Page 24 of The Meaning of Love
While she knew the majority of those present, at least by name, Julian’s acquaintance was more limited; she duly introduced him and, when she sensed he was entirely at sea, added a comment or two to nudge him to make the correct connections.
She was pleased that he proved adept at picking up the hints she cast his way. As they circulated among the groups thronging the porch, she felt reassured by how well they coped, increasingly smoothly working as a team in acknowledging the felicitations while deflecting the overly curious.
They were nearing one end of the porch when an older lady stepped into their path. Perhaps a trifle younger than Melissa’s mother, the lady had curly blond hair, pretty but sadly faded features, and bright blue eyes. She smiled delightedly at Julian and rather more shyly at Melissa. “Julian, dear.” She held out her hand. “I vow your news took me utterly by surprise.”
With his customary grace, Julian took her hand and half bowed. “Cousin Helen.” He glanced Melissa’s way and, in a reversal of their recent roles, introduced her. “My grandfather’s niece-by-marriage, Mrs. Helen Delamere, allow me to present my fiancée, Miss North.”
“Oh, do please call me Helen.” Mrs. Delamere smiled delightedly and held out her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Miss North.”
Smiling, Melissa lightly clasped her fingers. “Just Melissa to family.” Mrs. Delamere’s open expression suggested she was intrigued as to the circumstances of their unexpected betrothal, but also genuinely happy for them.
“Oh!” Mrs. Delamere turned to include a gentleman who had just left another group and now ambled up to join them. “Do allow me to introduce my lodger and dear friend, Captain Findlay-Wright. George, you’re just in time to meet Miss North, Julian’s fiancée.”
The captain was a tall man, almost Julian’s height but leaner, with sun-bleached gingery hair and the pale freckled complexion that often went with that. His features were even, pleasant without being in any way remarkable.
Smiling easily, Melissa extended her hand, and the captain took it and very correctly bowed over it. “A pleasure, Miss North.” Releasing her hand, he straightened and nodded with ready bonhomie to Julian. “Carsely. Don’t often see you here.”
His expression serene, Julian caught Melissa’s eye and lightly shrugged. “Needs must, you might say.”
“Oh, but have you heard from your aunts?” Mrs. Delamere’s face lit. “They’ll be sothrilled. And I daresay your sisters will be as well. Well”—she laid a hand on Melissa’s sleeve—“they’ll be relieved that Julian will have a countess, which presumably means he’ll settle down and be responsible with the estate. Not, of course, that he was irresponsible before, but well, we really don’t know what he did in Ireland, so one can’t be certain.”
Barely pausing for breath, Mrs. Delamere rattled on, her monologue effortlessly skittering from a comment about Julian’s mother living at Carsington Castle and therefore not being present to rejoice in their news, to an inquiry as to Melissa’s parents, to a comment about her son Gordon—at which point, Melissa realized the connection—before veering into a paean of Julian’s virtues as a young child.
Stunned, Melissa tried to keep up and take appropriate note of all the useful tidbits Mrs. Delamere let fall.
Suddenly, Mrs. Delamere gripped her hand tightly and squeezed. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am that dear George drew my attention to the notice inThe Gazette. I hadn’t yet got to it, you see, but I wouldn’t have missed offering my felicitations for the world. I mean, family must rally around at such moments and lend their voice to the happy chorus. Why, I recall when Julian’s father married his mother.” And on she went without pause.
Increasingly taken aback, not just by the unending stream of words but even more by the potentially embarrassing revelations, minor though they were, contained within the gushing deluge, Melissa slid a look at Julian and saw that, contrary to the impression given by the easy smile on his face, he wasn’t all that happy, either.
She was about to somewhat unceremoniously put an end to the torrent when the captain caught one of Mrs. Delamere’s waving hands. “Helen, my dear, time is getting on, and I fear I have a luncheon appointment and will need the carriage.” With a hint of apology in his eyes, the captain smiled at Melissa and Julian. “I’m sure Miss North and Carsely will excuse us. Likely they need to get on as well.”
“What? Oh! Yes, of course. I quite forgot the time.” Still smiling, Mrs. Delamere turned to Melissa and Julian. “Well, at least I’ve tendered my felicitations in person, and I can see you two have others still waiting to do so, so we’ll take our leave.”
Hugely relieved, Julian murmured an appropriate farewell, and Melissa did the same, and the captain drew Helen away, and finally, Julian could hear himself think.
“Phew!” Melissa glanced at him sidelong as she turned to greet the last group of well-wishers still dallying on the porch. “So that’s Gordon’s mother.”
“Indeed.” His socially adept smile in place, Julian acknowledged the greetings of Lord and Lady Holden while his mind ranged over all Helen had let fall.
The Holdens were the last couple waiting to offer their congratulations, and they did so with commendable brevity.
After parting from them and confirming that Lady North had already quit the scene, Julian led Melissa down the church steps and into Hanover Square, where the North carriage was waiting.
Her arm linked with his, Melissa asked, “Is Mrs. Delamere always so…chatty? Her tongue seemed to run on wheels—I’ve never met anyone who fitted that description so well.”
“Indeed, and I believe the word you were searching for is ‘indiscreet.’ And the long and short of it is that I honestly don’t know. I’ll have to ask Mama. She keeps in touch with Helen, although I suspect that’s mostly by letter.”
“Your mother spends most of her time in the country, doesn’t she?”
“She does, and so do my sisters. My aunts are in and out of town, but Mama will know whom to ask to check if Helen rattles on like that to everyone or only to members of the family.”
Melissa nodded. “It might be an outcome of nerves—she talks like that with family, but with others, she’s shy and reserved.”
“One can only hope.”
They reached the North carriage, and the footman opened the door. Julian handed Melissa up and followed.
On Monday evening, at half an hour to midnight, Julian escorted Melissa and Lady North into Lady Mollison’s ballroom.
