Page 109 of Charming Artemis

She could hear the rustle of skirts, then the tap and slight drag of a cane being used to propel a struggling body forward. Sorrel cut her off long before she reached the doorway; Artemis had never intended to actually leave.

“It can be propelled by the one using it?” Sorrel eyed the chair with unmistakable interest.

“Your husband insisted on that,” Artemis said. “Your youngest brother-in-law spent many long hours sorting the ‘how’ of meeting that demand. They’ve managed it.”

“It cannot navigate stairs.”

She gave her sister-in-law a look of lighthearted scolding. “They are intelligent, these Jonquil men, but they aren’t miracle workers.”

Sorrel leaned very heavily on her cane, studying the contraption before her. Artemis could sense she was nearly ready to at least consider the possibility of this chair being a blessing rather than a burden. She needed only the right nudge.

“Your husband and children are on the back terrace.” Artemis stepped out of the chair. “They would likely appreciate having you join them.”

“I would feel... silly, for lack of a better word.”

“A wise man once told me that no person ought ever to outgrow a love of being a little silly.”

Sorrel eyed her suspiciously. “My husband?”

Artemis shook her head. “His father. I suspect if he were here, he would give you a hug—he gave the very best hugs—and he would tell you it was perfectly acceptable to feel sad or to cry or be afraid. He would tell you he was proud of you and that he wanted you to be brave. Then he would say he loved you. And he would mean it.”

For the first time since learning of her Papa’s true identity, she found talking about him didn’t entirely break her heart. In time, she might even find joy in it.

“I wish he had found me the way he found you,” Sorrel said. “I needed a father like him.”

“Does it not seem rather extraordinary that so many of his daughters-in-law came from difficult homes and histories?”

Sorrel’s expression softened, turning almost tender. “It’s because he raised boys who were like him. We can come to this family in our brokenness, and they don’t flinch, they don’t hesitate, they simply love. And their mother raised them to value and respect the women in their lives, so they also don’t run roughshod over us or make us feel inferior.”

“Rather remarkable, really.” Artemis hadn’t realized just how remarkable until very recently.

Sorrel took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “I think I’d best learn how to work this contraption.”

“I have every faith in you.” Artemis offered a quick explanation of the rather ingenious device. “A chair with only a single axle would be unstable, but one with a second set of wheels jutting out in front would be as cumbersome as a Bath chair. Placing the wheels behind became their next idea, from what I understand.”

Sorrel eyed the chair but hadn’t yet sat in it. Her endurance for standing was small. Artemis hoped she would find her determination quickly.

“Charlie did a great deal of calculating and realized that a single wheel could be placed behind and nearly under the chair to prevent it from tipping backward.”

Sorrel looked to her, worry in her expression. “What about tippingforward?”

“That is what these little legs are for.” Artemis tapped the bits of wood with her foot. The miniature chair legs didn’t quite reach the ground but would stop the chair from falling entirely forward. “Charlie said a great many mathematical things that, in essence, meant the chair is weighted toward the back and these legs will likely almost never come into use but are more than sufficient to prevent disaster.”

Sorrel took a deep breath, looking at the chair with more fear than reassurance. Hers was not, however, an expression indicating a lack of bravery. This was a lady facing a demon that had likely haunted her steps for years. “Is it terribly difficult to maneuver?”

“Not at all. My arms have grown a bit tired from practicing, but that endurance would grow over time.”

Sorrel nodded, a heroic amount of determination now tugging at her features. She gave Artemis her cane and sat in the chair she hadn’t wanted but would, if the fates were kind, find to be a source of freedom. There was no finesse in her maneuvering, but there was ample focus and persistence.

They reached the french doors leading out to the terrace. Artemis slipped in front of Sorrel’s chair and opened both sides so she would have enough room to pass through with ease.

Philip and Charlie were there with little Kendrick and Julia. All four looked over at the latest arrival. The smile that spread over Philip’s face nearly brought tears to Artemis’s eyes. It was a look of unmistakable, unabashed love.

Artemis met Charlie’s eye and saw he was as pleased as she.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Philip said to his wife.

“Well, here I am,” was the reply.

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