If You Wished for Me by Meara Platt

Author:Meara Platt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2019-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“EVERYONE TAKE A card,” Sophie Farthingale said to all who were gathered in her salon the following evening. She began to pass out the cards to her daughters and their husbands. To Lady Eloise. To Rupert Farthingale who was John and George’s brother. To their aunt, Hortensia. To all the Camerons present, even Meggie’s grandfather who muttered about the frivolity, but took a card anyway.

This was the eagerly anticipated part of the evening.

“William, you can’t take two,” Sophie said, no doubt wondering why he’d taken the extra card.

“Why not?” He was standing beside his father by the entry door, both of them holding a brandy in their hands. Usually, the men retired to John’s study after supper to have their drinks. But not this evening. Everyone had come straight into the salon. “Are there not enough to go around?”

“Well, no. There are more than we need. But this is most unusual. Very well, take another if you wish.” Sophie shook her head and moved on to offer a card to George.

Meggie marveled at the ease with which Sophie and John entertained their family. In truth, she was quite in awe of their ability to toss together a family meal for thirty guests at a moment’s notice. Tonight’s affair had been planned, of course. Not only planned, but much anticipated.

“You are each to write your name on the card and what you wish for Christmas,” John explained as though no one knew what they were meant to do and hadn’t been participating in this game for years. “We’ll toss them in this pouch when the ink has dried and each of you will then pick out a card. You’re to bring the gift written on that card for the person named beside it to our Christmas supper and we’ll exchange gifts then.”

“Sophie, may I have two as well?” Meggie asked in a whisper that she hoped no one would overhear.

Sophie shot a glance at William before turning back to her with a conspiratorial smile. “Of course, my dear.”

Well, at least one Farthingale seemed to approve of her and William as a couple. Not that they were or would ever be courting, but it did rankle her that his own cousins thought he was not suitable for her.

Lily approached her once everyone had written out their cards and put them in the pouch. She and William had held back their second cards and neither of them had written a wish on them yet. They still had several weeks to think about what they would put down. “Why did you and William take two cards?”

Meggie was seated on the settee and had been chatting with Lady Eloise when Lily joined them. “You noticed?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Everyone noticed.”

Lady Eloise nodded and gave her hand a pat. “Even your grandfather. But I’ll have a talk with him so he won’t bother you about it.”

Dillie joined them. “What are you going to write on your card, Meggie? I mean that second card that everyone saw you take.

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