Page 67 of Their Brazen Countess
“It will prove to him you are not unprotected, that Matthew is not unprotected, and it will most certainly make things more difficult for him to get to you—but the truth is, Matthew is the key to his goals. I want to be certain he understands the lengths we are willing to go to ensure you are both safe.” Arthur paused, taking a breath, then looked at each of the men in the room. “To that end, I am asking everyone here to continue to help with their protection.”
The men chorused a round of agreement and Jo flushed with delight. To have such friends!
“I’m certainly happy to contribute however I can,” Lady Portridge—Amelia—spoke up as she patted her hip.
Jo was a little confused about that, or even why she might offer to help with protection.
“Don’t leave me out,” Lady Flintshire, or Ros, chimed in.
Her husband growled softly, “Absolutely not.”
“I’m not suggesting I take a formal shift, but I can certainly wield a whip well enough to help offer her additional protection when needed.” Ros glared at her husband.
“Exactly, Ros.” Amelia nodded. “Her skills are excellent. I should know, since I trained her.” She winked at Jo.
That certainly explained her earlier comment and motion. She must carry a whip with her regularly. Jo attempted to smile, though fear for her son made that challenging. “Thank you all. I appreciate that you all are being so generous with your time.”
“It’s nothing that many of us haven’t needed on our own journeys to love,” Julia, or Lady Wolfington, said as she waved a hand around the group of ladies.
“Still, thank you, all of you. It is critical, Jo, that you not make yourself or Matthew vulnerable by being alone outside of this house.” Arthur glanced at everyone. “I think the gentlemen can retire to my study to review the plans once more, while the ladies work on the wedding arrangements.”
“God yes!” Lucifer set his tea down. “I need a whisky.”
Everyone chuckled as the men departed the room though Jo noted that Linc still moved gingerly. He should be in bed resting, but she had no doubt an argument would have ensued had she raised her concern when they had arrived earlier. There was no arguing with that man.
Free of the gentlemen now, Jo looked at the ladies. “So, where do we begin?”
Theo grinned. “We should make a list of all the things we need to cover.”
Lizzy, Lady Carlisle, pulled out a small notepad and pencil. “I’m ready to take notes.”
“Very well then,” Julia grinned at them all. “We should start with where the wedding will take place. A church, or at someone’s home? Perhaps Arthur or Linc’s home?”
“Not a church.” Jo refused to marry in a church for a third time. “I think Linc’s home would be perfect if he’ll agree. I want him to feel as much a part of this union as he is, even if he won’t be on paper.”
“I want to offer our home as an alternative,” Theo spoke up. “I merely offer it for a few reasons. First, it is large enough to accommodate all of your guests easily. Second, and I speak from experience, if you have it somewhere other than your own house, it is far easier to escape when the time comes. And finally, Stone and I can take Matthew for a few days while you three…honeymoon.” She winked at Jo with a smile.
“Thank you, Theo. I am certain you offer sage advice, so I shall take you up on your offer as long as Arthur and Linc agree, though I suspect we shall keep the wedding to a few guests.”
“Excellent, now we should discuss the guest list,” Julia pressed on. “You can have as many guests attend the main ceremony as you wish. Then I would advise that you can be more selective about who joins you all for the second ceremony and wedding breakfast.”
Jo considered her suggestion. It made sense, as many would be unaware of the second ceremony, including the priest who would marry them. “I suppose I should invite my family to the main ceremony. Other than that, I would look to you all for guidance on who I should invite.”
Theo tapped her lower lip for a moment. “Julia, perhaps you and I should make a proposed guest list for Jo. She’s rather new to Society proper, so we want to be careful about who we include. It needs to be a few of our set who are of an unimpeachable reputation so Lord Downs can’t claim the marriage isn’t legal, but not so many that it doesn’t feel exclusive. That will make having you and Arthur attend any social functions a boon while you are establishing yourselves.”
“Agreed,” Julia said.
“I appreciate all this help, ladies. I honestly do not have a clue who to include and who not to.” Jo sipped her tea and shrugged a nervous shoulder.
“Then we can reduce the list for breakfast and the second ceremony, as we said.” Julia picked up a scone and plopped a dollop of cream on it.
“I would choose to limit the guest list of both to those of you in this room. Perhaps my family as well, since not including them would be an absolute snub that my father would never let pass. But I’m worried about what he might say—or do during the second ceremony.” Jo cringed inside. If she was honest, she was worried about what he would do or say at either ceremony, but to deny him might well lead to him causing a greater scene if—no, when—he found out about it.
Which option was the least painful to bear, in the end?
Marie, Lady Heartfield, cleared her throat. “This is your third marriage. Considering he forced you into the previous two, I’d say excluding him and your mother is a reasonable choice. Things are happening quickly—one might even think too quickly for them to arrive in time to attend. Perhaps you’d like to include your sister, who I assume is in town, to keep that sense of family without sacrificing your joy?”
Jo couldn’t help but smile. It was a marvelous suggestion. “That’s a brilliant suggestion, Marie!” After all, her sister was happily married now, and while this third marriage might be unconventional she believed Becca would support her.
