With a determined nod, Aurelia turned to her mother. “Yes,you must eat as much as you can, Mama. I am dreadfully bored with just Ann looking after me. And you must come see the garden. I have been inspecting the gardener’s work for you, and it is magnificent,” Aurelia prattled on with a beaming smile. “They have been working furiously to begin repairs and clear some of the more unruly plants.”
Perry nodded in agreement.
“You must tell me all about it,” Charlotte said, bestowing a loving smile on her daughter, who immediately began a thorough description of the changes she had observed.
Every afternoon, Perry and Aurelia visited the gardens to ensure everything was in order and that Charlotte would be pleased with the progress. The gardeners worked from her drawings and consulted the countess if there was any confusion. His daughter had a good knowledge of all the plants and flowers growing in the beds and was glad to teach Perry everything he needed to know about the species in bloom.
Fueled by their desire to please the countess, the gardeners had been working longer hours to make quick progress on her gardens. The servants grew solemn after the countess nearly drowned and were much heartened by news of her recovery.
After the incident, Perry met with the servants to review safety practices and ensure that such an event never occurred again. Though certain servants had worried they might be dismissed, Newbridge was the only person who deserved to pay for his actions. Getting rid of loyal workers for their error, regardless of how grievous it was, didn’t feel right. He suspected his wife would feel the same way.
Newbridge had fooled them all.
Perry blamed himself for not discovering the truth sooner and for letting himself be so easily incapacitated by Newbridge’s thug.
Reaching a hand to affectionately squeeze Charlotte’s leg, he thanked the heavens once more for the countess’s strength and resilience. While Aurelia described the progress they had observedthis afternoon, he could gaze upon the two people who had marked his life forever. He couldn’t help but think this was heaven on earth.
To be loved by his wife and his daughter, their lives entwined for eternity, there was nowhere else in the world he would rather be.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Standing at the table in the Duke of Bridgewater’s grand dining room, Perry’s heart was full. He smiled down at his wife and his daughter, who had also been included in the family meal. Being together like this felt…right.
“We have gathered you here today to thank you, our family and friends, for all that you have done for us. We are grateful for your support in helping my family have a successful introduction back into society. Thank you again, Beauregard, for hosting us,” Perry said, grinning and lifting his glass in cheers to the mixed group of Spencers and Townsends at the table.
“’Tis a pleasure to have all our family—and you, Michael—together. This moment has been a decade in the making,” Beau replied, echoing Perry’s movement.
A chorus of cheers erupted from around the table, with even Charlotte’s father giving a solemn nod to the statement. They were all destined to be a family, even if they had taken years to get there.
Louisa cleared her throat, aglitter in a light blue damask dress threaded with silver. Her blond hair was swept into an intricate design, with a few stray curls left down to add a softness to thestyle. Perry would say his sister seemed to be glowing, perhaps because of the absence of her own husband.
His sister announced her intention to return to the country, having been summoned by the cantankerous and aging Marquess.
Coming to stand on her feet, Louisa’s gaze landed on Charlotte. “And thank you to Charlotte. You have brought back my brother, the one I thought I had lost so many years ago. You and Aurelia are the source of his joy,” she said, giving her niece a playful wink.
A flush bloomed in Charlotte’s face as everyone turned their gaze to her and Aurelia.
Perry had an urge to kiss his wife’s cheek to feel the warmth pressed upon his lips. His mouth went dry.
With a cough, he lowered himself into his chair and took a long drink of his rich red burgundy. His sister wasn’t wrong. Lottie and Aurelia had truly given him back the will to live. Now he had such an incredible future to look forward to. He was a rich man indeed.
“Shall we eat then?” Michael said with a smirk.
The other guests tittered at his teasing, though Louisa rolled her eyes in a peevish manner. It chagrined Perry that two of the people he was closest to didn’t get along. Then again, Louisa always became a touch moody when she was anticipating seeing her miserable husband again. When she returned to the country, she reminded him of a bird trapped in a gilded cage. Her every move was watched, her every pleasure examined and judged. The Marquess was very determined to fulfill his duties and ensure the lineage, which Perry assumed was a horrible ordeal for his sister. It was frustrating that they hadn’t had any success in the endeavor during the first years of their marriage. The burden weighed heavily on Louisa’s shoulders.
Though Perry spent little time with the Marquess of Lingham, the way his sister shrank in his presence told him everything heneeded to know. Perhaps the duke would be merciful and allow her to return for the holidays.
Charlotte would miss her newfound sister dearly. Perry had observed a closeness developing between them during the time they spent together while Louisa eased her introduction into society. Though it warmed his heart that Lottie would never again spend the festive seasons alone, buried in the country, he realized there was another who might have to. He would do his best to maintain correspondence with his sister and ensure Louisa remembered how much she was loved.
The sumptuous dining room stretched to accommodate the large mahogany inlaid table. A large crystal chandelier sparkled above them, and gold candelabras glittered, casting them in a warm glow as they marveled over the delicious meal created by Mrs. Webber, the duke’s amazing cook.
They lingered over the first course of white soup served alongside delicately poached salmon and roasted vegetables. Though their dinner conversation was a little stilted, Perry anticipated more such mealsen famille, which would allow them all to become more at ease with each other.
He winked at his wife as their wine glasses were refilled. The second course of roasted beef and partridge, a selection of savory meat pies, rich buttery peas and lettuceà la françaisewasserved.
Aurelia’s eyes grew large as the dessert course was served. As the night grew later, the men moved to the parlor for a nightcap, while the ladies retired to the drawing room for tea and conversation. His daughter protested when Ann came to take her away, though her yawn told him she would be asleep before her head hit the pillow.
With a warm smile, Perry swirled his port, listening as Michael shared the latest titillating report of ridiculous bets at White’s, including one regarding when the Countess of Winchester would give her husband a child. Snorting at the implication, he sipped his drink, unable to offer any idea as to when that wouldbe happening. After all, his wife had only recently recovered and, yes, they had been spending some long nights making up for lost time, but that was no one’s business.
