Chapter 19

T he garden drawing room—so called because it was one of two drawing rooms and opened onto the garden—at the Grove was full of Jo's family and friends following her wedding to Sheff. After dashing to the retiring room, which had become a regular occurrence in recent days, and would apparently only become more persistent according to her mother and Persephone, Jo now stood just inside the doorway. She wanted to take a moment to survey all the people she cared about most and cherish that they were all here to celebrate her most special day.

Good heavens, but pregnancy had turned her into a nostalgic sentimentalist.

And she didn't mind. She glanced at her left hand, thinking Sheff's grandmother's ring still felt odd, but it also felt right. Jo had returned the ring to Min after the fake betrothal had ended, then Min had brought it with her to Weston, much to Jo's surprise and delight.

Sheff had made a show of putting it on her finger in front of Min and Ellis, who were there. He'd even dropped to his knee again.

Being with Ellis was difficult. Jo and Sheff wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth, to reveal her parentage. But they were resolved in their decision to wait until all parties could be informed. That meant that Min didn't know the truth yet either.

Upon arriving in Weston, Jo had told her mother that Ellis was, definitively, Jo's half sister. Her mother was not surprised and immediately suggested they not tell her father when he arrived in Weston. He would go straight to Ellis, and they'd agreed that might not be the best way for her to learn about her parentage. Finding out she was the duchess's daughter would affect her greatly, and they'd reasoned it was best to wait until Sheff had spoken with his father. Jo ached to tell her father about his other daughter—and to recognize Ellis as her sister—but knew the timing was not yet right. It would be soon.

Sheff had agreed with this plan. Then he'd just kept telling Jo not to fret, that this time was for them, to celebrate their love and, today, their marriage. It had been a very joyous week. Jo could not remember ever being this happy.

"Do your cheeks ache yet?" Jo's mother asked as she approached her.

"Not yet, but I'm sure they will." Jo grinned. "Can one overdose on happiness?"

"I never thought so, but I don't know that I've ever achieved your level of joy." She kissed Jo's cheek. "Your love for Sheff appears to exceed anything I felt for your father."

"What about Marcel?" Jo glanced toward her mother's lover, a lithe gentleman with gray-and-sable hair who stood across the room speaking with Wellesbourne and Droxford.

Her mother's lips curved into a small smile. "I do love him, but I am not sure it is the same all-consuming passion you seem to have for Sheff. And, more importantly, that he has for you. I've never seen a man more smitten. It makes me want to roll my eyes, quite frankly."

Jo laughed. "I might feel the same if I were not the recipient."

Sobering, her mother said, "Marcel and I are returning to London tomorrow."

Jo pivoted to face her. "You are? I thought you were staying until the end of the month."

"Or as long as I could stand it. I am past my ability to withstand another week in this sleepy enclave." She shuddered. "Honestly, I would have left days ago, but you arrived and announced you were marrying as soon as possible, and I had to stay." Her expression softened. "I wanted to stay. But now I want to go home."

"What does this mean for future forays to Weston?" Jo asked wryly.

Her mother's eyes narrowed slightly. "It means I told Marcel that if he desires a short respite, and I mean a fortnight or less, at the seaside, we will go to Brighton. It's much closer to London, and I won't feel so trapped."

"Did he find that reasonable?" Jo asked.

"More than." Her eyes gleamed with mirth. "He then confessed he didn't like it here either."

Jo laughed. "This is why the two of you are so suited."

"Bizarrely, we've invited your father to ride back to London with us."

"That's surprising."

Her mother shrugged. "It was Marcel's idea. I think he enjoys provoking Rowland, but your father isn't jealous. He has never possessed those tendencies."

"What are you both whispering about?" Sheff asked as he walked up next to Jo and slipped his arm around her waist.

Jo pressed herself against him. "Mama and Marcel are returning to London tomorrow. And they're taking my father with them."

Sheff's brows rose. "That's a bold move."

"Thankfully, it's only two days of travel. Though, I may regret my choice by tomorrow morning." Jo's mother looked from Jo to Sheff and back again. "When will you be going to London?"

"In a week or so, after we enjoy a honeymoon." He pressed a kiss to Jo's temple. "We are anxious to speak to the duke as soon as possible as to how we should proceed with regard to Ellis. I believe the duchess has gone to Beacon Park, so she may not be a part of any conversation."

"That may be for the best," Jo's mother said, making a slight face. "I don't think she'll enjoy having this history dredged up."

"No," Sheff agreed. "But it isn't about her or her feelings. This is about Ellis and making sure she is supported."

Jo's mother's gaze fixed on Jo with concern. "Have you considered it may be better not to tell her or your father? Perhaps it's best to just let the past alone."

"Ellis's parentage is not the past," Jo argued. "It's who she is. How can Sheff and I keep the truth from her? I would be so angry if I were in her place."

Sheff squeezed Jo's waist. "I agree. She needs to know, and we'll find the best way to tell her."

"I'll support you in whatever you decide." Jo's mother glanced toward Jo's father, who was sitting with a few of their friends—ironically including Ellis—regaling them with some tale that had them all laughing. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to collect Marcel, as we should be on our way soon."

Jo leaned over and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'll see you when we return to London."

"Yes, and do let me know where I can find you, because I know you're not moving into the Albany."

Laughing, Jo shook her head. The Albany was for bachelors. For now, they were going to stay at Henlow House since the duchess was not in residence. Sheff had already instructed his secretary to look for appropriate properties that they might call home.

A short while later, after Jo's mother and Marcel had left and Jo's father had retreated upstairs, Jo and Sheff were alone with their friends. Wellesbourne wasted no time lifting a glass to toast the newly married couple.

"To Sheff, whom we shall all endlessly tease about leg shackling himself, and to Jo, the only woman cunning enough to snare the roguiest rogue among us."

Everyone raised their glasses amid calls of "Hear, hear."

After drinking, Sheff, who sat very close to his wife on a small settee, raised his glass once more. "To the last remaining rogue, our dear Evan Price. Let's see how long you last." Sheff laughed, and once more, "Hear, hear," filled the room.

Price didn't drink but looked upon them all with superiority. "I am quite content as the remaining rogue. And as I am a couple of years younger than the rest of you rogues, I'm happy to say that I will last quite some time. I do not have parents harassing me to wed, nor am I on the hunt. Yet."

"Well, I am," Min said, surprising everyone into silence. "I shall give the Marriage Mart one last try in October for the Season in Bath. If I don't find a sufficiently nonroguish husband then, I shall cast myself into spinsterhood." She glanced at Ellis, who sat in the chair next to hers. "You will find Ellis and me running a school for girls or collecting cats or writing horrid novels under the name Euphemia Brightly."

"Perhaps all those things," Ellis said with a smile.

"Why not?" Min tapped her glass to Ellis's, and everyone drank.

"I think we must all go to Bath for the Season," Gwen suggested, looking around the room. "We can support Min."

"I would like that," Jo murmured to Sheff.

"Then that's where we will be," he said with a smile.

"Pandora will be there, of course," Persephone said. "Since she lives there with our aunt. I mention her because she was not able to finish Jo's embroidered copy of the rogue rules before today. But now, she can give it to you in person." Persephone smiled at Jo.

"She's making one for me?" Jo asked in surprise. The warmth and love of friendship rushed through her, and she was incredibly grateful to Gwen for inviting her into their set. "I was not part of the group when the rules were formed."

"You are part of the group now," Persephone assured her. "And I think we can all agree that you, out of us all, need a copy of those rules where Sheff can see them." She winked at Sheff, who laughed.

"My roguing days are over," Sheff declared.

"I might like you to be a rogue once in a while," Jo said with a slight shrug, and everyone laughed.

They visited awhile longer before their friends began to filter out—though Min and Ellis were merely retreating upstairs to their sitting room. At last, it was just Jo and Sheff in the drawing room. Jo kicked off her slippers and sat down sideways on a settee, putting her feet up.

Sheff slid onto the settee and put her feet on his lap. "That was lovely."

Jo smiled, feeling a warm satisfaction. "It was, wasn't it?"

"And you planned the entire thing," he said proudly.

"I was happy to organize things myself, and Mrs. Ingram was most helpful. She also apologized to me about twenty times for assuming you had been intimate with that woman at the duke's party."

Sheff chuckled. "She apologized to me probably fifty times." He started to massage one of Jo's feet, and she moaned softly. "She also told me that I am lucky to have you as my countess."

"That's nice to hear." Jo was nervous about returning to London and hearing differing opinions.

"Don't worry." Sheff gave her foot a comforting squeeze. "Everything will be fine back in town."

"I can't help thinking about it. I never imagined I'd be a countess." Or a duchess someday. Jo wouldn't think about that at all. "It's overwhelming, and you can't disagree with that."

"No, I can't." He moved to massage her other foot. "But I am here by your side. I will support you and love you every step of the way."

"I know." She wiggled her toes, and he lifted her foot to press a kiss to the inner arch. She could feel the softness of his lips through the silk of her stocking. "I keep meaning to give your five hundred pounds back to you. Seems rude of me to keep it."

He stared at her, aghast. "Why? We had an agreement, and you fulfilled your side of the bargain."

Jo laughed. "It failed. We did not go our separate ways at all."

"Well, it feels like a tremendous success to me. I insist you do whatever you like with the money."

"Anything at all?" she asked.

"Anything at all."

"Since becoming a book publisher would likely be frowned upon with my new title, I have been thinking about starting a library. I would be the patroness. But I would like for it to be in East London and provide a certain number of subscriptions for little or even no charge. I might also employ someone to teach people to read." She waved her hand. "These are all just rambling thoughts for now."

"They are excellent thoughts, and I wholly support them." Sheff moved his hand up her calf. "Only tell me how I can help."

"I will." She met his gaze and could see that his thoughts had taken on a decidedly lurid bent. "Should we go upstairs?"

"I suppose that would be best." Sheff removed her feet from his lap and stood. Then he gathered her into his arms, prompting her to gasp as she curled her arms around his neck. "Come, my lady wife."

Jo put her mouth to his ear and whispered, "Only if you make me."

His eyes met hers with wicked promise. "I accept your challenge."