She closed her fingers around his and held them firmly as she took her natural place by his side, flushed and smiling helplessly under the combined gazes of their relatives, with even more relatives tumbling into the room at every moment. Had they all been waiting and listening at the door for the last five minutes?
“I knew it couldn’t all be a ruse, no matter what you two claimed,” said Miss Thomas, who stood arm-in-arm with a smug-looking Georgie.
“That’s our cousin,” Georgie said proudly. “Didn’t I tell you how good she is at managing people? She saved those dragons and found herself a clever fiancé, all at once. It only took her a little while to realise what everyone else had seen between them for days and days now.”
“I wagered it would become real the very first night,” Beth piped up with surprising pertness. “Georgie owes me a shilling now!”
“I’ll cover her losses.” Miss Thomas slanted a mischievous look at Georgie. “You’ll just have to make it up to me somehow.”
Lingering behind the others, Serena had been focused on the low-voiced flirting she’d been doing on-and-off with Mr Aubrey’s dynamic man-of-business ever since their first meeting this afternoon and his theatrical faux proposal with a borrowed wig. Now, she looked away from him for just a moment to shake her head at the others with resigned affection. “I always knew Rose was more conventional than she claimed.”
Rose sighed at them all, but couldn’t bring herself to argue. Instead, she asked Miss Thomas, “What about you? What will you do? Will you sell Penryddn House or stay here from now on?”
“Uggh.” Miss Thomas shuddered. “I’d prefer not to spend even one more night here. I never would have chosen to purchase this house myself, and with the memory of everything my uncle did ...” She sighed. “I know I must be sensible and stay until I can find myself another home, but ...”
“Not at all. You must come and stay with us as long as you’d like,” Aunt Parry said warmly. “You know we have plenty of rooms at Gogodd Abbey.”
“You could even have your long-delayed London debut!” Georgie added. “Mama would chaperone you if you asked, wouldn’t you, Mama?”
“But ...” Miss Thomas frowned at her from the intimacy of their linked arms. “My father only wanted me to debut so that I could marry a proper English gentleman. I’m not so certain anymore that I want to follow all of his wishes ...”
“You’ll never need to wed unless you wish to,” Aunt Parry assured her firmly. “Not with the size of your inheritance!”
“Trust me,” said Georgie fervently. “No one wants to force you into that.”
“Well, then ... good.” Something in their private exchange of glances made Miss Thomas visibly relax. Her lips curled into a sly grin. “In that case, I rather like the idea of being an independent lady of means and not being dependent on anyone anymore. Of course, once I do find my own home, I will need a lady companion, for propriety’s sake ...”
Georgie gave her a slow wink that was positively scandalous.
Aunt Parry visibly sagged with the relief of having one of her daughters safely settled in the future. “You should be able to find yourself any sort of home you prefer. Between your inheritance and the sale of this monstrosity ...”
“Monstrosity? I rather like this old place.” Sir Toby rapped one wall with an approving fist. “It’s got character! Get some carpenters in to shore up the staircases, hire a gardener or two to whip the surroundings into shape and a few maids to tackle all the cobwebs ...” He turned a surprisingly fierce look on Rose. “What d’you say, lass? Could you find yourself that greater purpose here, along with my grandson?”
“I beg your pardon?” Rose’s gaze jerked up to her fiancé’s face. “We haven’t yet had a chance to discuss – but your lodgings are in Cambridge, aren’t they? I don’t want to force you away—”
“You have never yet forced me into anything that I didn’t wish to do.” Mr Aubrey squeezed her fingers reassuringly. “I will need to move out of my university rooms regardless, as they’re designed for bachelors. But as for that greater purpose Grandfather’s speaking of ...”
His eyebrows drew down into a thoughtful frown as he turned in place, still holding Rose’s hand, to survey the space around them. “I believe he must be thinking about the dragons.”
“Someone needs to look after them, don’t they?” Sir Toby said impatiently. “Mr Parry and I have been talking through all of that while you two worked out your own tangle in here. They can’t just be handed off to ordinary breeders, you know, not with all those so-called magical powers you’ve all mentioned.”
“Oh, no, that would be entirely inappropriate.” Uncle Parry shook his head with barely restrained glee. “No, no. Now that they’re here, they’ll need a safe location to be looked after and studied by experts – and I’m quite sure His Majesty’s Commission will agree if only you and I offer to take charge of them together, Aubrey.”
“We will need to live close to Gogodd Abbey if your uncle and I are to work together,” Mr Aubrey said slowly. “Deep in the countryside would be ideal, so that no one else happens upon any of these dragons by accident.”
Sir Toby nodded. “All of your scholarly friends will want to gather and gabble over them, I’m sure, but you’ll need someone with more of a practical bent to organise the proper care for these beasts. And from everything I’ve heard about this young lady so far ...” He bent a bright-eyed look on Rose. “Are you up for the challenge? You’ll need to hire a bevy of helpers, of course, to make it workable, but someone has to manage everything properly.”
Rose stared from him to her fiancé to her uncle, who was bouncing on his heels with excitement. “You ... want me to look after all those magical dragons?”
“Don’t forget all the scholars, too,” Mr Aubrey added ruefully. “We do tend to forget about the more pragmatic details of life, and you’ll need to take care that the more enthusiastic don’t forget to respect the dragons’ needs and comfort.”
“If you are settling here, Mr Aubrey,” Chalmers interjected with a swift, sidelong glance at Serena, “I should no doubt find a home nearby, and perhaps I might take the opportunity to offer my own services to Mrs Parry? I am a devoted reader of your delightful novels, ma’am. If I may ask, are you quite satisfied with your current publishing contract?”
Aunt Parry blinked rapidly. “I ... that’s very charming of you to say, sir, but my little books have never brought in much profit, I fear. Humphrey is the one you should ask, though; naturally, he handles all of the negotiations with my publishers. Still, I can’t imagine that anyone would ever—”
“Your novels are read up and down the nation,” said Chalmers, while Miss Thomas nodded enthusiastic agreement and confirmation. “Considering the quantities sold all across Britain every year, I should think that your publisher could do a good deal better by you in the future. I would be more than happy to repay the pleasure they have given me by assisting your husband in his negotiations over your next work. Unless Mr Parry prefers to continue handling such matters on his own?”
“Dear Lord, no,” Uncle Parry said fervently. “Please take it all in hand, my good man. Legal gibberish and lines of numbers fluster me every time, you know.”
