The rest of the morning was spent deciding which servants would go with the duchess and which would remain at Chandos House. Leo, though, had no idea how many servants were needed to run a town house.
Theo finally interrupted the conversation that he and his mother were unable to resolve. “Excuse me. I suggest we make up a list of what we each require in the way of servants. Then we shall ask them who would like to remain here and who would like to move with your mother.” She looked at the duchess. “Your grace, you will not require nearly as many servants in the smaller house as you do here.” Then she looked at her husband-to-be. “Chandos, you need more than you think you do.” Theo picked up her pencil. “I shall make a list. When I have finished, we can discuss this with the senior staff first.”
The duchess appeared disgruntled, but Leo threw her a thankful look. Theo glanced at her brooch watch. “I must be going. I have a fitting.”
He rose. “I will take you to the modiste.”
“Thank you.” She turned to her future mother-in-law. “Your grace, I will see you in a few hours if you are available.”
“I might not be here, dear. You may make the arrangements.”
“Thank you, again.” Theo curtseyed.
They waited outside for his curricle to be readied. “She is still not pleased with our marriage.”
“She is going to have to accept that I will not wed anyone but you.” He glanced at the door. “We will find a way.”
They would. Theo turned at a sound. “Here is your carriage.”
After her fitting Chandos took her home and joined them for luncheon. Later that afternoon, they took her phaeton to the Park.
“Theo!” Sarah hailed from Marrow’s curricle. “We have news!”
Theo pulled off to the verge and Marrow brought his vehicle beside hers.
He exchanged a glance with Sarah. “We discovered why Lady Pettigrew was attempting to put off the wedding.”
She nodded. “Mama does not want to leave Town until the end of the Season.”
Chandos did not look pleased. Theo leaned toward her friend. “What happened?”
“We did as you suggested. As soon as the settlement agreements were signed, the gentlemen purchased the special licenses. Then we gathered our parents together and told them that neither we nor Patricia nor Holland would wait to wed and gave them the date and the plan for our double wedding. Mama burst into tears, and it all came out.”
Theo glanced at Chandos. “Does she plan to remain in the house?”
Sarah shrugged lightly. “That remains to be decided. Fortunately, both Lord and Lady Carlisle agreed to a wedding on the date we want.”
A few moments later Felice and Crewe rode up on horses. She smiled at them. “Theo, your idea worked. We will wed the day after you.”
Crewe glanced fondly at his betrothed. “We may now plan our departure to the Continent.”
“Perhaps another luncheon is in order,” Patricia suggested with a grin. “I must say, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
Felice nodded. “I completely understand. A wedding is supposed to be a time for happiness, not full of stress.”
Chandos’s lips quirked up. “Indeed. I’m glad everything is working out the way we want it.” He slid Theo a look. “Gunter’s?”
“Yes.” The only thing left was to make plans for Chandos’s mother.
They all left the Park and arrived at the tea shop together. There was a great deal of discussion and merriment in selecting the ices. It turned out that, like Theo, Felice did not enjoy sweet ices.
“Shall we depart for the ship the day of our wedding or the day after?” Crewe asked.
“My father offered us the use of his yacht. It has extremely comfortable cabins,” Marrow said.
Chandos nodded. “That sounds much better than taking the packet.”
“He will have the yacht brought up to the docks here, which will save us the journey to Dover,” Marrow added.
