“I feel as if I have been waiting for you.” She gifted him with another of her smiles. “Did I tell you that when Meg found out Somerset”—Kendal noticed that duke’s children rarely referred to the man as “father”—“had betrothed Laia to the old duke of Bolton, she invited Guy to her house and suggested he marry her instead?”

Kendal couldn’t stop himself from laughing at his vision of the former Guy Paulet’s stunned expression. “What did he say?”

“That he would have to meet her first.” Thalia grinned. “If I am not mistaken, two weeks later they had decided to wed.” Her finely arched brows drew together. “Euphrosyne and Markville fell in love before then. And Hawksworth said that the first time he saw Meg, he wanted to marry her. Although it took him a long time to convince her that she wanted to marry him. Do you think falling in love quickly runs in my family?”

Something obviously did. If Kendal were being poetic, he might say it was a purity of heart. Perhaps the way their father behaved made them more prone to want to find someone to love. Could the lack of love or even friendship in Kendal’s first marriage have made it easier for him to fall in love when he finally met the one lady who was perfect for him? “I don’t know, but it might be that the heart knows what it wants regardless of time.”

The sun was starting to slip in the sky when Lord and Lady Hawksworth reached Kendal and Thalia. She began to discuss something with her sister-in-law, while Kendal sidled up to her brother. “How soon can Thalia and I marry?”

“There are details to be worked out. Can we discuss it in the morning?”

“If you wish.” He hated the delay, but he agreed that many pieces of the puzzle had to be put together, and tomorrow would have to do.




CHAPTER 5




THAT EVENING, when they returned from the celebration, Thalia’s sisters took her to her bedchamber and bid her a good night.

“He will still be here in the morning,” Laia said.

“Hawksworth said there will be a meeting about when you and Kendal can wed.” Euphrosyne hugged Thalia. “We shall come up with a way to make it soon.”

“The thing we must remember is that you are supposed to be in Wiltshire. That adds at least two or three days to any travel schedule we give Somerset.”

Trust Laia to think of the details when Thalia would be happy to leave tomorrow. “I am glad you are keeping account of everything.”

Her eldest sister bussed her cheek. “That is what Guy says.”

It was all she could do not to go to Giles’s room. Her body still hummed with what they had done earlier. No wonder her sisters and Meg liked being married so much. And to think that when Thalia had awoken this morning, she’d had no idea what a momentous day it would be. Her sisters had been right when they had predicted something good would happen here.

Her maid brushed out Thalia’s hair, and she caught a glimpse of the combs she had purchased at the fair. “I really should tell Hawksworth to repay Kendal for everything I borrowed today.”

She could feel her maid laugh along with the brush strokes. “My lady, I don’t think it makes a difference now.”

“Perhaps you are correct.” She would ask in any event.

Once Thalia was in bed, she was certain she’d not be able to sleep, but the next thing she knew, Mannering was pulling back the bed hangings. “Lady Hawksworth suggested you might wish to rise, my lady.”

Glancing around, Thalia found the clock. It was almost nine in the morning. She was usually up at seven. How had she slept so late? “Thank you.”

When she reached the breakfast room, only the older members of the family were not present.

Giles rose and pulled out the chair next to his for her. “All of us except Hawksworth waited for you before we began eating.”

Quartus sniggered, a sound she had never heard him make before.

“I thank the rest of you for waiting,” Thalia said. “I know my brother well enough not to expect him to wait.”

“A wise lady,” Guy Bolton said.

Her aunt, uncle, and Berwick entered as a second round of tea was brought. Her uncle took the seat at the head of the table, and her aunt sat next to him. Berwick found a place on the other side of Giles.

He placed a pot of strawberry marmalade next to Thalia’s toast.

“Where did you find that?” she picked up the jar.

“At the market yesterday.” His smile was a bit smug. “When my servants arrived, I sent one of the grooms back for it.”

“If I did not already love you, I would for that alone.”

“Hmmm.” He rubbed his chin. “I must make sure no other gentleman brings you strawberries. I might have to call him out.”

She was glad to see he had a sense of humor first thing in the morning. “You would not!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I would not wish to lose you to some cur with strawberries.”

“You will never have to worry about that, my love. I am not fickle.”

He gazed at her as if he’d kiss her at the breakfast table in front of her whole family.

“I shall insure all of our estates have strawberries for you year-round.”

“I see what you mean.” Hawksworth’s lazy drawl could be heard down the table. “Well, then, let’s review the timetable we have been working from and find a way to tighten it.” He drained his cup and held it out for more. “Guy, you were always the best at working these things through.”

Giles leaned toward Thalia, putting his mouth against her ear and making her shiver. “How does he know that?”

She kept her voice low. “It must have something to do with the time they were in the army together.”

Bolton’s fingers drummed a tattoo on the table. “Laia, we are not supposed to arrive in Berwick until the third of June, is that correct?”

“Yes.” She held her cup as if ready to take a drink. “If we are early, there must be a reason. Mama never leaves Wiltshire before the stated date.”

Giles whispered to Thalia. “I take it you traveled from Wiltshire to here without the duke’s knowledge?”

Not wanting to interrupt Bolton’s ruminations, she nodded.

“So, what could happen to change that date?” he mused.

“Berwick could have somehow met Thalia and decided he wanted her to arrive earlier.” Meg frowned. “Could he have for some reason gone to Wiltshire?”

He shook his head. “I have no holdings in the area.”

“But you do have shipping interests,” Giles said.

Looking suddenly alert, Berwick nodded.

“And”—Thalia continued the thought—“even if they are not in Bristol, could a ship have been forced to go into the port, making it imperative that you travel to there?”

“Yes.” The duke nodded again. “Yes, I could, and the reason need not matter.”

“In that case, you could have asked to stay at Melbrough for the night on your way to the Great North Road.”

“Indeed, that could have occurred. It is common knowledge that Melbrough and I are friends.” Berwick glanced at Giles. “If you change your mind, my boy, I have a mind to take the lady off your hands.”

Giles narrowed his eyes and actually growled. Thalia put a hand over her mouth to smother her laughter, but her family did not bother to hide their mirth.

“I take it you don’t like the idea?” Berwick was clearly fighting not to laugh.

“I do not.” Giles slipped his arm around her, pulling her close. “I will thank you for sending me to her.”

“I was glad to do it.” The older man’s expression softened. “I wish for you the grand passion I had with Elizabeth.”

“Shall we get on with the plan?” Bolton asked, although he did not wait for an answer. “So, Berwick was at Melbrough and met Thalia.” Guy’s brows lowered. “We have been here for almost two weeks. It’s roughly five or six days from Wiltshire to Berwick-upon-Tweed. If he met her during her first week, then we could arrive at almost any time.”

“And Catherine would agree to visit Berwick early because it would please Somerset,” Meg said.

“Does it matter that no one wrote Somerset telling him of the change in plan?” Euphrosyne glanced around the table.

“Not if she wrote a letter that didn’t get sent.” Uncle Melbrough shrugged apologetically. “I must have forgotten to frank it, and it is still on my desk.”

Bolton nodded slowly. “Berwick, you must write Somerset immediately and send it by messenger. Does anyone know where he is at present?”

“He will be in Leicestershire,” Laia said.

“Then that won’t work.” Bolton tapped his fingers on the table again. “He could arrive before we do.”

“What if,” Giles said, “we just go to Whiteadder and Berwick writes Somerset from there?”

“Of course,” Bolton said. “I wonder that I didn’t think of it.”

“You have forgotten about the settlement agreements.” Hawksworth looked at Berwick. “Did you receive them before you left?”

“I did, and I brought them with me.”

“Very well, I’ll review them, and we’ll have my secretary draft the new agreements with Kendal’s name and change your information to his.”

Euphrosyne shook her head. “That will not work. His secretary, Belling, reads everything Somerset signs and would easily spot the differences.”

“Drat.” Bolton rubbed one cheek. “How do we get rid of Belling long enough for Somerset to sign the agreements?”

“I really hate to ruin what seems to be an excellent plan in the making,” Uncle Melbrough said, “but is that quite legal? I believe Somerset could repudiate the contract when he discovered he’d been duped.”

“But would he?” Aunt asked. “He is very proud, and if it ever got out that he had signed the documents without reading them, well . . .”

Hawksworth prepared another bite before speaking. “It’s worth the risk. With the wedding taking place in Scotland, Thalia will be legally wed, and that’s what is important.”

Her uncle nodded. “Then how do we rid ourselves of Belling?”

The suggestions ranged from finding a woman to waylay the man—making Thalia blush—to joking suggestions of poison.

Berwick chuckled. “You are a bloodthirsty group. Remind me not to get in your black books.”

Finally, Giles asked, “Does he travel with the duke?”

Euphrosyne shook her head. “No, Somerset prefers to travel alone.”

“Then we can find a way to cause his carriage to break down and delay him for a day or two.” He looked around the table, and everyone nodded.

Guy glanced at Hawksworth. “We shall need to locate him and make the accident occur.”

He grinned wickedly. “That will be no problem at all.”

Thalia wondered how her brother planned to make it happen, but decided not to ask. She had a more pressing question. “When can Kendal and I marry?”

Bolton stared in her direction, but not at her. “In five days, if we can depart tomorrow.”

She looked at her aunt, who rose from the table. “I shall see you later. There is a great deal to be done.”

“Five days.” Giles’s lips moved against her temple. “I might die before then.”

Part of her wanted to laugh, but the other part knew exactly what he meant. Five days would be a very long time.


TO KENDAL’S AMAZEMENT, their group actually left before nine in the morning the following day. It would have taken his sisters a day more just to decide what they needed to bring.

He stood idly between Bolton and Hawksworth as trunks, bags, children, and servants were loaded onto several large traveling coaches. The ladies were in charge of all of the organization. Thalia nodded at something Meg said, and scurried off to the lead coach. “I am impressed.”

“I have come to believe ladies are born quartermasters,” Bolton said.

“And they don’t forget the food.” Hawksworth scowled at him.

“It was only once,” Bolton protested.

“That was more than enough,” Hawksworth retorted.

Kendal was wise enough to stifle his laughter, but sometime he would ask about Hawksworth’s obsession with food. Had it come from his time in the army or from his upbringing? “Do we have any idea where we’ll stop?”

“I studied all of our estates yesterday,” Bolton said, “and planned a route that will allow us to stay at properties one or another of us owns without going out of our way. Tonight we’ll be at my manor house just north of Boroughbridge. Laia sent a letter instructing them to prepare for our cavalcade.”

“I’ll take my son up with me if he becomes too troublesome.” Hawksworth smiled. “He likes the horse.”

“You are planning to ride?” Kendal didn’t want to travel in his coach alone. He would gladly share it with Thalia, but that would be dangerous. He didn’t think he could keep his hands off her for hours at a time.

“Yes.” Guy indicated the horses bring brought up from the stables. “Do you have your hack with you?”