me into the house with bated breath.”
“I expect detailed instructions from you, Brother mine,” Anne laughed, “but what more could there be inside your mansion? Where in the world is Caroline?”
“I’ve told you all I mean to right now.” James Hamilton said.
“But where’s my favorite, little William, Uncle James?” Selina, more and more attracted to younger children, looked genuinely disappointed.
“Now, no more questions, Selina. You’ll see my youngest son, William, in due time. His nurse, Polly, may be feeding him his noon meal now. I’m not sure. But everyone is inside the house and Father and I are in the process of carrying out our carefully laid plans.”
“What, what, Uncle James?” Selina wanted to know.
“Sh! I’ve told you there’s more excitement ahead, and for now, just quietly follow your grandfather and me.” Helping his parent again, James mounted the steps with Papa slowly, carefully, the others trooping after them.
“Now then,” Jock said, puffing from the short climb, “are we all here? And is everyone’s breath bated as my son James Hamilton decreed?”
“As bated as we can manage, knowing so little of these mysterious plans.” Pete grinned at her grandparent. “It’s your birthday we’re here to celebrate. Isn’t it peculiar for the two of you to be surprising us with some secret mischief?”
“No mischief at all,” the old fellow said innocently. “Can you believe Pete would conjure up such an accusation about us, Son?”
“She’s your granddaughter, Papa,” Anne teased. “What do you expect? Especially since no one but Pete inherited your red hair.” On the veranda just before entering the gracious entrance hall, Anne again threw both arms around her father. “Papa! Oh, Papa, your birthday party is
going to be glorious. If your namesake, 73 my son, could only be here, I think I’d be too happy to keep both feet on the ground.”
Returning her hug, Papa said, “But my dear Anne, the boy’s doing so well in his new position with my friends McCleskey and Norton in Savannah, we must only rejoice for him. McCleskey promised me in his latest letter that John Couper would be the very fir-rst new cler-rk to be given time off from his duties. Now, doesn’t that make you proud?”
Inside the elegant entrance hall, a slant of sunshine piercing the fanlight so that her mother’s face seemed lovelier than usual, Pete watched the lady—to her, the beautiful lady who was her mother. There was plainly something afoot. Grandpapa and Uncle James had hatched a scheme of some description, and Pete’s almost unfailing instinct told her it had to do with her mother. As usual, Eve stood just behind Mama and when Pete caught Eve’s eye, she knew the bright-skinned woman, who loved the very ground under Anne Fraser’s feet, was also aware that something unexpected was up. When Eve gave Pete her
knowing smile, Pete was sure they had both guessed the elaborately kept secret.
A clatter at the top of the graceful, winding stair announced the rehearsed arrival of Uncle James’s family. His always pretty wife, Aunt Caroline Wylly Couper, began to descend the stair ahead of her entire brood of children—all there except Pete’s oldest cousin, Hamilton, who was away at Yale College. Peering up the slightly shadowy stair, Pete looked for her only brother. They hadn’t exchanged one word, but she was sure she and Eve had guessed Grandpapa’s secret surprise: By some means, he’d arranged for John Couper to leave his new work in Savannah to attend the birthday celebration! Pete could see Eve looking for him, too. Eve’s instincts were even sharper than Pete’s. Both could not be wrong. But so far, no sign of her gentle, good-looking brother.
If this had been an ordinary visit, all seven younger Couper children would have come pushing and tumbling down the stair to hug every visitor. Not today. Pete’s sense of humor began to get the best of her, because despite
“I expect detailed instructions from you, Brother mine,” Anne laughed, “but what more could there be inside your mansion? Where in the world is Caroline?”
“I’ve told you all I mean to right now.” James Hamilton said.
“But where’s my favorite, little William, Uncle James?” Selina, more and more attracted to younger children, looked genuinely disappointed.
“Now, no more questions, Selina. You’ll see my youngest son, William, in due time. His nurse, Polly, may be feeding him his noon meal now. I’m not sure. But everyone is inside the house and Father and I are in the process of carrying out our carefully laid plans.”
“What, what, Uncle James?” Selina wanted to know.
“Sh! I’ve told you there’s more excitement ahead, and for now, just quietly follow your grandfather and me.” Helping his parent again, James mounted the steps with Papa slowly, carefully, the others trooping after them.
“Now then,” Jock said, puffing from the short climb, “are we all here? And is everyone’s breath bated as my son James Hamilton decreed?”
“As bated as we can manage, knowing so little of these mysterious plans.” Pete grinned at her grandparent. “It’s your birthday we’re here to celebrate. Isn’t it peculiar for the two of you to be surprising us with some secret mischief?”
“No mischief at all,” the old fellow said innocently. “Can you believe Pete would conjure up such an accusation about us, Son?”
“She’s your granddaughter, Papa,” Anne teased. “What do you expect? Especially since no one but Pete inherited your red hair.” On the veranda just before entering the gracious entrance hall, Anne again threw both arms around her father. “Papa! Oh, Papa, your birthday party is
going to be glorious. If your namesake, 73 my son, could only be here, I think I’d be too happy to keep both feet on the ground.”
Returning her hug, Papa said, “But my dear Anne, the boy’s doing so well in his new position with my friends McCleskey and Norton in Savannah, we must only rejoice for him. McCleskey promised me in his latest letter that John Couper would be the very fir-rst new cler-rk to be given time off from his duties. Now, doesn’t that make you proud?”
Inside the elegant entrance hall, a slant of sunshine piercing the fanlight so that her mother’s face seemed lovelier than usual, Pete watched the lady—to her, the beautiful lady who was her mother. There was plainly something afoot. Grandpapa and Uncle James had hatched a scheme of some description, and Pete’s almost unfailing instinct told her it had to do with her mother. As usual, Eve stood just behind Mama and when Pete caught Eve’s eye, she knew the bright-skinned woman, who loved the very ground under Anne Fraser’s feet, was also aware that something unexpected was up. When Eve gave Pete her
knowing smile, Pete was sure they had both guessed the elaborately kept secret.
A clatter at the top of the graceful, winding stair announced the rehearsed arrival of Uncle James’s family. His always pretty wife, Aunt Caroline Wylly Couper, began to descend the stair ahead of her entire brood of children—all there except Pete’s oldest cousin, Hamilton, who was away at Yale College. Peering up the slightly shadowy stair, Pete looked for her only brother. They hadn’t exchanged one word, but she was sure she and Eve had guessed Grandpapa’s secret surprise: By some means, he’d arranged for John Couper to leave his new work in Savannah to attend the birthday celebration! Pete could see Eve looking for him, too. Eve’s instincts were even sharper than Pete’s. Both could not be wrong. But so far, no sign of her gentle, good-looking brother.
If this had been an ordinary visit, all seven younger Couper children would have come pushing and tumbling down the stair to hug every visitor. Not today. Pete’s sense of humor began to get the best of her, because despite
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