back for quite some time,” Thornsby growled.
“Be back in a month as a matter of fact,” Andrew said with a smile.
“Not quite long enough,” Thornsby said. He looked at Athena. “You are all right? I was terribly worried, Athena.”
“I’m fine, Freddy. Wonderful in fact,” Athena said.
His sister was smiling broadly. That was odd. “Where have you been, Athena?”
“Why, Scotland, of course,” Athena said.
Thornsby titled his head. “Scotland? What of Lady Wilma? Whatever did you go to . . . ”
“Gretna Greene,” Smithly volunteered. He turned to Athena. “Best go get packed.”
Athena walked to Andrew and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’ll hurry.”
And then Thornsby saw it. “Is that a ring on your finger?”
Smithly pulled Athena close and smiled. “Customary to give the wife a ring on her wedding day, Freddy.”
“Your wife?” Thornsby shouted.
“We must be on our way by four at the latest, Athena,” Smithly said. He kissed his wife on the nose. “Mrs. Andrew Smithly, I mean.”
Athena sighed.
“In my study, Athena. Smithly, stay here,” Thornsby bellowed. He watched the two of them whisper and smile silly smiles. He marched off.
Athena seated herself across from her brother after she joined him in his study. “What do you need, Freddy? I can only let Mildred pack so much without being there to supervise.”
“You mean to carry on with this silly plan,” Thornsby whispered. He watched his sister’s face produce the scowl he was accustomed to.
“I am married, Thornsby. Nothing you can do about it.” Athena leaned forward. “You heard us in the hallway at Maplewood. Certainly you understood?”
“I understand nothing, Athena. Nothing at all,” Thornsby said. “We could attempt to get you an annulment.”
“I don’t want an annulment. I am well and truly married,” Athena said. Thornsby’s face colored.
“Whatever is wrong, Freddy? Smithly is your best friend? I have known him for years. He has mountains of money. And he loves me,” Athena said. “You should be happy.”
“He loves you?” Thornsby repeated. “And pigs will fly. He’s surely used that endearment on many occasions.” He knew the second the words left his lips they’d been the wrong ones. “I didn’t mean it like that, Athena.”
“Particularly cruel of you, Freddy,” Athena said. “I will not bore you with all the details, but I am convinced that Andrew loves me, and I most definitely love him.”
Thornsby stared out the window. His sister, his confidante, had sprouted wings. “I am truly sorry, Athena. If you love him and he loves you, then I must and will be happy for you both.”
Athena stared at her brother. “What is it, Freddy? We’ve no secrets. We never have.”
Thornsby pursed his lips into a crooked grin. “Just odd, don’t you think? I went to Maplewood for a bride, and you came home with a husband.”
“We’ve been together too long, Freddy. We’re sister and brother, not man and wife. Each of us needs to find the right one to share this life with. I have. You will as well,” Athena said.
Thornsby shrugged his shoulders. “Whom will I talk to? Who will do all the things you do here?”
“A wife, Freddy. A wife. Not some silly chit that’s splendid to behold for a brief time. For God’s sake, you’ll be bored in a thrice with some debutante on your arm,” Athena said and stood.
“So I should find an ugly girl and marry her forthwith,” Thornsby said.
“As Andrew did, you’re saying,” Athena clipped off.
“No, no,” Thornsby denied.
“I see no beauty when I look in the mirror, Freddy. It hardly matters. Andrew says I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. And I believe he means it,” Athena said. “Perhaps you should look past ringlets and cleavage. Might find someone worthy to fill my shoes around here.”
Thornsby watched his sister march towards the door. She stopped briefly.
“Oh, and Freddy, you simply must straighten out
“Be back in a month as a matter of fact,” Andrew said with a smile.
“Not quite long enough,” Thornsby said. He looked at Athena. “You are all right? I was terribly worried, Athena.”
“I’m fine, Freddy. Wonderful in fact,” Athena said.
His sister was smiling broadly. That was odd. “Where have you been, Athena?”
“Why, Scotland, of course,” Athena said.
Thornsby titled his head. “Scotland? What of Lady Wilma? Whatever did you go to . . . ”
“Gretna Greene,” Smithly volunteered. He turned to Athena. “Best go get packed.”
Athena walked to Andrew and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’ll hurry.”
And then Thornsby saw it. “Is that a ring on your finger?”
Smithly pulled Athena close and smiled. “Customary to give the wife a ring on her wedding day, Freddy.”
“Your wife?” Thornsby shouted.
“We must be on our way by four at the latest, Athena,” Smithly said. He kissed his wife on the nose. “Mrs. Andrew Smithly, I mean.”
Athena sighed.
“In my study, Athena. Smithly, stay here,” Thornsby bellowed. He watched the two of them whisper and smile silly smiles. He marched off.
Athena seated herself across from her brother after she joined him in his study. “What do you need, Freddy? I can only let Mildred pack so much without being there to supervise.”
“You mean to carry on with this silly plan,” Thornsby whispered. He watched his sister’s face produce the scowl he was accustomed to.
“I am married, Thornsby. Nothing you can do about it.” Athena leaned forward. “You heard us in the hallway at Maplewood. Certainly you understood?”
“I understand nothing, Athena. Nothing at all,” Thornsby said. “We could attempt to get you an annulment.”
“I don’t want an annulment. I am well and truly married,” Athena said. Thornsby’s face colored.
“Whatever is wrong, Freddy? Smithly is your best friend? I have known him for years. He has mountains of money. And he loves me,” Athena said. “You should be happy.”
“He loves you?” Thornsby repeated. “And pigs will fly. He’s surely used that endearment on many occasions.” He knew the second the words left his lips they’d been the wrong ones. “I didn’t mean it like that, Athena.”
“Particularly cruel of you, Freddy,” Athena said. “I will not bore you with all the details, but I am convinced that Andrew loves me, and I most definitely love him.”
Thornsby stared out the window. His sister, his confidante, had sprouted wings. “I am truly sorry, Athena. If you love him and he loves you, then I must and will be happy for you both.”
Athena stared at her brother. “What is it, Freddy? We’ve no secrets. We never have.”
Thornsby pursed his lips into a crooked grin. “Just odd, don’t you think? I went to Maplewood for a bride, and you came home with a husband.”
“We’ve been together too long, Freddy. We’re sister and brother, not man and wife. Each of us needs to find the right one to share this life with. I have. You will as well,” Athena said.
Thornsby shrugged his shoulders. “Whom will I talk to? Who will do all the things you do here?”
“A wife, Freddy. A wife. Not some silly chit that’s splendid to behold for a brief time. For God’s sake, you’ll be bored in a thrice with some debutante on your arm,” Athena said and stood.
“So I should find an ugly girl and marry her forthwith,” Thornsby said.
“As Andrew did, you’re saying,” Athena clipped off.
“No, no,” Thornsby denied.
“I see no beauty when I look in the mirror, Freddy. It hardly matters. Andrew says I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. And I believe he means it,” Athena said. “Perhaps you should look past ringlets and cleavage. Might find someone worthy to fill my shoes around here.”
Thornsby watched his sister march towards the door. She stopped briefly.
“Oh, and Freddy, you simply must straighten out
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