Page 75 of Lady of Charade
"If you need assistance in arranging anything, please advise me,” Torrington said. “Now, I must be off, but I would like to arrange another time to see the two of you,” he said, opening the door and stepping into the hall, including Sarah in his remark.
When David watched Sarah's happy smile at the man leaving, he knew, deep within, that it had all been worth it. He couldn’t wait to see her on their wedding day.
But first, he had one more conversation to take care of.
* * *
David was morethan apprehensive for the next meeting that awaited him. It was not so much that he was worried about speaking with his parents for his own sake. No, it was that Sarah had insisted on accompanying him for this conversation, and he worried that they might say something to insult her. He had not only refrained from speaking to them since he had refused Lady Georgina, but now he was also planning on marrying a woman of whom they had likely never even heard before.
He had informed them that he was bringing a guest, but he had been rather murky on the details of who that guest might be.
Unlike when she had met her own father, Sarah seemed perfectly calm.
“How can you not be worried?” he asked as they strode up the walkway.
“Because your family loves you," she said simply, and David sighed. She was far too optimistic, for he wasn't even sure of the truth of her statement at the moment.
“If they are angry, it is because of me and not you,” he attempted to reassure her, but she simply put a hand on his arm.
“It will be fine, David. I'm sure of it.”
If only he could have the same confidence.
David was pleased that when they entered the drawing room, his brother, Franklin, and his wife, Andrea, were also in attendance, and they greeted him warmly, though looked slightly confused by Sarah’s presence. His parents made even less of an attempt to hid their curiosity.
“And who is your lovely guest, David?” his mother asked with her polite, practiced smile. “I have been quite interested as to who might be accompanying you tonight.”
“Mother, Father,” he said, his hand on the small of Sarah's back. “Please meet Miss Sarah Jones. She is to be my wife.”
The looks that covered their faces was worth the visit, that was for certain. His father nearly choked on the brandy he had just sipped, while his mother’s eyes had never been so wide as her mouth formed a round O.
Of all of them, Andrea was the first to break the shocked silence.
“David, how wonderful!” she said, standing from the couch to embrace the two of them in turn.
“Thank you, Andrea,” David said, pleased, as he had always been, with his brother's choice in a wife. Franklin followed her lead and came over to shake his brother’s hand.
It wasn’t long until his parents finally recovered. David braced himself for their disapproval. He was more shocked than he had ever been, however, when he looked up to find that his mother had tears in her eyes as she leaned forward to embrace him.
“Oh, David,” she said. “I am so very happy.”
“You… you are?”
His father stepped toward him and shook his hand.
“I cannot say, David, I was pleased to hear of your visit with Lady Buckworth and Lady Georgina,” he said, holding onto David’s hand in a firm grip. Well,thatwas not a surprise. “The repercussions of your conversation have not been particularly flattering for our family’s name.”
“I realize that, Father, but—”
“But, if you are telling me that you are going to be settling down with a wife, and a lovely one at that,” David followed his father's gaze to Sarah, who smiled and blushed prettily, “Then I completely understand.”
“You do?” he asked, incredulous. “I thought… I had been under the impression…”
He didn't know what to say until he felt Sarah’s elbow dig into his side.
“I am glad to hear it,” he finally settled on, and his father nodded, giving him a long look.
“You are a relative of Lady Alexander’s, are you not?” David’s mother asked Sarah, and now Sarah did look slightly uneasy.
