Page 67 of A Duke to Undo her
“I want to be with Cassius,” Josephine confirmed. “I want it more than new gowns or a wedding party that the whole ton talks of, or anything else.”
“That bodes well,” Constance observed approvingly. “Whether an engagement is short or long, it is the marriage, not the wedding, that matters at the end of the day.”
“And the wedding night, that matters too,” giggled Ophelia, although hushed by Vera, whose eyes swiveled to Rose. “You will see what I mean soon enough, Josephine.”
Even Constance now smiled briefly, as though recalling a happy memory.
“What do you mean? Why does everyone talk so much about the wedding night?” Rose asked, her curiosity encouraged by the company and several glasses of champagne. “I cannot imagine what is so interesting about going to bed when everything is over.”
Josephine herself already had a very good idea of what Ophelia meant, although she admitted her knowledge was not yet complete. Remembering the brief sight of Cassius’ most intimate parts in the library that night, she felt an eager and pleasurable rush of her blood.
“You will understand when you fall in love,” she assured her friend and then tried to return the conversation to tracks they might all follow. “Now, I shall need advice on my hair styling.”
This question received a nod of approval from Constance.
“Flowers are always becoming for a young woman on her wedding day,” she suggested. “They can be easily matched to your bouquet too. Yes, I think we should look at flowers.”
“I say, as little styling as possible,” Ophelia suggested, perhaps feeling more free than usual since the nursery maid presently had charge of both her children. “It is rather like the buttons. Anything too complicated is only in the way eventually.”
Before Rose could ask any further questions prompted by this suggestion, the voices of the gentlemen passed into the room from the hallway.
“You didn’t bring a hat?” queried Norman, always a natty dresser himself. “They won’t like that at the club although I doubt they will quibble with a duke.”
“I was in rather a hurry,” the Duke of Ashbourne excused himself. “The business of the day was urgent.”
“My dear fellow, you must take one of mine,” said Percival. “Booth, can you pass the duke the comb once more. I think perhaps he has not quite finished combing.”
“Oh, there is no point,” answered the duke. “My hair always does this. My mother and brother despair of it.”
“No, no, we shall not despair, Your Grace. I have some excellent pomade upstairs. Booth can work wonders…”
Josephine smiled and then laughed, imagining the scene in the hallway where Cassius Emerton was, for once in his life, being treated as a younger rather than elder brother. It would be good for him to let others take the lead for once and she felt no urge to interfere.
At last the front door sounded behind the men as it closed and the ladies looked at one another.
“I believe your duke loves you very much, Josephine,” Vera observed. “He would have to love you, to put up with such fussing from Norman over hats and hair pomade.”
“Or to argue Victor down from a minimum of two months to two weeks before the wedding,” said Constance crossly, “despite my explicit instruction. Naturally, I am pleased that Josephine has made a good match, but this unnecessary rushing is most inconvenient. It will stir up gossip too, especially after the scene in the park, and how will we explain it all to Great Aunt Winifred?”
“The Duke of Ashbourne is so in love that he cannot wait,” sighed Ophelia dreamily, now distinctly tipsy on champagne. “It might have been alarming at the time but I can see the romance now. Did you all see how he looked at Josephine? It made me think of the night Percival proposed to me at the theatre…”
“Norman proposed at the British Museum, in front of the Greek vases,” Vera laughed. “I thought he was translating an inscription at first because he was so hesitant and looking so earnestly at an urn while he spoke. What about you, Constance? Where was your proposal? Was it romantic?”
“Victor proposed on the staircase at Norfield House after dinner when Great Aunt Winifred was visiting,” Constance answered with a smile, briefly cajoled into dropping her worried expression. “Yes, it was very romantic, if not unexpected by that point. There was plenty of time for planning the wedding afterwards. I’m sorry to keep harking on this point, Josephine, but your duke is being very impetuous.”
“I cannot wait either,” Josephine confessed wistfully, feeling that even two weeks was too long. “You must not blame only Cassius, Constance.”
“Oh never mind all this looking backwards and forwards and sideways,” cut in Vera sensibly, pouring out fresh champagne for all. “These threads can all be picked up tomorrow. Tonight, let us only celebrate Josephine’s present news,fait accomplithat it is. To Josephine and Cassius!”
The ladylike toast echoed around the room and then Lady Rose looked to Josephine once more.
“Do tell me again how the Duke of Ashbourne proposed in the park. It is better than any story I have read…”
Epilogue
“…JosephineandCassius have consented together in holy wedlock…and have declared the same by the giving and receiving of a ring, and by the joining of hands… I pronounce that they be man and wife…Amen.”
Finally, it was done. The wedding service was over and the rotund, cheerful vicar of St Mary’s church in Ashbourne village was beaming at the bride and groom as though very pleased with his own morning’s work.
