“Who do you mean? Mr. Weston?”
Victoria colored. “I have always thought him a rather handsome fellow.”
Winnifred did not quite know what to say to that. She shouldn’t have been surprised. Ever since Leo’s return, Mr. Weston had regularly visited them at the London home to make inquiries into the Roamers gang. Even now, he often stopped to question Leo when it came to new cases related to St. Giles and the Roamers. With the help of Leo and Rose, many of Elton’s underlings, who had not been present when their leader was apprehended, were taken into custody.
Recently Winnie found that Victoria was more and more present whenever Mr. Weston came to call on their home. She should not have been surprised that her sister would take to him, mainly since he turned out to be a great lover of dogs—pugs in particular—just like Victoria.
“There might be another wedding in our near future.” Seth chuckled as he looked at Victoria, who in turn remained mesmerized by Mr. Weston.
“Perhaps, perhaps. But can you imagine? The two of them together and the pugs? They shall need a house far away in the country, lest all the neighbors are driven to Bedlam by the barking.”
“We will certainly have to secure our library every time they come to visit.” The two chuckled and drew curious glances from some of the other guests. Winnifred didn’t care. She was happy. Seth made her happy, happier than she had been in a very long time. And she no longer cared about what anybody thought.
“Oh look, there’s Frances and Helena,” Victoria said and indicated the woman who had just entered, along with her daughter.
Frances gave a small wave when she noticed them looking, and Helena beamed at them. Together they slipped into one of the pews in the back.
“I feel so terrible for them. I know that Frances is now, at last, free, with Elton arrested and no chance of ever being released, she no longer has to worry about him. But at the same time, she is now a woman alone—with a small child. And all of London knows that she is the wife of the most notorious gang leader. I can’t imagine what her life will be like,” Winnie said.
After the arrest, Frances and Helena returned home to St. Giles, where they remained for now. However, without an income, Frances would not be able to stay there for very much longer.
“What is it, Winnie? You appear rather vexed.” Seth said quietly.
“It’s Frances. I worry about her. And Helena.”
Seth nodded his head. “I understand. But you need not worry. After the ceremony, during the wedding breakfast, I intend to introduce her to Cedric.”
Winnifred frowned at this. “How is introducing her to Cedric going to solve her problems?”
“Well, you have been to Cedric’s home. You have seen how large it is. The entire upper floor isn’t occupied. As you know, Cedric has but one attendant. Since he will be working with us, he will have funds available. He will host clients in his home in due time—at least Leo thinks so. Thus, he requires further help. Frances needs employment and a home. It seems only to make sense. Besides, there is a school for girls not far, and I thought perhaps I could pay for Helena’s tuition as well as their rent if they lived nearer to the school.”
Her heart swelled at Seth’s charitable nature. He reminded her of her parents. They’d been such good people, always aiming to help others.
Winnifred glanced over her shoulder again at the woman. Would she be happy as a maid? Then again, Cedric appeared to be a rather pleasant young man, at least in her short interactions with him. Before Winnifred could comment any further, a side door to the chapel opened, and her brother stepped through. He positioned himself at the front of the chapel, next to the vicar, and beamed at her. He looked happy and contented.
His hair, which one of the Roamers had cut to keep him from being recognized when he took him to Vauxhall Gardens, had begun to grow back. It grazed his earlobes now. In his new trousers, burgundy-colored waistcoat, and tailcoat, he looked smashing. And happy. Winnifred hadn’t been surprised at all when, upon revealing the truth of their relationship, and the depth of their feelings, Leo made a marriage offer to Seth immediately. And Seth gladly agreed. Now, only two months later, here Leo and Rose were, getting married.
Beside her, Victoria sobbed. Winnie grinned at her sister’s display.
“What is it, Vicky? The ceremony hasn’t even begun yet?”
“I know it. I know it. But I am just so happy for them, I cannot contain myself. This is so much better than any of my romance novels.”
Winnifred shook her head, but she couldn’t help smiling. Lately, she and her sister had been getting along much better. She still found Pugsley and her sister’s habit of not tending to him properly irritating, but the undercurrent of vitriol between them was gone. Of course, they would likely never be friends, but maybe they could at least become closer.
She noticed her sister craning her neck again.
“I thought she might come.”
Winnifred shook her head. She knew immediately who her sister was talking about. Their Aunt Anna. Ever since the arrest of their Uncle Ezekiel, neither had heard from their aunt. Leo intended to call on her one of these days but hadn’t found himself in the right frame of mind just yet.
She’d been notified of the wedding, and there had been some worry she might show up to make a scene, but thanks to Mr. Markham and Mr. Weston, the chapel was well protected from such an intrusion.
“It is better for her that she doesn’t. I am surprised she hasn’t left Clerkenwell. I am sure reporters from the scandal sheets have been haunting her as well.”
“I had several of the scandal sheet informants following me at Almack’s on Wednesday,” Victoria confirmed.
“I am almost envious of Leo and Rose. They get to go on a honeymoon and do not have to worry about the Morning Gazette and assorted other papers trying to follow them. On the other hand, I cannot even make my way to the office without someone following me and wishing to get my account of the events. After two months, you would think that they would finally lose interest,” Seth sighed.
