The Broken Daylily

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The hunt

Thomas was invited for a hunt with his brother, his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law's brother. The women would wait for them while having a picknick, and Madilyn was invited. She had doubted if she should come, but thought it might be best to leave the house one more time before she was not able to. Pregnant women who were showing were not supposed to be outside, where people could see them.

So was she surprised when she saw Victoria with a bigger belly then hers near the forest. She should not be here, yet she was. The lady walked around like she was not pregnant, not bothering about possible passers-by who might see her. If Madilyn had doubted about not coming because of her belly, she was comforted now that she did not cross the line.

But should she even be surprised about it? Victoria was a Brompton after all. Mayhap not by birth, but married to one – willingly. That must mean she was quite the same as them.

William was also not a Brompton, he was merely married to one. But he had been friends with Andrew Brompton for years before he married Elizabeth. So he was also not that different from the family.

William's brother, Alexander, she had not yet met. But since he was here, going hunting with the Bromptons, it must mean he is friends with them as well. Therefore he must also be like them.

And that made Madilyn still the only outsider.

Lady Anne and Mary were there as well, socializing with the rest of the family. The first ones who noticed Madilyn, were Francis and Alice. The two children ran to her and hugged her, but then admitted they had forgotten her name.

She was happy at least someone had remembered she was there. And though they were 'only' children, they had been the people Madilyn was most excited to see. During the last family dinner, she had spent most of her time with them, and for a while she had forgotten all her problems and worries. That was why she wanted to spend time with them today, for it might make her feel happy for a while.

"Will you play with us?" Francis asked her.

She laid her hand on her belly and told them: "I cannot play too much. I do not want to shake my baby."

Francis held a finger to his lips as he thought, then suggested: "we could play with marbles."

"That sounds like a very good idea," Madilyn said. "You can start it up, and I will greet everyone."

"Then you come back?" Alice asked hopeful.

"Yes, of course." She gave the children one last smile, then turned to the adults. She greeted each one of them as she was supposed to do, and was quite disappointed when none of them started a conversation with her. They were already involved in one and did not ask her to join.

She decided not to be bothered about it and go back to the children, but could not deny the hurtful feeling.

"I am finished," Francis announced when she came to them. He had made a circle with a few sticks, and inside the circle, he had placed marbles. He took some more out of a pouch and gave one to Madilyn, one to Alice, and kept one for himself.

"Stand around the circle," Francis explained, "and when it is your turn, you throw your marble inside the circle, and when it touches a marble from inside, you may keep it."

Then he demonstrated by throwing a marble inside the circle and cheering when he touched one. He took it out of the circle and threw again. This time, he did not touch another marble, and said: "now I have to leave my marble there, and someone else can touch it and gain it."

"Alright," Madilyn said, telling him he understood. "Alice, your turn."

The little girl threw her marble, but it did not touch any other marble. When Madilyn threw, she touched a marble, and when she threw again, she touched another one. The third one she deliberately missed.