Page 51 of Suddenly a (The St. Clairs 5)

Soames admitted them to the townhouse and said, “Lord and Lady Trentham await you in the library, my lady.”

“Thank you, Soames. Mr. St. Clair will accompany me. There’s no need to announce him.”

She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led him upstairs. She already knew Aunt Fanny would be upset because of their previous conversation regarding Hudson. Mia only hoped her uncle would be in her corner and try to stem the tide.

The couple sat in chairs near the fire but rose when they spied their guest. As they approached, Mia saw hurt and disappointment on her aunt’s face. Her uncle winked, surprising her.

“Good evening, Lord Trentham, Lady Trentham,” Hudson said. “I have come to ask your permission to wed your niece.”

“She doesn’t have much of a choice now, does she, Mr. St. Clair?” Aunt Fanny said. “Thanks to you, her chances of a suitable match went out the window tonight when you dragged her from the ballroom.”

“Aunt Fanny!” Mia chided. “That’s absurd.”

“This man—”

“Quiet, my dear,” her uncle said, causing his wife to go still.

Mia had never heard a cross word between the pair. She didn’t want to be the cause of any conflict between them.

“Mia never wanted a Season,” Uncle Trentham said gently. “She only went along with it because I asked her to do so. She has important work to do, creating devices that might change this world of ours. She wasn’t looking for a husband.” He looked up at Hudson. “But it seems one sought her out all the same.”

“Is this true, Mia?” Aunt Fanny asked.

“Yes, Aunt,” she admitted. “I know you felt awful when Mama died and you and Uncle left England. You wanted to make up to me all that I’d missed but I didn’t miss a thing. While you were gone, I led a happy, satisfying life in the country, doing work that I love. My intentions all along were to endure a Season and then continue with my work.” She paused. “Until Mr. St. Clair came along.”

“You won’t be accepted into society if you wed him, Mia,” her aunt insisted.

“I don’t really care about theton. I find them shallow and boring.”

“But working, Mia? It sounds so... common.”

“Work is something the women in my family excel at,” Hudson said. “One of my sisters is a landscape designer. The other raises money and volunteers at the Linfield School. I have a sister-in-law who is a children’s author and another who owns a bookstore and tearoom. They all are doing something they love and their husbands support their endeavors, my lady. I know they will be thrilled Mia is coming into the fold.”

“These women are already my friends, Aunt Fanny. There are several St. Clairs. If I only go to their social events and celebrate special occasions with family, I will be more than busy.”

“You truly don’t mind that she’s an inventor, Mr. St. Clair?” Aunt Fanny asked.

He looked at Mia and smiled. “It’s what attracted me to her, Lady Trentham. Mia has a fine mind.”

“Well, she’s also very beautiful,” her aunt pointed out to Hudson.

He chuckled. “Yes. She is. Very beautiful, both inside and out.”

Her uncle caught her eyes and smiled. Mia remembered he’d told her if she found a man who saw beyond her physical beauty, that he was the one for her.

“Mia is of age and needs no permission from us to wed, Mr. St. Clair,” Uncle Trentham said. “However, you have our blessings, don’t they, Fanny?”

Her aunt nodded begrudgingly.

“Your niece will have everything she asks for, my lady,” Hudson said. “I may be illegitimate but I have accumulated a fortune. Mia will never lack for anything. I’ll see to that.”

Aunt Fanny looked slightly mollified. “You do have the support of your family, it seems.”

“Yes. Two dukes, a marquess, an earl and their wives. Between all of them, and their friends, I know Mia will live a full, rewarding life.”

Aunt Fanny embraced her. “If Mr. St. Clair makes you happy, that is all that matters.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I hope I make him happy, too.”

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