Page 96 of The Marchioness Who Tempted Fate
“And there are those darling little cottages where the children can live with caretakers who make them into a home,” Sophie added. “Michaels and I spent all my half-day hanging curtains. I almost wish we were going to be living there.”
“Since I will be living in Northbury Manor, I think my Uncle Michael has somewhere else in mind,” Tiffany said mischievously. “Will you be sorry not to be with Jones?”
“Sorry?” Sophie laughed. “I guess not! Oh, I thought there for a little while that you had ruined my life. But instead, you gave me a better one, you and Lord Northbury.”
“Always glad to be of service,” Tiffany said, with her best manners.
“Oh, you!” Sophie giggled. Then she added more soberly, “Thank you, Tiffany.”
“It’s nearly time,” Grace reminded them.
“I am curious,” Tiffany said. “Grace, you mentioned you thought we might have two more weddings before the year is out.”
“Just look down there near the front of where the chairs are set out,” Grace said.
Tiffany looked. Constable Brooks was sitting beside Old Elizabet, and he seemed to be paying her particular attention. Old Elizabet was dressed in a plain black bombazine, and was wearing a particularly fetching scrap of a hat with a spray of violets on its band.
“Well! I didn’t see that coming,” she remarked.
“Did you not?” Grace smiled. “After the way he took care of her and the manor all those years? But they did not declare for each other until after his wife passed away. He truly did love his Bess, and I believe that she and Old Elizabet were good friends.”
“Enough with the talking,” Sophie said. “I think they are waiting for us.”
Indeed, there was a knot of gentlemen who seemed to be encouraging Lord Northbury to stand his ground at the beautiful outdoor altar that had been set up at one end of the well-kept lawn. There seemed to be rather more groomsmen than there were bride’s maids, but no one minded. Lucas had to be the opposite number for Grace. Michaels was giving the bride away, but no one would deny either Quentin or Kenault the opportunity to reinforce their friend’s courage on this occasion.
Lord Nevard sat with Mrs. Bentley. Something he said had made her laugh. “She looks happy,” Tiffany commented.
“Has she ever recovered her wits?” Sophie asked.
“As much as might be expected,” Tiffany sighed. “But I do not regret keeping her out of Bedlam. It is reputed to be a sorry sort of place.”
“Lord Ronald certainly did not last long there,” Sophie said, with just a tiny touch of malice.
“No,” Tiffany replied. “And it troubles Percival, even though his uncle’s illness was something that might have been foreseen. Dr. Hardwick said that there was a lump growing on his brain, and had probably been pressing on it for a number of years.”
“I guess that explains a great deal,” Grace said. “Do you think he really killed his older brother?”
“No one will ever really know,” Tiffany replied. “Constable Brooks did his best to find out the particulars. But Jones turned up dead in his cell, and Lord Ronald had a fainting fit from which he never recovered.”
They stepped out onto the walkway that was strewn with rose petals, and Tiffany then had eyes and thoughts for only one person.
Percival, Lord Northbury, stood beside the altar, waiting for her. She, who had been an orphan, a baker, a child of the streets, a cook, and was now about to become Lady Northbury, placed her hand on the arm of her Uncle Michael Barrette and took her first steps into the rest of her life.
The sun shone, a light breeze brought the scent of honeysuckle across the assembled company, and everything was perfectly right with her world because Percival was waiting for her to step up beside him and to say, “I do.”
They had already survived one adventure. Now they were ready to embark on many more adventures—together.
Tiffany walked down the path, luxuriating in the foolish and happy grin on Percival’s face. For her, it was shining like the sun on this beautiful June day. In him, her employer, her teacher, and soon to be her husband, her world found its center.
The End?
