Chapter Twenty-Four

B yron felt on top of the world as he entered the breakfast room. Mama and his aunt and uncle were already present. He greeted them and took his seat, a footman immediately pouring a cup of tea for him.

He had purchased the special license at Doctors’ Commons yesterday before going to the christening ceremony of Sophie . He had also introduced his mother to Mirella last night, and Mama had been at her most gracious, complimenting his fiancée and asking questions about her family and the upcoming wedding.

Aunt Flora and Uncle Hugh had pulled him aside to express their delight in his choice of a wife. After the couple attended the wedding at Shadowcrest, they planned to return to Benbrook, Aunt Flora saying their work in town was now done.

His mother would finish out the remainder of the Season. She had told Byron that once she arrived at Bridgefield, it would be to live in the dower house. When he protested, telling her there was plenty of room, she had replied that it was time for Bridgefield to embrace its new mistress. Mama instructed him to have Mrs. Jarrod pack up all her things and have them moved to the dower house so that the marchioness’ rooms would be freed up for Lady Mirella. Byron did not tell Mama of his plan to have Mirella only use those rooms a short while each day. Some things mothers did not need to be privy to.

Byron had already gone to Mr. Pilsbury’s office, instructing him to meet with the Duke of Seaton’s solicitor as quickly as possible. Byron told Pilsbury to give the man whatever he requested in the marriage settlements, even it proved to be more than he had been offering Lord Hampton. The solicitor had agreed to do so, and a meeting for Byron and His Grace to go over those contracts had been set for tomorrow afternoon.

That meant only one thing was left to do, something which might prove to be a bit difficult.

He had to tell Verity and Amity goodbye.

Byron had yet to tell Mirella of their existence and his support of them. With her kind and generous nature, he did not see that to be a problem. Next Season, he even hoped he could bring Mirella to meet the pair. Time was limited now, however, and Mirella and her family would be leaving town tomorrow afternoon once the marriage contracts were signed. They would be returning to Shadowcrest in order to make the wedding preparations. That left no time for him to take her to meet his niece and her mother.

Still, he had visited them a couple of times a week during the Season, and Byron believed he owed it to Verity to let her know of his upcoming marriage and early return to the country. He feared Amity would take his absence hard. The girl had never had a father figure in her life and had attached herself to him. Perhaps the day might even come when he and Mirella could host Verity and Amity at Bridgefield for an extended visit. Once he told his wife about the pair, Byron had a feeling she would insist upon that very thing.

“How are plans progressing for the wedding?” Aunt Flora asked him.

“Our solicitors have already met, and His Grace and I will go to Pilsbury’s office tomorrow at one o’clock to sign the marriage settlements. Once that is completed, the duke and his family members who are in town will return to Kent, where they will see things are readied for next Tuesday’s ceremony.”

“When are we to leave for Shadowcrest?” Mama asked.

“I have told Her Grace and Mrs. Andrews that we would travel down Monday morning,” he replied. “That will give us the rest of the day to settle in, and the wedding will take place in the chapel on the grounds the next morning.”

“When will you take your bride to Bridgefield?” Uncle Hugh asked.

“After the wedding breakfast concludes,” Byron said. “We will only be a few hours away from Mirella’s childhood home, and I believe we will be frequent visitors to Shadowcrest. Her mother has her own manor house nearby when she and the captain are not residing in town.”

Mama’s nose crinkled a bit. “I am a bit... surprised that Mrs. Andrews is having a child at her age.”

Yes, there was the judgmental woman he knew so well. Byron glared at her until Mama’s eyes fell to her plate.

“Mrs. Andrews is still young enough to bear a child,” he chided gently. “That is her and her husband’s business. I hope you will pray that they have a healthy child, Mama.”

She glanced up. “Of course, Bridgewater,” she assured him. “After all, she is a former duchess. She can do anything.”

He wiped his mouth with his napkin in order to hide his smile.

They finished with breakfast, and he called for his carriage so that he might go and visit Verity and Amity a final time.

Paulson volunteered, “Preparations for your departure are going smoothly, my lord.”

He had informed his butler, who in turn had notified the staff, that Byron, along with his aunt and uncle, would not be returning to town for the remainder of the Season. Only his mother would see it out before she returned to the country.

“That is good to know, Paulson,” he said.

The carriage now ready, Byron went outside and told his coachman to take him to St. John’s Wood. He settled back against the cushions, thinking where he would be this time next week.

Home. With his wife.

He and Mirella had exchanged a few quick, heated kisses, but Byron was ready to consummate their marriage as quickly as possible. He had never desired a woman as much as he did Mirella and looked forward to coupling with her frequently. She had taken to kissing quickly, and he could not wait to explore more carnal activities with her.

The vehicle began to slow, and he sat up expectantly. When it came to a halt, he opened it himself and bounded down the stairs the footman had placed for him, hearing Amity’s squeal of delight.

Byron glanced to his left and saw his niece and her mother moving toward him, returning home from a walk. Amity broke away from Verity and ran to him. He focused all his attention upon the girl as he knelt. She flung herself into his arms, and he hugged her tightly. Having been around the five-year-old, he now knew how much he wanted children of his own.

She gave him kisses all over his face, causing him to laugh, and he rose, lifting her onto his shoulders, a new round of squeals sounding.

Verity greeted him. “She enjoys your visits so much, Byron.”

He brushed a quick kiss onto her cheek. “Shall we walk?” he asked.

Her brow furrowed, but she nodded, falling into step with him.

As they moved along the pavement, he said, “I have come to say goodbye for now.”

“I knew this day would come,” Verity said sadly. She came to a halt and gazed up at him. “I almost wish you had not come to say your final farewell, my lord.”

Immediately, he noticed she no longer addressed him as Byron.

“It is not what you think, Verity,” he told her. “I have recently become betrothed.”

Before he could continue, she shook her head. “Your fiancée does not approve of us,” she said, bitterness in her tone. “I wish you had never come calling upon us, my lord. My daughter’s heart will now be broken.”

Verity reached up and took a protesting Amity from his shoulders, setting her daughter onto the ground, holding her hand tightly.

Glaring at him, she asked, “Will your new wife also insist that you stop your payments to us? I need to know in order to make plans.”

Byron understood how protective Verity was of Amity. He couldn’t blame her for being so prickly. She had experienced far more hardship than a woman of her age and breeding ever did, and he wanted to assure her that he was not abandoning them.

“First of all, I have yet to tell Mirella about the two of you because we just became engaged. And no, my obligation to you will not cease simply because I am taking a wife. I want Mirella to meet the two of you.”

Verity looked at him in disbelief. “Are you certain about that, my lord?”

“Actually, I am,” he insisted. “My betrothed is the kindest person I have ever met. She is not one to stand in judgment of you, Verity. Of course, I plan to tell her about the two of you. I even hope to have you come and visit us at Bridgefield.”

Fat tears began to roll down her cheeks. “You would do that?” she asked, wonder in her voice.

“I most certainly would. Give it some time. I want to wed and have a honeymoon with my new wife, but I promise you that we will ask you to Bridgefield to visit us once we are settled.”

“I am sorry to have judged you so harshly, Byron,” Verity apologized. “But I think it would be wise for you to tell your betrothed about us as soon as possible.”

He knew things were right between them once more since she had returned to addressing him by his Christian name.

“That is good advice, Verity. Mirella should meet you now and not later. Let me go and talk with her now. If it is convenient, we will return to visit with you today. If she is otherwise engaged, I will try to bring her to see you and Amity tomorrow morning, since she is leaving town with her family tomorrow afternoon for Kent. We are to be wed there Tuesday next.”

“Again, I did not mean to react so poorly,” Verity said. “You are not—and never will be—your brother.”

“Let me walk you back,” he suggested.

Byron did so, holding Amity’s hand as he did so. When they arrived, he gave the little girl a noisy kiss on the cheek.

“Are you already leaving?” Amity asked.

“Yes, but I will be bringing someone back to visit you soon. A very nice lady with beautiful red hair. She is going to be my wife.”

“What’s a wife?” the small child asked.

He thought a moment. “When a man finds that he loves a lady very much, he wants to spend all his time with her. It is called marriage. They are wed by a clergyman, and then they live together in the same house. If they are lucky, they even have children together.”

Amity digested that information a moment and then said, “My papa doesn’t live with us. He died.”

Deliberately avoiding looking at Verity, Byron said, “Yes, he did. But you still have your mother—and you will have Mirella and me to love you.”

The little girl frowned. “Mirella?”

“That is the name of the lady I love and will wed,” he explained. “You may call her Aunt Mirella, and you can call me Uncle Byron.”

“Aunt Mirella. Uncle Byron,” the girl echoed and then smiled. “I like that.”

“I am glad you do. Your aunt Mirella and I will come to see you either today or tomorrow, and then we will be going to the country until next spring. Perhaps you might like to come and visit us there.” Thinking of her age, he added, “We could even put you atop a horse and see if you might enjoy riding.”

Amity’s eyes lit up. “I could ride a horse?” she asked in wonder.

“Yes.”

She hugged his leg tightly, and Byron smoothed her hair affectionately.

“I will bring Mirella either later today or tomorrow morning, Verity. Definitely before we leave for Kent.”

Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, “Thank you, Byron. You are a very good man.”

He went to his carriage and instructed the coachman to drive to the Seaton townhouse. If Mirella were free now, he would ask that she accompany him to St. John’s Wood. Usually, in the mornings, she practiced her pianoforte. He thought she would not mind giving up a bit of her practice time to meet Verity and Amity.

His carriage turned into the square where the Duke of Seaton’s townhouse stood. He exited the vehicle and his footman said, “My lord, may I speak to you a moment?”

“Not now, Bryson,” he said. “We can do so once we return home.”

“But my lord—”

“I said later.” He frowned at the footman, who nodded and returned to the back of the carriage.

Byron approached the door and knocked briskly. Dursley opened the door, his eyes going wide when he spied Byron standing there.

“I am here to see my fiancée,” he declared. “Is Lady Mirella available?”

The footman did not smile, nor did he step aside to allow Byron entrance into the foyer.

Powell appeared and said, “I will handle this, Dursley.”

The footman visibly relaxed and scurried away as the butler stepped into the open doorway.

“Lady Mirella cannot receive you, Lord Bridgewater.” His tone was firm. “I must ask you to leave.”

“Come, now, Powell. You know we are to be wed in less than a week’s time. I insist upon seeing my intended. I know I am interrupting her practice time, but it is very important that I speak with her now.”

The butler’s face hardened. “I am afraid there will be no wedding, my lord. Lady Mirella has given instructions that you are never to enter this household again.”

Before he could react, the door closed in his face. Byron stood there, stunned.