Free As You Are by Sarah M. Eden

the youngest Jonquil at only seventeen, would be with her, as would Caroline, Corbin’s little niece. If Mater had traveled from the Park, it could only mean one thing: Charlie had managed to get himself in trouble. Philip had left Corbin in charge for just that reason. Charlie was always in trouble.
    Simmons looked pleased when Corbin reached the front doors of Havenworth. They seldom had visitors—having people around made Corbin nervous. His unease was a little less pronounced with his family. And, he realized with a smile, with Edmund. He enjoyed the boy tremendously.
    “The Dowager Lady Lampton, Lord and Lady Cavratt, Mr. Jason Jonquil, Mr. Harold Jonquil, Mr. Charles Jonquil, and Miss Caroline Jonquil.” Simmons quickly rattled off the list of arrivals. Ever since coming to Havenworth, Simmons had made a practice of warning Corbin of any and all visitors. Corbin hadn’t needed to ask him to; Simmons simply seemed to understand.
    It was something of a family reunion . Even Harry had come. Corbin nodded to Simmons and swiftly walked to the sitting room.
    “Good day, dear.” Mater greeted him with an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “Forgive us for descending on you without warning, but if we had remained at the Park one day longer, I would probably have killed your brother.”
    She smiled as if sincere. Corbin glanced across at Charlie, who sat slouched in a chair at the far end of the room. Corbin looked back at Mater, allowing a question to enter his eyes.
    Mater seemed to understand the unspoken “What did Charlie do this time?”
    “He took Philip’s phaeton at an unnatural pace down the lane outside Squire Hampton’s home,” she explained. “Only by some miracle, he managed not to run Arabella Hampton down, though he positively ruined her gown.”
    “I didn’t know it was muddy,” Corbin thought he heard Charlie grumble.
    “And last week he wasted an entire afternoon strutting like a peacock around Collingham,” Mater continued. “I have not yet stopped hearing how ridiculous he was.”
    Charlie always seemed to be in some scrape or another when at home. He’d been nearly perfectly behaved during their Christmas holiday in Suffolk. Corbin had never heard a word about trouble at school. But at home, it was an entirely different story. Why was that?
    “I had hoped we might remain until the workers finished remodeling the dower house,” Mater said. “That might mean a fortnight or more.”
    “Of course.” Corbin always enjoyed having his mother visit.
    “Harold is only here for the day,” Mater volunteered. “He has a sermon in the morning.”
    Harold nodded quite seriously, wearing the pious look on his face that always indicated he was pondering something of deep, doctrinal significance. If not for the fact that he wore that look most of the time, Corbin might have found it a reliable measure of Harold’s thoughts.
    “Uncle Corbo?” A little voice captured his attention.
    He looked down into the face of a golden-haired angel, her bright blue eyes wide and inquiring and, to his instant dismay, teary. He scooped his little niece into his arms.
    She laid her head on his shoulder. “When is my papa coming home?”
    Her father and his new wife were on an extended wedding trip. “In another week, Caroline,” Corbin answered.
    Mater smiled at the two of them and crossed the room to sit on a sofa. She was probably quite worn out with the energetic five-year-old at the house, not to mention enduring Charlie’s often-embarrassing escapades.
    “And Mary will come back too?” Caroline inquired after her new stepmother, whose name was actually Marion.
    She will come home with your papa . Corbin nodded.
    “If we write them a letter, will they come home sooner?”
    Corbin smiled. “Are . . . are you unhappy? Grammy and Uncle Charming aren’t . . . aren’t keeping you company?” Caroline had rather amusing names for all of her relatives. Philip’s wife, Sorrel, had become “Swirl.” Corbin