Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
“Marriage can only be happy where there is a perfect conformity in principles and taste.”
Dr. John Gregory, A Father’s Legacy to His Daughters
It disgruntled Sophia to see Cecil waiting in the vestibule. It was time to leave for Balfour Terrace and, apparently, Uncle Hugh had decided Cecil would still be attending the wedding for the sake of appearances.
Her brother looked pale and glared at her malevolently before casting his eyes back to stare at the floor in resentment.
It appeared Uncle Hugh had already spoken with him about the prior evening’s incursion.
She wondered if Cecil had spent the night in his room because there had been no sign of him when Leech was caught.
The whiff of hard liquor seeping from her brother meant he must have gotten soused after letting Leech into their home.
Perhaps a sign that he had some conscience, then?
Not that Cecil ever needed an excuse to drink.
His presence that morning suggested that he was doing his best to hold on to his allowance and connection to the viscount, who was taking full advantage of his desperation to keep up appearances.
Thinking of the evildoer, Leech, being bruised and battered this morning brought a small smile of relish to her lips. The man had been hoisted with his own petard, for which she harbored no regrets. It could have been her, bruised and battered, if she had not taken measures to protect herself.
Uncle Hugh entered the entrance hall, swinging his head around as if he was counting up family members. “Everyone ready to leave, then?”
Aunt Christiana sighed. “After the events of last night, I am more than ready to see our girl safely wed. And the sooner we are done, the sooner I can return home to take a lie-down. I missed much sleep.”
The older woman appeared peaked. It made Sophia ever more certain she was making the right decision to wed Lord Saunton. Her adopted family did not deserve to be exposed to such villainy of the kind Cecil had visited on them. With Sophia wed, the risk would be terminated.
It was a sad state of affairs that once a woman wed, she lost all rights to her own income and possessions, but she felt she had found an excellent resolution to the problem that her dowry in trust presented.
And if Lord Saunton thought he could change his mind and return to his philandering ways, he would discover that she did not tolerate such behavior.
But the earl seemed sincere about his efforts to alter his course, and she was certain she could assist him to find his way.
His issues were far easier to solve than drinking and gambling, especially when taken into account with the fact that he was taking calculated steps to correct his past mistakes, which demonstrated his commitment to his crusade of redemption.
Uncle Hugh frowned in concern at his wife. “Are you all right, dear?”
Her aunt smiled. “I am happy to marry Sophia off to such a well-connected peer. It will be quite the relief to know she will be taken care of. Losing a little sleep is a small price to pay for such a prestigious event.”
Her uncle broke into a smile. “I had my reservations about allowing this marriage, but I had time in the past few days to get a report on Saunton. He is considered quite moderate in how he spends his money and, from all accounts, has expanded the wealth of the Saunton estates and investments considerably since inheriting the title. He assured me he has every intention of seeing our niece happy and healthy. I think this is a good match, wife. My apologies for doubting you.”
The entire family was evidently relieved to marry Sophia off today in order to end the threat of a scheming brother and any future fortune hunters he may ally with. Except for Cecil himself, of course. Sophia was quite looking forward to the security that marriage to Saunton would bring.
Aunt Christiana beamed in response while Uncle Hugh took up her gloved hand to press a kiss to her fingers.
The two of them stood staring at each other with loving gazes, causing Sophia and Lily to fidget.
The cousins looked at each other, and Lily quirked an eyebrow at Sophia in silent remark.
Sophia shook her head and exhaled a brief chuckle of discomfort.
“I think the carriage is waiting for us, Papa. I trust Cecil is not traveling with us?” Lily pointedly interrupted the moment between her parents.
Uncle Hugh looked over at Cecil with distaste. “No. He is making his own way to Balfour Terrace. But he will be on time.” The menacing tone made Cecil straighten in agitation.
“Yes, my lord.”
With that, Lord Moreland ushered the women out the door to the carriage awaiting them.
Richard fiddled with his pristine cravat while Peregrine stood grumbling under his breath across the library.
His brother was still coming to terms with his hasty wedding and complaining about having a woman underfoot in their family home.
He even mentioned finding rooms, but Richard interjected that they were family and Perry’s place was in this ridiculously large family home.
His brother relented but asserted he would stay at his clubs frequently in order to pursue his pleasures.
Richard shrugged in nonchalance, but secretly he hoped that his path back to honor would, mayhap, inspire his brother to rethink his own course.
Richard was very much afraid that his own questionable history had infected his younger brother immeasurably, or, at least, done nothing to mitigate the damage their father had done to him.
Richard paced, switching his thoughts to Sophia.
He needed to pull her aside before their vows and inform her about Ethan.
She deserved to have an opportunity to cancel the wedding if she wished.
Richard had conducted his negotiations with Lord Moreland without seeing her for the past few days.
He wanted to do the right thing and inform her about his son, but at the same time, he was strangely reluctant to impart the news.
He grew more and more certain that any sane woman would immediately screech and run from him.
The terrible scandal would affect her life in ways he could not imagine.
Many would turn away from him and his family due to his recognition of his son, openly residing at Balfour Terrace.
He would adroitly explain his presence, perhaps claiming Ethan was his ward, because that was the way of polite society. But everyone would still know Ethan was his natural born son, especially if the boy turned out to resemble him as much as Johnson had intimated.
Richard felt light-headed, nauseous even, with the stress of confronting Sophia with the news.
Mayhap his brother was correct and he should inform her after the wedding?
Sophia knew something like this might come to light.
But you assured her no progeny had been uncovered just a few days ago in the Moreland drawing room.
Then the delightful hellion had kissed him, the sensation of which was ever present on his lips and his mind since that astonishing moment.
No, he must inform her. She must have the right to choose if she wanted to become the de facto mother to his four-year-old illegitimate son.
Grrr!
Perry called out from the other end, “If the idea of being wed is making you growl, it is not too late to find a way to break the contract.”
“Ha ha. I think it would be easy to reach a mutual agreement to have the contracts canceled. I simply tell her about Ethan, and Lord Moreland slaps me across the face as they all storm out with much shouting and weeping.”
Perry raised his eyebrows. “A reactive bunch, are they? Then it sounds best to get the cancelation moving ahead.”
Richard shook his head. “Perry, I want this. I want to marry Sophia. She is an interesting young woman, and I am certain you will grow to like her.”
His brother huffed in disgust and turned to stare out the French doors into the garden, his arms folded to show his ire at the nuptials.
Richard stared at his brother, not knowing what to say to reassure him they would still be brothers, that their relationship would not be altered. Then he recollected he needed to speak with Sophia and started pacing in agitation once more.
“The wedding party has arrived, my lord,” Radcliffe intoned from the doorway.
“Right. I will come greet them, then.” Richard followed the butler out, his stomach twisting in nervous excitement.
Lord and Lady Moreland stood in his front vestibule, looking very proper.
The cousin, a Miss Lily Abbott if he recollected correctly, was a diminutive fairy staring up at the artistry of his Italian frescos with open-mouthed delight, while a thickset man with the same reddish-blond hair as his betrothed stood detached from the family, appearing quite belligerent.
He briefly wondered if the gentleman protested the union before his eyes found Sophia, and he was robbed of thought.
She was beautiful. Exquisite. Dressed in an indigo pelisse which brought out the red highlights in her blonde hair, the blue glints in her eyes, and the warm tones in her silky skin.
He was speechless with wonder. This intelligent, vivacious young woman had consented to marry him, and he was awed.
Reminding himself to draw breath, he hurried forward to greet the party.
After brief pleasantries, he bade his butler to show them to the library and to collect the vicar from the drawing room. As the family passed him, he shot out a hand to gently grasp Sophia by the arm. “I would like to speak to you for a few moments, Miss Hayward.”
She hesitated and then stepped aside as her family continued down the hall.