Page 29 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘Come back soon,’ Iris said, smiling through a sheen of tears in her eyes.

‘I will,’ she said, crushing her youngest sister against her.

‘Enjoy yourself,’ Primrose said. ‘Be happy.’ If only she didn’t sound so uncertain.

‘Don’t worry,’ Florence whispered. ‘Everything will be fine.’

At last it was time to bid farewell to her father and Graydon’s mother. Her father shook Graydon’s hand. ‘Take good care of her.’ His mother air-kissed her cheek. ‘I will see you in London shortly,’ she said. ‘Graydon has asked me to help you get up to snuff with Society.’

Florence glanced at Graydon in surprise. He had mentioned nothing of this. He gave her a cool look. ‘We will discuss it later.’

They most certainly would.

Then Graydon was easing her out of the door and into the carriage he had ordered sent down from London, since it was too long a journey to go by curricle. They waved goodbye to the watching guests and the carriage set off.

Graydon sprawled against the squabs on the backward-facing seat, his long legs stretching out diagonally, yet he still left her plenty of room.

‘Thank God that is over,’ he said.

A pang of disappointment squeezed at her heart. What had she expected, some sort of romantic declaration? That was not what their marriage was about. This was an arrangement to resolve a problem between their families. An arrangement that suited them both.

‘What did your mother mean about getting me up to snuff?’

‘It is your first time in London, is it not? Most young ladies have at least one season in Town to learn the ropes before they wed. I thought you would find it helpful to have someone to guide you.’

It sounded reasonable. A dreadful thought occurred to her. ‘Will she be living with us?’ She liked his mother, at least what she had learned of her these past few weeks, but the thought of her living under the same roof when they were only just wed was a daunting proposition. Was it that Graydon did not trust her to behave?

‘Of course. Where else would she live?’

‘Oh, I thought she might have her own establishment. Won’t it seem odd for a newly married couple to have the groom’s mother move in with them?’

‘I don’t see why. I can hardly advise you about dressmakers and such, and besides, it is years since mother was in Town. She is looking forward to chaperoning you about immensely.’

Florence felt her hear sink. He really did not trust her. ‘A married lady does not require a chaperone, surely?’

He frowned. ‘Perhaps “chaperone” is the wrong word. Companion; that is what I meant.’

How could a mother-in-law be a companion? To Florence, a companion was a friend, someone her own age. No, clearly his mother was to be more like a keeper than a companion. What was she going to have to do to prove she did not need his mother trotting after her?

An uncomfortable sensation stirred in the pit of her stomach. Had Primrose been right in warning her not to marry Graydon? Had it indeed been a very bad idea?

And why was he now eyeing her the way a predator eyed juicy prey?

Chapter Six

Graydon could tell his new wife was not quite as sanguine about having his mother for a companion as he had hoped. She would get used to the idea in time. Mother would be invaluable in helping her get used to the way of things in London. He certainly did not have time to do it himself and there was no one else available. It was not as if she had any relatives she could call on.

While Mother had not been part of London Society for years, she had lived in Bath, and Bath was where society went in the summer. Thus, she knew everyone worth knowing. It was the best solution all round and Florence would realise it soon enough.

In the meantime, he supposed he ought to put any maidenly fears she might have at rest. ‘The wedding went off very well, I thought,’ he said in neutral tones.

She took a deep breath. ‘It did.’

‘I wondered what your father was going to say for a moment there.’

Her eyes sparkled with a flash of amusement. ‘Me too.’

‘No need to worry about your sisters,’ he said. ‘Mrs Pole assured me that she would keep an eye on them.’