The Wild Belle by Lora Thomas

again, the voices of her other daughters echoed from the hallway.
    Michael heard a female voice say, “Hurry up, Alyssa.”
    Followed by, “What’s your hurry, Abigail?”
    “Just get in there,” Abigail replied all the while shoving Alyssa through the door. Abigail smiled sweetly and then said, “Hello all,” as she entered the room behind her sister.
    Alyssa gave her sister a heated glare, straightening her posture. As Michael studied Alyssa, he couldn’t help but see the resemblance she had to his pixie. It must be a coincidence.
    Before greetings could be said, there was a loud commotion in the doorway and another woman entered, followed by two men and three small children.
    “I’m soooo sorry we’re late. Wait, are we late?” The flustered woman looked to Amanda, then flipped her wrist. “Never mind, we’re here, finally. You just won’t believe what I’ve been through to get here. First, Johnny ripped his clothes, then the twins decided to play hide-and-seek in the hog lot after I had already given them a bath. So Annie and I had to bathe them again. The dog buried Timothy’s shoes in my rose garden and then something tore a hole in my new dress, then—”
    “Annabel, please,” Ashton complained.
    “Oh, I’m sorry! I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” At her family’s nod, she continued. “I apologize. It’s just when the only conversations I get to have are with two four-year-olds and a two-year-old, I get excited to speak to adults.”
    “And you do a splendid job at all you do, my dear,” the man beside her replied as he patted her hand.
    “Well, now that almost everyone is here,” Ott said, his irritation with Andrea’s lateness apparent in his voice, “I’d like everyone to meet Mr. Michael St. John. His family owns a shipping company and they are interested in transporting our fine cotton to England.”
    “Splendid!” said one of the men who had entered with the woman. “I’m Benjamin Newkirk.” He extended his hand to Michael and gave a firm handshake. “May I introduce my wife, Annabel, and our three boys, the twins, Timothy and Edward, and the youngest, Johnny.”
    Michael gave a small nod in their direction. “A pleasure.”
    “Likewise, Mr. St. John. But I’m going to warn you right now, from the start, that Benny is getting into politics, so don’t let him talk you into doing something you’ll regret,” Annabel replied as she shooed one of the twins away from the table.
    “Now, Annabel, I would never dream of that. Well, not yet, I’ve only just met the man,” Benjamin replied with a chuckle and patted Michael’s shoulder. “Allow me to introduce the rest. Little red over there in the corner is Alyssa. The blushing blond beauty with her is Abigail.” He leaned over and whispered, “And the young buck sneaking her way is her fiancé, Stephen. Watch Mandy, she won’t let him within two feet of Abigail. She’s afraid he’ll try something ‘inappropriate’. Like someone would do something as foolhardy as that with her around. Hell, she’d blast a hole big enough in them to drive a carriage through.”
    “I imagine so,” Michael replied. With comical interest he observed the couple mentioned. Stephen bowed and greeted the women, but was not allowed within reach of Abigail. Stephen smiled at Abigail. Amanda made a very unladylike sound as she gave him a heated glare.
    “Let’s sit. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m starving,” Ott said. He pulled a chair out at the head of the table for Amanda. Once his wife was seated, he motioned towards the other end. “Michael, you sit here with the rest of us men. We’ll let the ladies have the other end of the table.”
    “Now, Ott, you know we can all participate in everyone’s conversation. Besides, the table only seats eleven since one of the chairs is broken,” Amanda said.
    “And who is the reason the chair broke,” Ott asked with sarcasm to his voice.
    Mandy flicked her hand, dismissing