“I’ll see you at tea,” Bett said when they reached Olivia’s bedchamber.
“See you then,” Olivia said, entering her room.
Bett continued down the hallway to her bedchamber, opening the door and slipping inside. “Lydia, are you here?”
“Yes, my lady. Do you need something?”
“Yes. We will be departing for London tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Very good. I’ll take care of everything. How long will you be staying in Town?”
“At least a fortnight, maybe a little longer,” she said.
“I shall take care of everything, my lady,” Lydia said and went to the armoire to pull out Bett’s traveling trunk.
With the packing underway, Bett walked to the desk in the corner of her room, pulled out a sheet of paper, and sat down to write her friend a note. She dipped her quill in the ink and began.
Dearest Emma,
I’m so very pleased to hear of your engagement to Mr. Walker. He’s a fine gentleman. I have news of my own. Harrison has proposed, and I’ve accepted. We’re headingto London with the Robertsons and will be there for the next fortnight until Lord Harrison has presented himself to Parliament.
We will all return in time for your wedding.
In loving friendship,
Bett
Bett sanded and folded the letter. She’d have Jerrison post it tomorrow.
She looked out the window at the expansive lawn. It was a beautiful estate, and soon, she would be its mistress. In a matter of months, she’d gone from the depths of despair to unimaginable happiness, and sometimes, she wondered if she was dreaming it all.
Chapter 25
The next fortnight was awhirlwind of activity for Bett and Noah. Bett stayed at the Robertson townhouse, and it was hard saying goodbye to her beloved that first day. “I shall miss you, my darling,” Bett had said.
“I shall see you tomorrow after your shopping trip,” Noah said. He gave her a quick kiss before he went to his uncle’s townhouse on Curzon Street. There was much to do, and the first order of business was to have the staff at his leased townhouse close it up and relocate to his new home. The lease would be up in a few weeks, and there was no need to renew it.
“Bentley, a word, please,” Noah said when he went to his former home.
“Lord Harrison, the staff and I wish to offer our sincere condolences on the loss of your family. We were beyond shocked.”
“Thank you. I came today because the lease on this home will expire soon. Please make sure everything is covered before the staff all relocate to Curzon Street.”
“Right away, my lord. I shall see to it.”
Noah walked down the hallway to the study. Once inside, he began to read the correspondence that had piled up while he was in Oxfordshire.
. There were a few invoices that needed to be paid, and he needed to open accounts for Bett. He wanted to make sure she could buy whatever she wished. Noah had always been sensiblewith coin, and he was delighted to spoil his soon-to-be wife. Once he finished with all the arrangements, he left and made his way to Curzon Street.
The following day, Bettand Olivia headed to Bond Street to visit the modiste.
“Good morning, Lady Robertson,” the modiste said when she and Bett walked in. “How may I be of service today?”
“My friend, the soon-to-be Viscountess Harrison, will need a wedding dress made rather quickly. We will be leaving London in a fortnight,” Olivia said.
“I see. That should not be a problem. I’ll put my best girls on it.” The modiste turned her attention to Bett. “My lady, would you care to look at fabrics?”
“Yes, thank you,” Bett said, walking to the table where the bolts were laid out. She immediately picked up the blue silk. “Oh, this is a stunning color.”
