There's still time in this happy ending

A visit from Eloise

Eloise was sitting comfortably on the sofa, looking at the baby – her nephew, to be exact – in Kate's arms. He was so small.

The truth is, she doesn't know what to do about babies. It's not that she doesn't like them, but that she doesn't know how to act round them, since is not possible to talk to them about anything.

But then, the same could be said about the greatest part of the men in the ton.

Or people in general, for that matter.

"Are you certain you don't want to hold him?", Kate, clearly delighted with the infant, asked her, while arranging the already perfectly well placed cap on his small, rounded head.

"Oh, no, no. It's fine", she moved a few inches farther in the sofa, just to make sure her point was understood. "I just wanted to stop by on my way to the modist. I hoped to find Anthony here as well, but another day, then".

"I'm so sorry, we'll arrange a family dinner soon, yes?", she promised, radiant. "Lately he's been working hard. As he always does. But he had to go to the Parlament today, that usually takes quite a while".

Eloise couldn't help but smile at the slightly tone of pride on her voice.

"You really do love him, don't you?".

Kate looked startled at first, then she smiled and looking back at the baby, she answered her question.

"I do. With all my heart".

"I'm so happy for you both. I love my brother, I assure you that. Of course I do. But sometimes, he is so... distant. Removed from the rest of us. It's not like Benedict. I feel I can talk to him about anything. But Anthony... I'm still on the process to digest that he's married to you and he smiles so much now", she finishes, with a little laugh.

"He loves all of you deeply. You know that, don't you?".

"Certainly. Of course I do".

But did she?.

"It's different for us, the elder siblings", Kate continued. "We feel the world upon our shoulders. We feel responsible for the ones we love, the ones we think or feel depend on us".

Eloise nodded her head.

"Have you ever thought about how your life would have been if at the age of eighteen, you had to take care of a whole family your father had left behind? How hard it is to overcome the loss of one of the persons you love the most, to stop thinking about yourself, put these feelings aside, and having to think about several other people all the time?"

"Like you did as well", Eloise added, her voice gentle.

"Oh, but no, not at all", Kate shook her head vehemently. "I had but one sister. I didn't have 7 siblings and a title and so may duties. Your brother, Anthony..." she shrugged her shoulders. "All eyes were on him. They still are. And he still worries. As I said, he loves you all so much. He would do anything, anything, for his family".

"You are his family now. And little Edmund", Eloise tried to lighten up the mood, feeling the intensity radiate from Kate, her efforts to make her understand something she, of course, has known all along. But at the same time, maybe it had been taken for granted. For the mere idea of her having to take upon herself the amount of obligations his brother had to take in, made her feel dizzy.

"And you are my family now too", Kate smiled, taking her hand and interrupting her thoughts.

"And I'm very happy for that".

For a moment they stayed just like that, smiling at each other. Understanding.

When Eloise stood up, the moment of gravity was gone.

"Because, you know", she declared animatedly, "I'm so happy to have an intelligent woman around, to discuss things about".

Kate was laughing when her sister in law left a small kiss on her cheek. She waved at Edmund and left the room, smiling but also contemplative, thinking about Kate's words in her way out.

-----

"I didn't know you were coming. Are you leaving already? Did something happen? Is mother alright?".

Eloise, having reached the door, looked up to see herself almost face to face with her eldest brother, who had just entered the house.

"It was an impromptu visit, I decided to stop on my way to the modist".

"Oh, I see".

But for the first time maybe, his questions didn't irritate her. Eloise didn't feel like he was trying to control all of them. She noticed, this time, how his forehead had wrinkled with worry when asking and how now his face had relaxed and he was smiling, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, have a great visit to the modist, sister".

Anthony, hands behind his back, swinging slightly in his heels, wished her goodbye with a smile and a brief curtsy. He was about to direct himself towards the stairs, no doubt to reunite with Kate and baby Edmund.

But before he could reach his destination, Eloise stepped closer to him and without any kind of warning, she just threw her arms around his neck, planted a kiss on his cheek and then exited the house as if the devil himself were following her.

Leaving an astonished but happily surprised Anthony on her wake.