Page 67 of The Thorn and the Rose

Thorn considered that. “Well, maybe just a little bit,” he agreed, and lowered his head once more.

Chapter 21

Leo,

Have you heard about this dreadful woman giving seances? Ogilvy is hosting some lavish affair where the creature promises to speak to the dead. Come along with me. I need a good laugh.

―Excerpt of a letter to Leo Hunt (son of Mr Nathaniel and Mrs Alice Hunt) from The Hon’ble Ashton Anson (son of The Right Hon’ble Silas and Aashini Anson, Viscount, and Viscountess Cavendish).

11th December 1849, Dern Palace, Sevenoaks, Kent.

“April is a lovely time to be married,” Mrs Fortesque said firmly.

Thorn did his best to modify the scowl he felt creeping over his face. They had been going around in circles for three days now.

“I’m sure it is, but I don’t wish to wait until April,” he said with as much politeness as he could muster. It was strange how a woman who seemed to spend most of her day in a pleasant daydream could become so bloody-minded when it came to Rosemarie.

“A spring wedding is the perfect thing. I have one daughter, Lord Thomas. My son is a disgrace to our name and has brought us nothing but unhappiness and shame. My daughter’s wedding will be a society event never to be forgotten. Then we may all hold our heads up again, despite everything that has happened.”

Thorn could not deny that Everett’s incarceration was hardly something to be celebrated, and she was not wrong. The lavish wedding Mrs Fortesque wished for—aided and abetted by his mother—would certainly enable society to overlook that little embarrassment and instead focus on their joining the exclusive ranks of the Barrington family.

They had kept their engagement and even Rosemarie’s presence at Dern quiet, with only a few of their closest friends were aware of their relationship. Rosemarie was not ready to face the gossip and public scrutiny that would inevitably erupt when the ton got hold of the news that Montagu’s youngest son was to marry a penniless girl whose brother was in gaol. For the moment, the very idea made the poor girl break out in a sweat. Her mother’s mind needed focus, however, so Thorn had encouraged the woman to concentrate on the wedding plans, wanting Rosemarie to have everything she could dream of and having no problem with footing the bill. Thorn’s plan for a private ceremony at Dern clashed violently with Mrs Fortesque’s grand ideas, but he would allow Rosemarie the final decision, for it was her opinion alone that mattered to him. The date, however, was something else.

“An autumnal wedding would be just as lovely and very romantic,” he tried hopefully. His future mother-in-law scowled. Drat the woman. “Well, Christmas, then. That would be a wonderful time to—”

“April,” she said firmly.

Thorn suppressed a growl. The door opened and Rosemarie came in. Annoyance faded as he drank in the sight of her, dressed in amber silk. The colour made her eyes sparkle, bringing out the flecks of gold and bronze and he went to her, taking her hands. “How lovely you look.”

She gazed up at him, smiling. “How handsome you look,” she countered, adding under her breath. “You’ve not murdered her yet, then?”

He laughed and shook his head. “No, but you’d best take me away now, my patience is running thin. Are you ready to go?”

Rosemarie nodded and came into the room to press a kiss to her mother’s cheek. “We will be home for dinner, Mama.”

“Oh, where are you going?” her mother asked in surprise.

Rosemarie sighed. “I told you three times, Mama. We are going to Magpie Hall to collect the things I left there. Now we are going to have our own house, thanks to Lord Thomas, it will be nice to have a few of our own things about us, wouldn’t it?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course, dear,” she said, her brow clearing.

“And Lady Montagu will go with you this morning to choose curtain fabric, remember? So, you’d best get ready.”

“I know, I know,” her mother protested, getting to her feet. “There is no need to nag me, Rosemarie. I hadn’t forgotten,” she added with a little sniff as she hurried from the room.

“She had forgotten,” Rosemarie said with a sigh, shaking her head and smiling ruefully. “Mills will have her hands full once we’re married.”

“Mills is an admirable woman, and she will have no trouble at all,” Thorn said firmly, having no intention of his mother-in-law coming to live with them under any circumstances.

“Just as you say, my lord,” Rosemarie murmured, giving him an amused glance that suggested she knew very well what he meant and did not disagree.

“Come along then, love. I want to explore these tunnels you told me about. I always wanted to be a smuggler when I was a lad.”

“Really?” Thorn nodded, guiding her to the front door. “That, or a pirate,” he added with a grin. “But there was a bit of a problem.”

“Oh?” Rosemarie gave him a quizzical look as they walked out to the carriage.

“I don’t have a parrot,” he said sadly, earning a snort of laughter that made him grin and think to himself that he had never been happier.