Page 84 of A Lovely White Christmastide
Mrs. Waverly clapped. “Then it is set. We shall all make such a merry party on our way to Town.”
“All?” Beth glanced at Miss Julianna who only shrugged in confusion.
“Why yes,” Mrs. Waverly said. “You cannot expect your uncle and I to stay home in all this dreary cold and miss out on themany opportunities awaiting us in London. Besides, if you both marry by common license it saves me all that trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?” Carswell asked.
“Of explaining to the girls’ father why I rushed you all off to Scotland.”
Epilogue
DECEMBER 1816, LONDON, ENGLAND
Daniel swung his new cane in a circle, a jaunty bounce in his step as he made his way to the townhouse kept by his brother and sister-in-law. To think it had been eleven months since they all stood together in St. Georges, Julianna dressed in a resplendent pink gown while Miss Haynes—nay, Lady Bingham now— had worn one of cream. The wedding day had been chaotic, but the joy they’d all shared was unmatched.
And when the wedding luncheon had finished and they all went their separate ways, there had been comfort in knowing that when the season ended, both families lived not five miles from one another. A blessing indeed when the Binghams’ little bundle arrived on the eve of All Saints Day. A fine trick as they’d not expected him until mid-November.
Even so, their new little heir was healthy and robust, as was evidenced by the cries coming from an upstairs window of the townhouse on Harley Street.
Daniel chuckled. Bingham had shaken his head when Beth insisted they take the baby with them to London for the season, and earlier than planned no less, but she would not bepersuaded into leaving him with his wet nurse. So here they were, four adults bumbling their way through life with a new infant. It was just the sort of mayhem that made life interesting—and exhausting.
The butler took Daniel’s hat and coat when he entered. “You have a response to the note you sent round, sir. I took the liberty of setting it in your room.”
“Thank you. Where is Mrs. Kaye this afternoon?”
“I believe she and Lady Bingham are in the blue parlor.”
“Very good.” Daniel handed the man his gloves and ascended the stairs to the third floor. After a quick stop to retrieve the letter the butler had mentioned, he made his way to the parlor to join his wife.
His wife! He’d never get tired of the thought. Julianna filled his life with more joy than he ever could have imagined possible. And to think he’d dragged Bingham to the brink of Scotland for his good, when in the end it was his own that hung in the balance.
“There you are!” Julianna exclaimed when he entered the beautifully furnished parlor.
Blue chairs and sofas sat upon cream carpet with soft blue damask wallpaper accenting the whole room. Beth sat across from Julianna in one of the high wingback chairs. There were dark circles under her eyes but a contented smile graced her lips. Motherhood suited her.
Daniel chose to take up a place next to his wife on the sofa, stretching an arm along the back.
“And how was your visit?”
“Most enlightening.”
“Oh?” both women said in unison.
He smiled at them but kept his lips firmly sealed.
“Are you not going to share at least a little of what you and Mr. Deane spoke of?”
“You know how private Alfred is, Julianna. If I share anything about hiswriting habitsor anylady friendshe might have, he would be quite distressed.” Had that been too obvious? Daniel tried not to snicker. He’d never been very good at keeping such tantalizing secrets.
The two women dipped their chins and cast each other knowing glances.
“In that case,” Julianna said, “we best not ask any further. We would not want him to suffer any embarrassment on our part, especially if he were to be doing anything so scandalous as writing letters to a woman he is not related to.”
Beth pinched her lips together and reached for the teacup that sat on the coffee table between them, but before her hands could grasp it, a tiny snort escaped Julianna’s likewise firmly closed lips.
Snickers erupted and eventually turned to full belly laughs.
“What is this all about?” Carswell asked as he strolled into the room.
