The dowager tapped her chin. “Lady Viola has been stalwart, I am willing to give up that small point.”
“Very stalwart,” Roland said. “It is not any lady who will march onto a green to put a stop to a duel.”
“True,” the dowager said. “Of course, I must consider that the Trewellian women have always been strong-minded.”
“And most of all,” Roland said, hoping to finally sway her, “you are my mother and I would be made very unhappy to wed without your presence.”
“But you’d do it anyway?”
“Yes, I would. Lady Viola is for me, and I am for Lady Viola. Did you know, she actually prefers my hair color? She has a preference for red hair. She calls mine copper-colored.”
“Does she?”
“You will go, then?”
The dowager sighed. “I suppose I will have to. I cannot imagine the talk if I were not to go along. You know how much I dislike it when there is talk about the family.”
Chapter Nineteen
Though the dowagerdid not like to hear talk about the family, she found herself rather pleased with the talk when word of the Bennington-Trewellian caravan to Scotland went round and became widely known.
Thetonwas soon apprised of what would eventually be named an “all-parties elopement” with parents and siblings included. As Conbatten was involved, and as it was seen as an original idea, it became exceedingly popular with young people recently engaged. It somehow took on the mantle of elegance and sophistication, most likely because it was an unwieldy and expensive thing to arrange. Were anyone involved to really look at it, a wedding in Town would have been just as quick and a deal simpler.
The allure of the difficulty managed to paint the trip with an aura of romance. Unfortunately, few of the young couples who were keen to do it could talk their respective sets of parents into it, and so the idea of an all-parties elopement soon died out.
As for the original Bennington-Trewellian all-parties elopement, the journey to Scotland was every bit as eccentric and interesting as any Bennington trip ever was.
The departure from Portland Place was comprised of so many carriages that it had even drawn a small crowd on the pavement. Onlookers guessed it must be for some important event, especially since the duke’s carriages were among them.
Juliet, who was exceedingly enthusiastic about the trip, helpfully leaned out her carriage window and told Mrs. Hankin of the “all-parties elopement,” thereby sending it by swift messenger throughout London.
Viola and Lord Baderston took one of the earl’s carriages, chaperoned by Miss Mayton. Then, Darden and the earl, Juliet and Cordelia all went together. Conbatten and Rosalind took their own coach. The dowager rode in Lord Baderston’s carriage. Tattleton, various valets, footmen, and ladies’ maids, and of course, Chester, were accommodated in their own carriages.
The only two persons who were missed were Beatrice and Van Doren.
As it took a full week to settle the marriage contract and make all the arrangements, Juliet had written to Beatrice to see if she might be enticed into making the trip, even though she found herself with child.
A response was received, though it was not the response Juliet had hoped for. It said,
My darling sister, what a mad scheme and kiss Viola for me! I knew Lord Baderston should prove himself. I wish you all the fun in the world in Scotland. As for me, I am nesting at the moment, a veritable hen awaiting the arrival of my chick. I’ve just informed Van Doren that all the curtains and rugs in the nursery must be changed. As for the preserving of fruits and vegetables that is going on just now, well, I suppose we will never go hungry. Best of luck to Viola and all my love to the rest of you, Bea.
Below Beatrice’s jolly words, was the inevitable grim postscript from Van Doren.
Juliet—be so good as to refrain from sending any more of your lunatic proposals to my wife while she is in her delicate condition. If you all are actually going to Scotland, I pray Lord Baderston can hold up against what is bound to be a journey full of delays and ridiculous happenings. I, myself, have barely recovered from the last I experienced.
Van Doren was well known to be crochety and had little patience for the Bennington style of family travel, however, it could not be denied that he was accurate in his assessment.
Though the Benningtons had always been slow in traveling from Taunton to London, going further afield and adding more people, a parrot, and carriages into the mix slowed the caravan exponentially.
Juliet spotted a new and compelling vista every few miles or so and the odes that resulted were read after dinner at the various inns they stopped at. There was much written about blazing orbs, fence posts, lonely farms, and a particularly striking rabbit.
Then, of course, Chester was not known to be a very good traveler. What could they do, though? They certainly could not leave him behind when he had so recently joined the family—he would become confused and depressed.
The footmen had been charged with looking after the parrot and there were frequent stops for Chester to regain his equilibrium until Johnny found a way to secure his cage from swaying so much.
Conbatten appeared entirely perplexed at how slowly the whole caravan made progress, but could not put his finger on how to speed them all up. He was learning the lesson the earl had learned long ago—there was no way to speed them all up.
The duke was stopped from being in a temper about it only because he had the company of his wife to entertain him.
