straightened her dress. “You shouldn’t be in here, you know.”
“I shouldn’t do a lot of things I do,” Zac remarked. He straightened his tie and gave a quick glance over Leona. Jessica wasn’t so sure she liked that, but she knew better than to comment on it.
Leona tucked a small pearl pin into Jessica’s hair, and gave her a questioning glance. Jessica nodded, not wanting to speak and draw any more attention. Still, she saw the way Zac’s eyes lingered as Leona took her leave, closing the door so silently behind her that it was almost as if she hadn’t been in the room at all.
Zac cleared his throat. “You’d think I’d been gone for twenty years, the way things have changed around here. Next I’m going to find out you’ve rearranged the entire house as well.”
“She’s new,” Avery replied, obviously understanding Zac’s meaning, even if she didn’t know better than to speak of it.
“I’ll say,” Zac muttered.
Jessica stood and gave him a pointed look, and he threw his hands up in defeat.
“Alright, alright,” Zac replied. “But I’ll have you remember that I’m not the one whose valet had to be given a hefty cheque and a glowing recommendation just to keep his mouth shut when he left.”
“Left is a mild way of putting it,” Avery remarked.
Jessica stared at Avery, then back at Zac. Of course Zac would have explained to her what had happened with Taylor’s valet. Zac never knew when stay quiet; he was half the reason Avery’s manners were so terrible, she was sure. She shuddered to think what color language Zac might have used to describe Taylor’s habits. Jessica herself had only connected the dots years later, when Taylor brought one after another pretty boy college friend home to visit.
Before Zac could say anything else unsavory, the dinner gong rang, its heavy sound echoing through the entire hall. It set Jessica’s teeth on edge, as it always had, but at least she could take comfort that one missing brother would be returning to the table tonight.
In a surprisingly gallant move, he held out both arms and raised an eyebrow. “Well? We don’t want to be late, do we, ladies?”
As it was an informal dinner, only family, there were no cocktails. In any case, Jessica could already smell cider on Zac’s breath; he’d cleaned up well in his dinner jacket and black tie, but some things weren’t so easy to hide. At least none of the family seemed to notice that anything was amiss as the three of them joined the party and walked through to the dining room, where the first course of oyster soup had already been laid.
Taylor trailed in last, straightening his navy dinner jacket. Jessica had to admit it looked nice on him, but if he tried to wear that when they had guests for dinner, he would hear about it later from their mother. Once he had taken his usual place, Lady Diana gave a nod and smile, and everyone sat. Although Jessica questioned some of their traditions, some of them felt nice. The sense of order and decorum was comforting at times, especially when other parts of her life had gone so completely out of order.
The seat to Jessica’s left was empty, as it had been for nearly a year. To her right, Taylor sat still adjusting his tie. She knew it bothered him to visit her at the hospital, but at least she hadn’t been covered in blood this time. When she’d appeared in that state, Taylor had required two nurses and a bottle of strong smelling salts to bring him round.
“You still look a bit pale,” Jessica murmured, picking at her crimped cod.
“You know how much I adore the hospital,” Taylor replied, then gave a nod toward Zac, who sat just around the corner of the table, nearly whispering some story to Avery that Jessica was sure wasn’t appropriate for mixed company. “In any case, I think he’s likely to swoon before I do. He was down the pub half the evening.”
“Well, it’s nice to see some things haven’t changed,” Jessica said.
“Now, now,” Taylor chided, but his smile said he wasn’t all that serious. “There’s no need to let your bias show. We’re already well aware I’m your favorite brother.”
“Are we, then?” Jessica asked, giving him a smile of her own.
Perhaps he was. She probably hadn’t said as much since she was a little girl, but she supposed she always had been closer to Taylor. He was just enough older for her to look up to as a child, but close enough that once he had returned from university, they felt like equals. It didn’t hurt that he was likely to never marry and, having skipped her coming out thanks to the war, Jessica’s prospects were rather bleak as well. Although the reasoning for their singledom was different, there was still a certain kinship between the two of them.
After the second course had begun with a lark pudding, Lady Diana finally turned to Zac. “Now, darling, I know it’s dreadfully short warning, but I would like to host a dinner in your honor next week. All things considered, surely no one will mind the breach of protocol.”
Zac gave a short snort of laughter. “Surely protocol has fallen down the priority list during wartime?”
“Not hardly,” their father replied. “Not if your Mama has anything to say about it.”
“Yes, well, we can make a few exceptions from time to time, can’t we? Even I’m capable of that.” Lady Diana gave him a stern look that quickly faded away to a smile. “Anyway, I’ll send word first thing tomorrow to Viscount and Lady Bryant, and I suppose we ought to invite Lord Tucker et al as well.”
Taylor and Zac both stiffened at that, although Jessica couldn’t imagine why either was surprised. Their family had long ago selected Lady Natalie for Taylor, and the two of them seemed to get on well enough, if their relationship was purely platonic. She didn’t quite see the need in inviting the Tuckers, though; the idea of Isaac and Lady Kathryn marrying had been all but abandoned since Isaac’s disappearance.
“Isn’t the Viscount’s nephew a marquess now?” Lord Hanson asked.
“He is,” Lady Diana remarked, shooting Jessica a none-so-subtle glance. “And so young to be one, but I suppose there were no other, closer heirs.”
Jessica tried to smile back, but she remembered all too well the way they had tried to foist her onto the Viscount’s son. Thankfully, he had found an American heiress of some sort who, in addition to being closer to his age, also had a hefty inheritance to recommend her.
“What luck,” Lord Hanson replied, a bit of awe in his voice.
Jessica didn’t see what the big fuss was. So what if Lady Natalie’s cousin was a marquess now? Marrying him wouldn’t make a bit of difference for her family’s fortunes. All that mattered was that the heir married well so that the estate stayed within the Hanson family. And right then, the heir was nowhere to be found. They ought to be looking for a good match for Taylor, Jessica thought, although that might prove even more difficult than marrying her off. But if, god forbid, Isaac didn’t return, the estate would fall to Taylor.
God help them all if that came to pass.
“Is there anyone else any of you would like to invite?” Lady Diana asked. “We ought to make this a big affair.”
“It’s a shame so many of the other men in my unit won’t get such a warm welcome home,” Zac replied.
The room went deadly quiet, half a dozen forks falling silent at once.
“I’m sorry,” Zac said, pushing back his chair. “If you’ll all excuse me.”
Although there was a pained look on her face, Lady Diana nodded and stood. Everyone else followed suit, the room staying completely silent until Zac had departed.
Once Zac had departed, dinner continued in an awkward, quiet fashion that was wholly out of the ordinary for such a usually loud family. Once the final course had been served, Lady Diana excused herself, citing a headache, but Jessica suspected that if she truly did have a headache, her children were the blame for it.
The Earl followed quickly behind her, leaving the rest of the children (sans Zac, who was nowhere to be found) to retire to the library. Zoe didn’t last long before she started yawning. Once Avery was sufficiently interested in her novel, Jessica moved in closer to Taylor, still keeping her voice low in case Avery was paying attention. She was only two years younger, but in so many ways, she still seemed like a child, especially after all the horrible things Jessica had seen at the hospital.
“Do you think Mama is already planning to start matchmaking again so soon?” Jessica asked quietly.
“I think the better question isn’t when but how much Zac will protest, if tonight was anything to judge by.”
“You can’t really blame her, I suppose,” Jessica remarked. “After all, we’re all well into our twenties, and none of us married yet. It doesn’t exactly look good.”
“It’s a testament to her stubbornness that she hasn’t given up on any of us as a lost cause yet,” Taylor replied.
“Stubborn is a kinder word than delusional,” Jessica quipped.
“In any case, what good does it do to invite Lady Natalie and Lady Kathryn?” Taylor asked. “Everyone has already decided that Natalie and I will eventually settle down together, and Kathryn has been promised to Isaac practically since the two were in diapers.”
“And if Isaac doesn’t return home?” Jessica asked. As close as she had been to the war, seen the effects of it firsthand, she knew better than Taylor to expect the worst. “That leaves you as the heir. Maybe they’re trying to make a better match; Lady Kathryn’s family is better positioned to help the estate stay afloat. I don’t think the pressure is on Zac. I think the pressure is on you.”
Taylor didn’t speak, but the color had gone out of his face. That said enough.
“I like it as much as you do,” Jessica replied. “The weight of the estate might not be on my shoulders, but do you think I’m oblivious to how strange it is that I, as the eldest daughter, am still a maid? It’s not the same, but it’s still pressure.”
“It isn’t the same,” Taylor agreed, then gave her a weak smile. “But I appreciate the commiseration nonetheless.”
“I’m always here if you want to whinge and complain,” Jessica said. “It’s my specialty at the hospital, you know. You wouldn’t believe the sob stories I’ve heard from some of those poor soldiers, and I’ll never tell a soul anyway.”
“You ought to be the first lady priest,” Taylor replied, his smile turning into a full on smirk.
“Well, that would certainly solve the problem of who they’re going to marry me off to, wouldn’t it?”
Taylor chuckled. “Ah, but you never know. This Marquess Thingamy might be just the man you’re looking for.”
“I’m sure Mama and Papa would love that,” Jessica replied. “Honestly, what are the chances? Unless he has the power to end this war, count me uninterested.”
“You don’t ask for much, do you know?” Taylor asked.
“And what about you?” Jessica asked especially softly, still causing Taylor to choke on his sip of whiskey.
“What about me?” Taylor countered.
“It’s no real secret why you and Lady Natalie aren’t even officially engaged yet,” Jessica replied. “What’s the point in waiting?”
Taylor took another sip, looking off into the distance as though he were working carefully on choosing his next words. “I don’t think either of us realized at first just how dead set on it our parents were. I supposed we both thought they would give up eventually. But the truth is that we do get on. It wouldn’t be a loveless marriage in every way, just in that way. But I suppose we dragged it out for so long that now we’re just hoping to convince people that she’s the one playing coy and hard to get.”
“Maybe I can convince them I’m just playing coy and hard to get, then,” Jessica replied.
Taylor chuckled. “With every Tom, Dick and Marquess they throw your way? We’ll see how well that works out for you.”
“On that note,” Jessica said, pulling herself to her feet. “I think I’ll call it a night.”
“I’ll be up for a while, I think,” Taylor replied, finishing off his glass and standing up to get a refill.
“A little something to help you sleep?” Jessica quipped.
“Something like that,” Taylor said. “Or hoping its siren call brings Zac out of hiding and I can try to talk some sense into him. As if I’ve ever been able to.”
Jessica took a few steps toward Taylor. “He’s lived in different world to us. It’s a hierarchy, but a different one. One that’s earned, one that he won’t question… but which will, I suppose, make him question our way of life. Think about it—he fought with boys who might have worked for us. Boys he would have never spoken to at any other time in his life. I see it on the ward all the time; the class divide hardly matters at all to these boys who’ve fought and nearly died together. There’s a different type of respect. A different understanding of the world.”
Taylor nodded. “That makes a certain sort of sense, I suppose. I can’t pretend to truly understand it, but I can see that in him. Of course he’s going to question all of this. He’s not the only one of us to go against the grain, that’s for sure.”
“With seven kids, they ought to have expected a few bad apples, hmm?” Jessica replied, giving Taylor a smirk. “On that note, I will say goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Jessie,” Taylor said. A little softer, he added, “This will all work out, somehow. God helps us, it will all work out.”
Jessica gave Taylor a smile and a nod, but she wasn’t so sure. It would, she feared, take divine intervention to save them all from themselves.