Gingerbread Bride

Chapter Ten

Mary spent the morning dodging Bosville; successfully, thanks to several timely interventions. She was in the dining room near the front door, helping to decorate for tomorrow's party when Cousin Enid arrived.

As if Cousin Bosville were not enough.

"I do beg your pardon for coming unannounced," she heard Enid say. "But my mama was so worried about our dear Mary, after we heard that the coach nearly crashed. And we are such dear friends, Mary and I..."

Mary's hands stilled on the ribbon she was tying around a kissing bough. The lying cow!

Aunt Theo answered, her voice too low for the words to be understood.

"Oh, thank you. I would love to stay, if you are sure it will be no trouble. Why! Lieutenant Redepenning! Are you still here? I had no idea... How delightful."

"Miss Rumbold." Rick sounded politely bland, the voice he used when he wished he were somewhere—anywhere—else. She'd often heard him use it, though, come to think of it, never with her.

They moved away from the door, Enid chattering gaily about how happy she was to see Oxford—"so beautiful, just as I'd heard"—and how pleased she was that Lieutenant Redepenning was back on his feet.

Mary tugged the ribbon with such unnecessary force, it knotted, and she could not unravel it. "Such dear friends," was it? Well, if Enid Rumbold thought to catch Rick Redepenning in her marital claws, she could think again.

Over the noon meal, without a word being said, Mary and Rick joined in a mutual defense pact. Bosville circled, but was deflected with by a sharp glare from Rick. Enid fluttered her eyelashes madly, but desisted when Mary asked, "Why, Enid, darling, do you have something in your eye? Come to the kitchen, and I'll help you wash it."

Bosville tried to enlist Aunt Theo. "Seems like the lieutenant is well enough to move on and stop taking advantage of you, Auntie."

"Lieutenant Redepenning is welcome to stay as long as he wishes, Bosville," Aunt Theo told him. "We enjoy his company."

"We like invited guests," Uncle Wren added, with a frown.

As at every other meal in the Wren household, an assorted group of people who happened to be in the house at the time sat to eat, but didn't stop the conversations about the projects or activities that brought them to visit.

Bosville had already repelled all attempts at familiarity, and was now being ignored, but the assembled young people were generously willing to include Enid in their conversation.

Their friendly overtures were unsuccessful. Enid had no opinion on water wheel systems for lock construction, or whether Merlin's real name was Myrddin, or the best translation for the Greek word paidiskê. When Mary suggested that women should be allowed to attend lectures at the university, Enid was invited to give her thoughts on the vigorous debate. She batted her eyelids at Uncle Wren, "How dreadful. As if any real woman would want to know about such unladylike things. Oh, but of course, Mary was raised on a navy ship. Very hard to be a lady in such circumstances. I do feel badly for you, Cousin."

Uncle Wren frowned at Enid, and then deliberately turned a shoulder to her. "May I pass you the soup, Mary, my dear?"

Despite the snubs, the two unwelcome guests persisted. Mary avoided them by retreating to the kitchen to make gingerbread shapes—stars, bells, holly leaves, hearts, and ladies and gentlemen, using the cutters the tinker had made for her. She would ice them in the morning.

Aunt Theo knocked on the door just before she hopped into bed. "May I have a moment, my love?"

"Of course, Aunt Theo. Polly, off you go to bed. I won't need you again tonight. Is anything wrong, Aunt?"

"Just those two cousins, my dear. I am sorry that you are so bedeviled. Dr. Wren wishes to toss them both out, but we can hardly send Miss Rumbold out the door when she has travelled three days to be here, and if I cast Bosville into the night not a day before Christmas, my sister will be most offended."

"Oh, Aunt, I do not expect you to do that."

"Just be careful, my dear," Aunt Theo warned. "Do not be alone with my nephew, and do not leave your poor lieutenant alone with Miss Rumbold."

Mary blushed scarlet. "He is not my lieutenant, Aunt Theo."

Her aunt just smiled. "He will be if you want him, dear." With that, she left Mary to her dreams.