by Mary Nichols
‘Oh, Mama, I will. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘Whatever for? Being a mother?’
‘Yes, exactly that. For being my mother.’
They hugged each other again and cried together. ‘I am glad I went,’ Louise said. ‘But even more glad to be home again. And now beside two parents and three brothers, I have Jonathan who has proved himself to be a man in a million and one I shall love to the end of my days. If it had not been for him, I would never have got there and back in one piece.’
They stayed at the vicarage that night and next morning went to Chaston Hall where Louise was welcomed warmly. ‘It is time Jonathan settled down,’ his mother told her. ‘And I hope it means the end of his thieftaking.’
‘Jonathan will do what he thinks is right,’ Louise answered firmly, recalling her mother’s advice to be proud and show she was a fitting wife for Jonathan.
Her ladyship looked startled for a moment, then smiled. ‘You’ll do, my dear.’
Louise went on to speak of their plans for another ceremony to bless the wedding and a wedding breakfast to which everyone would be invited, an idea that had her ladyship’s enthusiastic support. ‘Have the feast here,’ she said. ‘We have acres of room. And it will please me to arrange it.’
And so it came about. Louise went to her father’s church in a dress of pale lime brocade with dome-shaped hoops over which swathes of tulle were looped up to the waist. The quilted stays were embroidered in gold and laced with gold ribbon. Her hair was combed back in loose waves from a centre parting into a knot on top of her head from which ringlets fell about her ears. She wore the tiniest creation of a hat on top of that.
Jonathan was in a full-skirted cream satin coat with deep embroidered cuffs. His long waistcoat was of the same material heavily embroidered with gold-and-silverlace, with a long row of silver buttons. In honour of the occasion he wore a full-bottomed wig tied at the back with a huge black bow.
All Louise’s relations came, except the Dowager Countess of Moresdale, who said she was too old to make the journey, but she did send a gift of a set of silver cutlery from her and her daughter-in-law. Her brothers brought their families and Jonathan’s sister and cousins came and so did the members of the Piccadilly Gentleman’s Club, cheerful and teasing.
‘I do not know about being an organisation for dealing with criminals,’ Harry said afterwards, smiling at Louise who was standing beside Jonathan in the great reception room at Chaston Hall, her arm linked in his. ‘But it seems to me to have more to do with matchmaking. It has already been instrumental in finding wives for three of its members. James, Sam and now Jonathan.’
‘And Joe,’ Louise added. ‘I know he is not strictly a member, but he played his part well.’
‘And you will be next, Harry,’ Sir Ashley put in. ‘You have been a widower long enough.’
‘Or perhaps you,’ Harry retorted. It was nearly five years since his wife had died in child birth, after only a year of marriage. Sometimes it was difficult to believe he had ever been married at all.
‘Not me. I am a bachelor and a bachelor I will remain. I do not have a great estate waiting on my heir.’
‘You’ll see,’ Jonathan put in, laughing. ‘One day you will find yourself in love and all your intentions will fly out of the window. And a good thing too. Marriage is something I can heartily recommend.’ He turned and smiled down at his wife. ‘With the right woman of course.’
And so the celebrations continued until it was time for the happy couple to leave for their new home and their new life together.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8825-0
THE VISCOUNT’S UNCONVENTIONAL BRIDE
Copyright © 2010 by Mary Nichols
First North American Publication 2011
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*The Piccadilly Gentlemen’s Club