Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

C hadwick departed late that afternoon, and Rob didn't see Jo again until the company assembled in the parlour before dinner. When he arrived, she was already deep in conversation with George Yelden. She saw him, and her smile stopped his breath.

"Jo says you're staying on for a while," Yelden said, as he approached. "Pleased to hear it." Yelden inclined his head to where his sister was talking to her young man. "James is no company these days; spends all his time with Lydia."

"Er, George…" Jo started, colour rising to her cheeks. Rob hoped he wasn't going red himself.

Yelden looked from Jo to Rob and back again, and rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you two are going to do the same?"

"Possibly," Rob said. Certainly, if he had his way.

A broad grin spread over Yelden's face. "Really? That's excellent news."

"Thank you."

"Come for a ride tomorrow, Delafield?"

"Willingly. If Jo is also invited and you talk about something other than farming!"

Yelden laughed. "Very well, I promise. "

Lady Yelden approached. "Dinner is ready, everyone. Captain, you will sit by me, if you please. George, you may take your cousin in."

Jo gave a rueful smile as Rob offered his arm to Lady Yelden, but he didn't mind being separated from Jo. Not too much. There would be time enough later this evening, and in the coming days, for them to be together.

"Now, young man," Lady Yelden said, once plates were full and conversation started properly. "I think it's time I learned more about the guest Stretton has foisted on me." The smile in her eyes belied her words and Rob resigned himself to providing the basic details of his life. No doubt he would have to do the same with Mrs Stretton at some point.

In spite of what felt, at times, like an interrogation, Rob enjoyed the meal. With the Bengroves gone, there were no tense undercurrents or snide remarks. Apart from the grandeur of the surroundings, it reminded him of family dinners at his brother's house—people were easy in each other's company talking about the inconsequential matters of daily life with smiles and laughter.

"Well, Jo, you seem to have attracted a very pleasant young man," Aunt Sarah said, when the ladies retired to the parlour.

"I'm glad you think so," Jo said, feeling her face get hot—again. She hadn't said anything to her aunt, but before dinner she had opened her heart to Mama, who might have dropped a hint. Or Aunt Sarah had noticed her setting off for the rose garden with Rob this afternoon and drawn the obvious conclusion. "Thank you for allowing him to stay. I should take some time to make sure of my feelings." She was sure, but she could not say so without explaining about the letters.

Aunt Sarah nodded, then she and Mama began to discuss plans for the coming days until the gentlemen joined them. George sat down with Mama and his parents for a game of whist, while Papa, as was often the case, opened a book. His brief look in Jo's direction made her suspect he'd deliberately left only Rob to talk to her.

"Would you like to choose a book?" Jo asked, looking at James and Lydia with their heads together over yet another illustrated volume. "I can show you the most interesting ones in the library."

"That would be helpful, thank you." He followed her to the library and left the door ajar behind them, as propriety demanded. "Shall we investigate the principles of navigation? Or steam engines, perhaps."

For a moment she thought he was serious, but she caught the quirk of his lips and the creases beside his eyes. "That wasn't what I had in mind."

He looked puzzled, but followed her to a corner of the room out of sight of the doorway. "Farming?"

She took a step towards him, standing close but not quite touching. "I wasn't thinking of looking at books at all."

"Ah." He put up one hand to tuck a curl behind her ear. "Something like this?"

"Yes." Her voice sounded breathy, strange to her ears.

"Are you sure, Jo?"

She stepped closer still, lifting her face to his and resting one hand on his chest. That touch did strange things to her insides, even through all the layers of his clothing. "I have to find out at some point what a kiss is like."

His muscles tensed beneath her hand. "You've never been kissed?"

She shook her head.

"I can't say I'm sorry—but Bengrove is even more of a fool than I thought him."

"Forget about him, Rob. Please."

"Your wish is my command." The words sounded flippant, but his tone was not. He drew her even closer with one hand in the small of her back, and her arms crept around his waist as his other hand cupped the back of her head. His lips were soft on hers at first, then firmer, and her mouth opened as her breaths became shorter. Then something else—his tongue? Then surprise turned to not thinking at all as he deepened the kiss and there were only feelings .

Rob pulled back before he got carried away, moving only a little way so she remained in the circle of his arms. Even in the dim light, he could see the blush on her cheeks and her happy smile.

"That was lovely," she said. "Can we do it again?"

Her eagerness almost tempted him to do so, but caution won. "I would certainly like to, but we have been absent from the parlour long enough."

She sighed, but had to agree. "I don't think Uncle Henry has any books on steam engines, but there is one somewhere with drawings of scenery. Shall we find some places that interest both of us?"

Which they would see together? He certainly hoped so, but it was still too soon to presume that his suit would be accepted, no matter how promising her words and actions felt.

"By all means."

So they returned to the parlour and sat close together, poring over the book—to a shake of the head from Yelden, and a knowing smile from Jo's father.

Yelden Court, five weeks later

Jo stood at her bedroom window, ready for the short journey to the village church. Not even the grey clouds and drizzle could dampen her mood; today, she and Rob would finally be together properly. She and Rob had spent a lot of time just walking and talking together, but also with her parents and the Yeldens. It felt to her as though he had already become part of her family, and today he really would be.

During that time, Rob had left for a week to visit his family. If any confirmation of her wish to marry him had been needed, the way she missed him during his absence and the joy at his return would have given it.

And now the place was full of his family, too. All six of his brothers and sisters were here, most with their spouses and children. With a last, happy smile at how different the atmosphere was from when the Bengrove family had been here, she put them out of her mind. She need think about the Bengroves no longer.

Or not much longer. There was a knock on the door and Papa entered, an opened letter in one hand. "You look lovely, Jo. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Papa." Then asked, in sudden anxiety, "Is something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite." He waved the letter. "This is from the man I sent to Portsmouth. Bengrove sailed for Calcutta last week."

"That's good."

"Indeed—we can forget about the Bengroves now. Are you ready?"

Jo nodded, and picked up the posy of red, pink, and white roses, and Papa gave her his arm to escort her to the waiting carriage. Footmen with umbrellas awaited them at the lych gate for the short distance to the shelter of the porch, where Lydia and Rob's oldest niece, Eliza, straightened her gown. The two girls fell in behind Jo as she took Papa's arm for her last walk as a single woman.

"She's not coming," Chadwick said into Rob's ear, as they waited by the altar rail. Neither he nor Moorven would give way to the other, and as a result Rob had both his friends as groomsmen.

"Don't be an ass, John," Moorven said. "If she'd wanted to escape, she could have done it long ago."

"You do know what to do tonight, don't you, Rob?" Chadwick asked, then chuckled as Rob shook his head. "Better annoyed with me than nervous, eh?"

He might have a point, Rob thought. When he'd first contemplated marrying Jo, he'd pictured a quiet ceremony with only her parents and a few members of his family present, not the whole Yelden clan and all his brothers and sisters. Not to mention several of the servants from the house and a few curious villagers who had crept in at the back.

"I'll withdraw my invitation, John, if you can't behave," Moorven threatened .

Chadwick laughed. "And miss the chance of another grand house party? Not a chance. Ironic, though, don't you think?"

"What is?" Rob had to ask, when Chadwick didn't explain.

"Why, Mrs Stretton wanting her daughter to marry Bengrove so she could mingle with the nobs."

Moorven rolled his eyes.

"Yet here she is," Chadwick went on, "marrying a mere farm boy, and she promptly gets invited to Moorven's future seat. A much nicer set of nobs, I hope," he added, glancing sideways at Moorven.

"Most of them," Moorven said, turning his head at a sound from the door. "Your doom approaches, Rob."

"You're as bad as Chadwick," Rob said, then forgot his friends' teasing as Jo walked towards him on her father's arm. She was beautiful, as always, not only because of the tiny rosebuds in her hair or the rich burgundy gown that showed her figure to advantage, but because of the look in her eyes and her lovely smile.

Now there was the service to attend to and the wedding breakfast back at the Court, then the journey to a comfortable inn near Salisbury where they would spend their first night on the way to see the cliffs and moors of Cornwall.

The glance they shared as she came to a halt beside him promised much for tonight.

"Dearly beloved…"