Page 117 of Charming Artemis

“Not yet.”

His laughter rang through the entryway, a joyful and hopeful sound. There’d been so much happiness and laughter between them in the weeks since they’d left Lampton Park.

As they stepped into the drawing room, her gaze glided over her siblings. Athena and Harry. Daphne and James. Linus and Arabella. Persephone and Adam. Life had been difficult for them in the early years. At times, it had been utterly bleak. But there they all were, gathered with their children, surrounded by friends. Happy. Joyous. Hopeful.

* * *

Charlie entered the drawing room of Falstone House with his arm around his wife, feeling content and optimistic. The last weeks had been idyllic. They’d settled in at Brier Hill, making it their own. Artemis and Rose were soon to open their modiste shop. Charlie’s lecture to the Royal Society had been received with even more enthusiasm than he’d dared hope.

The house was full to bursting, overflowing with laughter and pleasantries. Looking over the enormous gathering of Jonquils and Lancasters, Gents and Huntresses and Cambridge comrades, he struggled to even remember what it had been like to feel lonely for so long.

“Uncle Charming!” He knew the sound of Oliver’s voice as well as he knew those of his Jonquil nieces and nephews. The boy rushed to him, and Charlie picked him up, tossing him in the air before holding him in his arms. “Have you missed me, Tadpole?”

“I’m Oliver. Not Tadpole.”

“My brothers used to call me Tadpole when I was your age,” he said.

“We are going to play catch us, catch us,” Oliver said. “But Mama says we have to play in the back gardens. Will you come?”

“Of course.” Charlie gave him a squeeze. “But first, I need to givemymama a hug and a good afternoon.”

Oliver nodded somberly. “One mustn’t neglect one’s mother.”

“Did your father tell you that?”

“Yes. And he knows everything.”

Charlie set him on his feet and nudged him toward Persephone. “Go give your mama a hug. I suspect she would appreciate it.”

With his armful skipping across the room, Charlie reached for Artemis’s hand once more but was waylaid by the arrival of Caroline.

“How was your mathematics talk?” she asked.

Charlie hunched down in front of her. “Would you believe me if I said I was utter rubbish?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” She plopped her fists on her hips. “Aunt Artemis says you’re the smartest person in the world. And Uncle Flip says you understand everything about mathematics, and he didn’t say it with his silly face on, so he was being truthful. And Grammy says that mathematics is... ” She thought for a moment. “Is not for the faint of heart. I think that means if you understand it, you are likely very smart.”

“Your grammy is very, very smart,” Charlie said.

“Mr. Layton said so too. And he said I am pretty as a penny.” Caroline blushed a bit. “I like him.”

“So do I,” Artemis said.

Charlie stood once more as Caroline spun around, making her way back amongst the family.

Artemis threaded her arm through Charlie’s. “They are quite a collection, aren’t they?”

“It is an enormous, chaotic family gathering, so easily mixed together.” His heart swelled as he watched them all. “Even Adam is enduring Philip, who, no doubt, still insists on calling him Brother Adam.”

“He enjoys it more than he lets on.”

Charlie shot her a look of doubt. “Enjoys it?”

“Perhaps not Philip’s teasing, but he likes having family. As lonely as you and I were as children, our isolation was nothing compared to his.”

“He is likely never to enjoy a moment’sisolationagain.”

Artemis pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Papa would have loved having him here. Having all of us here.”

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