They were in a large drawing room drinking tea.
“Ye can no have a proper wedding without whisky,” his grandfather said fully expecting Grace to cede to his wishes.
But Grace, as Giff had been told to call her, squared off with his grandfather and put her dainty foot down. “No one is going to get drunk before this wedding. I leave it to you to do as you wish afterward.”
Brows raised, they stared at each other until his other family members began to fidget. “Are ye sure ye do nay have a tiny bit of Scots in ye? Ye’re mighty fierce fer a wee Englishwoman.”
She folded her lips together. “I have a great, great, great grandmother from Scotland. Are you satisfied?”
“Ach, aye. I can see my lad is marrying into a good family. Unlike his mother ye understand.”
Grace inclined her head. “It was a pleasure meeting you, your grace.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “And just how did ye know about that? I do nay recognize the English king’s title.”
“In that event, you should contact Debrett’s and convince them to stop including you in their publication..”
Mamma patted Grace’s shoulder as she followed her family out of the room. “Well done, my dear.”
Once the door had closed, she resumed her seat. “I would like a glass of wine.”
Alice quickly poured three glasses of claret and handed her sister one.
“Thank you.” Grace glanced at Giff. “Other than your mother, do you have any relatives that are not intent on getting their own way?”
He shrugged. “A few of my father’s brothers. You will meet them tomorrow evening.”
She drank her wine. “This is the most interesting wedding we have had thus far.”
Giff was simply glad he had talked his grandfather out of having them piped from Park Lane to Berkeley Square and over to St. George’s church. He had agreed to wear the plaid sash they’d brought for him to honor his Scots side, but not the kilt. His father would have been apoplectic.
The night before the wedding Alice’s family, his Scots family, and all the family members from his father’s side who came to Town for the wedding dined at Cleveland House. Grandpa brought a few bottles of whisky as well. “Fer after dinner, ye understand.”
His mother shared a look with Grace and sighed. “All I can say is that you had better not be late for the ceremony tomorrow. It is at nine-thirty in the morning.”
His grandfather’s, uncles’, and male cousins’ eyes shot open.
“That’s a bit earlier than I thought it would be. No wonder ye didn’t want us to pipe ye to church.”
The ladies rose and left the gentlemen to whichever libation they chose to imbibe. After his second glass of very fine whisky, Giff signaled to Charlie Stanwood, at whose house Giff would be spending the night. If he’d have tried to slip away on his own, he’d have been brought back. Since Mamma would not allow a chamber pot in the dining room, they made their excuses under the guise of needing to relieve themselves and left the house.
“Was it my imagination, or was one of your aunts trying to matchmake me to a lady?” Stanwood asked.
“They’re all prodigious matchmakers. Fortunately, you’re too far away for much to come of their plans. However, you might not want to set foot in Scotland until you’re safely wed.”
They turned the corner on to Mount Street. “There doesn’t seem to be much love lost between your father and grandfather.”
There wasn’t. He never actually understood how Grandpa had been convinced to allow his mother to wed his father. “They do seem to spend a great deal of time aggravating each other.” They strolled silently for a while before turning into Berkeley Square. “Why didn’t Phinn and Augusta join us?”
“Augusta would not have enjoyed herself and, consequently, would have begun speaking to people in a language no one understood.”
Giff liked Augusta a great deal, but there was no doubting that she sometimes had strange ways. “But she can speak the Gaelic. She could voice her objections.”
“She doesn’t like arguing as much as your family does. And if she had heard anyone say anything critical about Alice or your marriage, she would have given them a piece of her mind in Gaelic.”
Back to his father and grandfather again. Between the two of them the meal had been rather loud. “Perhaps she can meet them when my father’s not around.”
“I hope so. I’m quite sure she would like your aunts and come of your cousins.”
