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The Duke closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments. Then he spoke. “I will not settle my estate on her, young man. She’ll go to you penniless, if she marries you.”
“Certainly, Your Grace. I prefer it that way. I do not wish to be beholden to anyone. My wife’s care should be my responsibility alone.” Ace smiled. “I would not want Your Grace ever to confuse my motives with those of…the other suitor.”
The Duke laughed. “I admit, I have been poor at picking suitors for my Josephine. Perhaps I should let her make the choice.
“All right. You win. You two have my blessing to wed.”
Josephine jumped up and hugged her lord father. “Oh, thank you, Papa, thank you. And I honestly don’t mind if you give me no inheritance. We’ll live simply. After all, I won’t be mixing much with Society anymore.”
“Well...I said that in anger. If the young man appears to be making you happy over the first few years, I will rethink what I said and do well by both of you. After all, youaremy only child,” said the Duke.
Ace and Josephine embraced each other shyly in front of her lord father. Then she ran to tell her best friend.
The Duke looked at Ace and said—in the sad, time-honored words of every father who has ever had a daughter and is letting her go, “Be good to her, young man.”
* * *
They were all sitting together again and sipping some champagne in celebration.
“Now the only question is, which of us will get his bride to the altar faster?” Paddy said.
Lady Josephine said, “May we come to your wedding, Paddy? Will it be here or in Ireland?”
“’Twill be here,” said Paddy. “For her mother would be that upset if I traveled with Mary alone, and us not wed yet. And I think yon Mrs. Donovan, your cook, would skin me alive if I did that.
“But as for yer comin,’ I think Mary was hoping ye’d be our witnesses. If that’s not too pushy of us to ask.”
“We’d be honored, Paddy,” Ace said sincerely.
“So we’ll have two weddin’s to look forward to,” Charley said happily.
“Three, actually,” said Lady Hermione bashfully. “Jo, we’ve been meaning to tell you, but we wanted to wait till after the trial was over….”
Now it was the Duke’s turn to look embarrassed. “All the time I was sick, Lady Hermione was so good and affectionate to me—”
“—And His Grace is so wise—I’ve never known a man like him—”
“—So I thought we should make Lady Hermione a real part of the family,” the Duke finished.
“Jo,” Lady Hermione said, “I will understand if you’re angry at me. But I wasn’t meaning to do this behind your back or anything like that.”
Reaching deep into her own heart, Lady Josephine was struck with a powerful insight. It made her feel quite adult and mature, actually.This must be how unhappy my lord father felt, when he had to give me away to Ace. But ultimately he managed to be gracious about it, rather than cast a shadow on our happiness.
Now I must do the same for my Papa and Hermie, no matter how much it feels like I’m losing him to her.So, with an effort, Lady Josephine responded to Lady Hermione. “Papa! Hermie! There’s no news that could make me happier. Congratulations!”
“Threeweddin’s to go to,” said Charley happily. “What a wonderful fall it will be. But….”
“What is it, Charley?” Lady Hermione asked him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong,” Charley said darkly, glaring at Paddy. “Do you realize every person in this room is getting married—exceptme?”
The End?
