“I still can hardly believe you’re marrying Miss Shamcaster.”
Charlie had called her that when expressing his frustrations to his closest friends. From the first time he’d met her, her counterfeit personality and insincerity had bothered him deeply. Of all the people he could have been forced to marry, she was perhaps the worst option. There could be norealmarriage with someone who didn’t know the meaning of the word.
“Mr. Jonquil, if you’ll pardon me.” A maid stood in the nursery doorway. “Your family’s arrived, sir. Thought you’d care to know.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Those of his family who were able to do so had agreed to come up to London for his wedding. They likely weren’t any happier about it than he was. This would not be a joyous reunion.
He looked to Toss. “Shall we bring the babies with us? They’ll provide a nice distraction.”
“I am in favor of wielding adorableness as a weapon.” Toss reached his hands out to Julia but didn’t force her to accept his offer. Kendrick negated the idea anyway.Hecrawled into Toss’s outstretched arms, apparently assuming the offer had been made to him.
Charlie held Julia, and the two of them, with their tiny bundles, made their way from the nursery to the drawing room, where the sound of Jonquil voices gave away the location of the new arrivals.
Three of his brothers—Layton, Corbin, and Harold—had arrived. Harold was a vicar. Charlie hoped he would be permitted to perform the ceremony. That might make the experience a little less miserable.
“We found a couple of sneak thieves,” Toss announced. “Anyone care to claim these two ne’er-do-wells?”
That brought the room’s attention to them. Good man that he was, Toss had jumped through the greetings and straight to the distraction. The family obliged. Friendly taunting directed at Philip, apologies to Sorrel, and a bit of a light-hearted tussle over who would be permitted to hold the babies, occupied them all.
Charlie was divested of his adorable bundle. He breathed a sigh of relief. There would be no lectures or drawn-out discussions of how pathetic his situation was. Not yet, at least.
His mother emerged from among them. She wore black, as she had ceaselessly the past thirteen years. And her silver pendant with the light-blue stone that Charlie didn’t think he’d ever seen her without gleamed in the light spilling from the window. The familiar sight of her didn’t bring the sense of relief he needed.
He held his breath as she crossed to him. She did not wear a look of pity or scolding but, instead, one of loving concern that never failed to bring out in him the lonely little boy who still desperately needed his mother. His schoolmates had teased him mercilessly over that for years and years. He’d learned over time to hide how homesick he’d been and how often he’d cried at night, wishing he had his parents nearby. But no amount of tears could have brought them there to comfort him. Mater had been at Lampton Park. And Father had died long before Charlie had begun his years at school.
Without a word, Mater wrapped her arms around him and held him like she had when he was tiny. He held her in return, fighting for his composure.
“I’ve landed myself in yet another mess,” he whispered. “And I don’t think it can be made right.”
“Don’t lose hope, my boy. We’ll find a means of moving forward.” She kept an arm around him and walked at his side out of the drawing room and all the way to the bookroom. They sat side by side on a sofa. Having Mater with him had always eased his tension and fears, but it didn’t this time. His current troubles were too big even for her to fix.
He breathed and rolled his shoulders. “I know this has been Philip’s domain for more than a decade, but this room always makes me think of Father.”
“I feel the same,” Mater said. “Philip has instituted very few changes in this space. Perhaps it reminds him of your father also.”
“I wish Father were here.” Charlie leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I always wish that, but right now... ” He swallowed.
Mater rubbed his back in long, slow circles. She used to do that when he was tiny and overwhelmed by emotions he’d been too young to sort through. “I cannot guarantee to know precisely what your father would tell you in this situation, but I can tell you a little of his experiences in this area.”
Charlie closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe.
“Our parents arranged, agreed upon, and announced our betrothal without our input, approval, or knowledge. We started on a very similar footing to what you are anticipating.”
It was not the same though. “You two didn’t choose each other, but you also didn’t despise each other. That is not an insignificant difference.”
“I know you and Miss Lancaster do not get along and do not particularly like each other, but I think if you ponder it honestly, you will have to admit you don’t actuallydespiseher.”
He wanted to insist he did, wanted to list all the reasons he was justified in utterly despising her. This latest debacle only added to the feeling. No one could possibly blame him for it. And yet,despise didfeel like too harsh a word.
Another breath didn’t ease any of his tension.
“I will not discount how distressing your situation is at the moment,” Mater said. “And though you might not be ready to admit it, I am certain you are a little afraid. But take comfort from one who faced that same worry: there is hope, my sweet Charlie. Do not give up. There is hope.”
He wanted to believe it. “What if in the end, we simply dislike each other more? What if everything proves even worse than I fear it will?”
“But, darling, what if it doesn’t?”
