“Guy and I were able to get ahead of him to allow our marriage,” Laia said. “If he had not been convinced of a scandal, he would not have allowed it. As it was, he arrived demanding I return home with him.”
“You’ve convinced me.” Giles frowned. “How do we keep him out of our way?”
Berwick leaned back in his chair and drank his wine. “Is he an early riser?” They all looked at each other with puzzled expressions. “Let us assume that he is. When he arrives, all of you will quickly retire. It’s best if he doesn’t see Kendal or question any of you. I’ll post two footmen at his door to escort him to my parlor for breakfast, or he can break his fast in his room. I’ll tell him the wedding is at eleven. I should be able to keep him occupied until shortly before then.” He glanced at Thalia. “I assume he plans to give you away?”
“He gave Laia away. I imagine he will expect to do the same for me.” Thalia did not care if her father was at the wedding, but she did want her mother. “Is there any way Mama can be there?”
“Yes,” Berwick said. “She will need to stay out of sight during the ceremony, but she will have enough time to return to her chamber before Somerset is abroad. I’ll put him in my wing.”
Tears pricked Thalia’s eyes. “I might never see her again after this.”
Giles took her in his arms. “My love, you will. I’ll make it happen.”
“I will as well,” Berwick said. “It’s no secret that I was Kendal’s guardian and think of him as a son. I’ll make clear to Somerset that I fooled all of you into thinking he’d given his consent but could not arrive for the wedding.”
“Maybe we should wait until I find a piece of land bordering his.” Giles kissed her temple. “Then he’d give permission.”
“It’s not possible,” Markville said. “I tried. He has encroached so much that most of his neighbors refuse to sell if he will own the land. I would have beggared the marquisate for her. Others know there is an opportunity to marry one of their children to one of his.”
Euphrosyne sat on Thalia’s other side, taking her hand. “Mama will find a way. Never doubt it. She was at my son’s christening, and she is here now.”
Giles held Thalia as if he’d never let go.
“I think there is something Meg should tell you.” Hawksworth said.
She folded her lips and glared at her husband. “It was not my grandmother and me who decided Somerset would offer Thalia to Berwick. It was your mother. She wrote to me and gave me the information.”
“Sweetheart.” Raising her chin, Giles kissed Thalia gently on her lips. “She wants you to be happy.”
Then to her great disgust, she broke into tears. This time they were happy ones. Something that all her female relatives understood but none of her male ones did. Finally, they stopped, and the love of her life called for champagne.
“First a toast to Thalia and Kendal!” Berwick lifted his glass. “May all your days be happy ones! Great health and every good blessing to you.”
“Hear, hear!”
She was looking forward to the rest of her life, and thrilled that her family was helping her find happiness.
“Thalia wants to know the story of the chapel,” Giles said.
Berwick cleared his throat. “As you might imagine, living where I do, there have been many times over the years when a Duke of Berwick-upon-Tweed married a Scottish lady.” He raised his brows. “Sometimes, the lady was not too happy about it. The tale of the chapel begins at the time when the Marquis of Huntly owned the land adjoining on the Scottish side and wanted to marry his eldest daughter to my ancestor. She declared she would be wed only in Scotland, and the duke declared that she would be wed on his estate, as every other Berwick-upon-Tweed bride had been. She managed to hold up the wedding with her demands, and her father got sick and tired of her delaying the wedding, and said he’d give up a strip of his land that marched along the dukedom’s land so that she could be married in Scotland. Upon the marriage, the land would be part of the dukedom, but that would be her only dowry. Gone were the riches she would have brought to the marriage. As the story goes, it was meant to humble her. The duke was impressed that she kept to her principles, even in the face of her father’s decision, and bought land from her father, but just enough to build the chapel. As the lady and he planned and built the chapel, they fell in love. Later it was rebuilt as it is now. Ever since then, it’s been considered good luck to marry in that chapel.” He took a long drink of wine. “I married my wife there, and I can tell you I loved her until her death, and I still love her.”
Kendal kept his arms around Thalia as they listened to the story, one he knew and loved. “God willing, we will have a long, loving, and happy marriage.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes shining. “Yes, God willing. I am glad we will be married there.”
Her sisters and aunt decided to retire and took Thalia with them. Only one more day, and no one would take her away from him again.
