Page 59 of Lady Willa's Divinely Wicked Vicar
“Heard? My dear Willa, my darling Dalforth adores the man! He says we must have him to speak here in Brighton. Imagine the stir to have him in our pulpits here with all thetonin the pews down from London! Oh, my!” She clapped her hands. “Fabulous!”
They gazed into each other’s eyes for a long minute.
Wills gave her an apologetic smile. “I think I must give my notice, Luella.”
The woman grinned. “I do accept it, Willa.”
“I’m off to Courtland Green in the morning.”
“And you shall have my coach to take you there.” She shivered in delight. “I wish I could go with you. I do love surprises.”
Willa tipped her head. “How did I detect that?”
Her friend lifted a long blonde brow. “I was waiting until I was sure of you.”
“Oh, how so?”
“Well. There is the matter of this little piece in theBrighton Gazetteabout the disappearance of a certain Lady W. from a recent wedding where the bride ran away. A certain Miss H.’s wedding!”
“Nooo! In the papers, eh?” Willa chuckled. “Oh, dear. She’ll hate that. I do wonder what happened to Esme.”
“Esme Harvey!Damn!I thought so! I said to Dalforth, Esme was a pip. Always up to highjinks. She was to marry Northington but I am confused! I understood she loved him.”
“She did.” Willa said sadly.
“She and Fiona Chastain always had jokes going on with another girl. The pretty blonde. And then they all ruined some other girl’s affair with a good fellow. What was her name?”
“Miss Millicent Weaver and James Carlisle, Lord Langdon.”
“How did that turn out?” Luella asked.
Willa shook her head. “A disaster. They did not marry.”
“A shame. Those who love should have each other to enjoy.”
Willa agreed with a nod. “Til death do them part.”
