Will and Testament // Sequel to the Rosie Grey series

Chapter Seventeen

After we left the churchyard, we headed back to the house where the rest of the family would be meeting us. Father also managed to convince Mother's brothers to attend as a sort of last hurrah to Grandfather's house before it fell into the hands of Grandmother. We were to have a sort of picnic lunch containing sandwiches and mini-cakes that Mrs Smith, Mary and Helen had spent the past day preparing.

When we got home I placed my case in my room and started to unpack it so I didn't have to do it later. My toothbrush and toothpaste returned to the washroom, my hairbrush to my dresser and my nightdress to under my pillow. I put my other dress in the laundry basket for Mrs Smith to find. Everything had been returned to its place and it felt right, although I knew it wouldn't last.

Father had barely spoken to me on the drive home, but he kept turning around to look at me like he expected me to leap from the car and make a break for it - I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind at least once. Every time he looked at me I felt a bubble of anger start to float to the surface but I managed to pop it before it got too far. If Father was trying to get a rise out of me, it was certainly working.

"Isabel! Hurry up!" Father yelled up the stairs.

I huffed. "I'm coming."

I rolled my eyes and moved as slowly as I could which I knew would annoy Father, but meant I had to spend less time in his presence. When I appeared at the top of the stairs, someone knocked at the door and Mrs Smith appeared from the parlour to open the door. I rushed down the stairs just as Sebastian stepped through the threshold.

"Twice in two days, how unusual," he said.

"I think I've now seen enough of you to last a lifetime." I laughed.

"Likewise, Izzy."

Sebastian patted me on the head like an animal and then quickly moved into the other room before I could do anything. He was quickly followed by Cole and Oliver with Oliver looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. I slipped into the parlour and took a seat on the floor, my eyes instantly drawn to the selection of food on the table. My stomach groaned in protest at the slightest smell of jam, it was getting rather argumentative since I hadn't had anything to eat since the day before.

Father looked at me, almost as if he expected me to start eating from the selection of food, but I kept my hands in my lap to prove a point. I knew we weren't going to eat until everyone else had arrived and we were still waiting for more than half the family. Uncle Matthew smiled at me when he entered the room and I was somewhat glad that there would be at least one adult in the room who didn't dislike me for one reason or another. I knew it would get awkward once Uncle Christopher and Uncle James appeared.

I kept my hands to myself and did everything I could to distract myself from the food as the rest of the family appeared. Someone had moved the armchairs and sofas from the drawing-room so that we had plenty of space to sit but it still wouldn't be enough and I would have to remain on the floor, probably with the younger ones. It didn't bother me as much as I thought it did since it meant I could stay out of sight.

"Can I sit on your lap?" Florence asked, standing in front of me.

"Go on then, but don't wiggle."

"I don't wiggle!" Florence settled herself onto my legs.

"Oh really?" I jabbed her in the side with my fingers and she shrieked, writhing around and giggling as I tickled her.

"Izzy! Stop!" she exclaimed in between giggles and trying to fight me off.

"That's enough, you two," Mother said.

I stopped tickling Florence and allowed her to settle back on my lap, her back pressing into me and her head resting against my shoulder. Father glared at me but said nothing, I knew he wanted to chastise me for my behaviour both with Florence and back at the church but he bit back whatever retort he had saved up. Part of me wanted to egg him on, to keep tickling Florence just to see what he would do, but I decided not to seeing as the entire immediate family had been gathered in one place.