AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And she probably was. Fairhaven was all she’d known since arriving in England. A safe haven after experiencing the horrors of Frenchtown.
“—but she said it might be in the girls’ best interest for them to not be so isolated from the world.”
Edenton was tucked far away from nearly everything in the Lake District. Eventually Aurelie and Ismériewouldneed to venture beyond Fairhaven lands.
“They’re granddaughters of an earl,” Sophie continued. “Dissolute as he may have been. They should still be brought out in society when the time is right.”
Gabe agreed with a nod of his head. His nieces were owed that. It was their birthright as much as Northwold was Clayton’s and would someday be his. “This could be a good first introduction.” He glanced again at his sister and called to her in a louder voice, “Augusta, I’m not certain how you’d feel about this, but Sophie and I would love for you and the girls to come with us to Hampton Hall for our wedding.”
“Wedding?” His sister sat a little straighter and her un-patched eye grew wide. “I thought—”
“We eloped,” he explained.
“We are quite married, at least we think we are,” Sophie added with a grin. “There was a lot of Gaelic we didn’t understand.”
“Scottish blacksmith,” Gabe continued, though his sister didn’t appear any less convinced than she had a moment ago. “The Scots’ laws regarding weddings are more liberal than they are in England. No requirement of banns being read, no parental consent is required.”
“Ablacksmithmarried you?” Augusta asked as Aurelie dropped her book to her lap and Ismérie abandoned her pile of rocks to look at them. “Is he a man of the cloth on Sundays?”
That Gabe had no idea about, but thought it best not to address the matter. “It’s not as strange as it sounds, and it’s perfectly legal.” Even if it was frowned upon in a number of circles.
“My cousin did the same thing a little more than a sennight before we did,” Sophie added as though to lend credence to the practice. “And a friend of mine, Lucinda Potts, earlier in the spring.”
None of that any of that seemed to mean anything to Augusta, so Gabe heaved a sigh. “Lord Beckbury, Sophie’s father doesn’t approve of me. We didn’t have any other choice.”
And then an expression of sadness settled on his sister’s face. “I am sorry.”
“He knew our father,” Gabe explained. “Served with him in The Colonies. He knew your mother too.”
Augusta sat forward in her chair. “He knew my mother?”
“I’m not sure how well, but he was at their wedding. He stood up for Father.” Gabe heaved a sigh. How much had Clayton told her of their father’s duplicity? Enough, he gathered. She had returned to England with her mother’s certificate of death. Why would Clayton have asked for that document if it hadn’t been important for some reason? “But his regard for Father diminished when he abandoned your mother and returned to England without her.” Gabe shook his head. “I’m afraid he sees Father’s sins whenever he looks at me.”
“How very English of him,” Augusta said softly.
“We are in England,” Gabe smiled at her. “But he is now my father-in-law, and he has the reputation of his younger daughters to concern himself with, so he’s asked for us to have a second, more traditional ceremony at Hampton Hall with friends and family present to witness the union for society’s sake. To the rest of the world, it will be our first andonlywedding.”
“And we would like for you to come with us,” Sophie added.
“The three of youaremy family, and I would be greatly honored if you’d be there with me that day.”
Augusta’s brow furrowed a bit and then she glanced at her daughters who were each looking expectantly at her. “It might be good for them, for all of us, to see more than just Fairhaven.” Then she turned her attention back to Gabe. “And we would, of course, want to be there for you.”
“Then it’s settled,” Gabe said. “You’ll come with us when we leave. I was going to tour Oakcliffe Asylum along the way. Sophie’s cousin has helped secure a spot for Clayton there at the end of the month. I wouldn’t recommend the girls join us for that excursion, but if you’d like to look the place over with me, I would appreciate any insight you might have. He is our brother.”
“Is there a problem at Rosewood?” His sister frowned.
“Mr. Hill, our solicitor, fears it is not the best place for Clayton. Having seen it with my own eyes, I’m inclined to agree with him.” Though it wasn’t so much the place as it was the other people there.
Augusta nodded, concern etched across her brow. “Then I would like to see this other place. After everything Clayton did for us, it’s the least I can do.”
CHAPTER 21
Hampton Hall
Beckbury, Shropshire – June 1816
It felt so strange to be home, not that Hampton Hall was technically her home any longer; but it was the home she’d been raised in. Sophie slid forward on the coach bench as the Jacobean manor came closer into view. A bit of nerves had taken hold of her and her belly was more than a bit jittery at the prospect of seeing her parents again. Papa had been so angry with her in Gretna Green.
