Page 124 of A Family Of His Own
“But…” Her eyes narrowing, Therese glanced from Diana to Toby and back again. “That’s not the end of the story. You’ve been back in England for how long? And have you taken the children to their great-aunt yet?”
“As to that…” Toby reached across and took Diana’s hand. He met her eyes and smiled encouragingly, then looked at the assembled ladies. “Diana has done me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.”
“Excellent!” came from Louisa.
“Wonderful!” Therese’s eyes lit up. “The whole family will be thrilled!”
“Indeed.” Smiling, Antonia nodded approvingly. “And I can see that you’re a good match.”
Although she was smiling widely, Pru snorted. “At least you’ve seen him in his natural element, so you know what you’re letting yourself in for.” She leant across and cuffed Toby’s shoulder. “Congratulations! And about time!”
Laughing, Drake offered his congratulations as well, and the next minutes went in exclamations and questions and observations.
It was Therese who asked, “When do you plan to wed?”
Smiling herself, with a glance at Toby, Diana replied, “We thought as soon as possible. We have no reason to wait.”
“However”—Toby’s gaze strayed to the children—“we have at least three reasons to tie the knot expeditiously.”
“But you must have an engagement ball first,” Louisa declared. She shared a determined look with Antonia, Pru, and Therese, all of whom emphatically agreed. Louisa turned to Toby. “You are the last of our Cynster generation to front the altar, and”—she switched her gaze to Diana—“I have to warn you that there is no way under the heavens that you will avoid having a major event as your engagement ball, and as for your wedding, that will be—will have to be—a massive and spectacular affair.”
“It’s because Toby’s the last, you see,” Antonia explained. “After he marries, there will be no more Cynster weddings and engagement balls until our children grow old enough, and that’s what?” She looked at the others. “A decade away at least.”
“It’s one last hurrah for our generation.” Pru raised her teacup in a toast. “You and Toby might be the last wedding in our long and fruitful series, but your wedding will also be a celebration of all those that came before.”
“For the Cynsters,” Louisa stated, “it’s the end of a cycle, and all of the family will be keen to celebrate that as well.”
Toby bent a resigned look on a smiling and transparently entertained Diana. “I told you how it would be.”
“It’ll be St. George’s for the wedding, of course,” Therese stated to the room in general.
“With the engagement ball at St. Ives House, and the wedding breakfast there as well.” Louisa’s expression had grown thoughtful, her fingers tapping on the arm of her chair.
“Before you race on and arrange everything,” Toby said, “we’ve only this morning broken the news to Mama and Papa, so I suggest that the four of you call on Mama this afternoon and see what thoughts she has.”
Pru turned to Diana. “And Diana. It’s her wedding, too, after all.”
Diana laughed. “I have very little family still alive, much less in London. I’m sure whatever you ladies think will suit will satisfy me.”
“No, no, no!” Toby waved his hands. “Don’t encourage them to take over. Because they will.”
Drake looked mock-horrified. “Much as it pains me to admit it, Toby’s right. You don’t want to give them free rein. You have no idea what might ensue.”
Louisa, Antonia, Therese, and Pru all looked down their noses at Toby and Drake.
“Of coursewe’ll consult with Diana over every detail,” Louisa stated.
Pru nodded. “The whole point is that it will beherwedding and not just Toby’s.”
“Indeed.” Therese nodded as if there was nothing more to be said on that score and shifted her gaze to the children, who had been listening to the adults with open interest. Therese smiled. “You three have been very good, being quiet amid all our noise. Now”—she raised her gaze and fixed it on Toby and Diana—“what about this great-aunt of theirs? Is she able to look after them?”
“She can’t, because she’s dead,” Evelyn said.
“Dead?” Louisa stared.
Toby leapt in to explain the bare facts of the children’s situation, ending with, “So as soon as Diana and I can arrange it—presumably as soon as we’ve tied the knot—with their late father’s blessing, we’ll legally adopt our three intrepid youngsters.”
Diana was smiling at the children. “And then we’ll live at Fellows Hall and be a proper family, which is what we all want.”
