Cavendish Brothers 01 - An Unintended Journey by Catherine Gayle Page B
Authors: Catherine Gayle
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gaze again. “I will be happy to do so once I have a proper husband, and not a moment before. I have no intention of living the sort of harsh life my grandmother was forced to live.”
He pinched his lips together and stared at her for several more moments. Then he looked up above her. “She’s a feisty one, Cavendish. Are you certain this is what you want?” He didn’t make any comment whatsoever about Grandmama or the life she’d had to live after birthing a child out of wedlock.
“ More so now than ever,” he answered.
Abby narrowed her eyes at him inquisitively, but he just winked at her. What on earth did he have to do with the business of Danby being her grandfather? Nothing was making any sense.
The duke nodded at Wesley, then turned to her parents again. “And you approve?”
“ With all our hearts,” Father said. Mother nodded fervently, dashing a stray tear away with her free hand.
He passed a ducal stare over her brothers then. Robert and Thomas had been largely ignored since the beginning of this rather anomalous interview, but seemed perfectly content with such a fate. Abby would have preferred that as well, truth be told, but she was none the worse for wear from the duke’s scrutiny. Danby stared at them until they were both squirming in their seats. Finally, after what had to have been several minutes or more, he clucked his tongue. “I’ll deal with the two of you later.”
Seemingly out of nowhere, he scribbled something else on his paper and smacked the quill down on the desk. “Well, there’s nothing else to be done for it but to draw up the contract.” He reached overhead and pulled on the bell. Milne reappeared almost instantaneously. “Kindly show Mrs. Goddard and her offspring back to the gold parlor. Arrange rooms for them in the East Wing and see that they have everything they need. I have business with Mr. Cavendish and Mr. Goddard.”
Before she had time to wonder what sort of business the duke would have with her father and Wesley, Robert assisted Abby to her feet and led her out into the walkway. She followed along numbly, placing one foot after the other.
Just before the doors closed behind her, the duke’s voice carried out to her. “Your mother never mentioned you to me, I’m afraid. I would not have allowed things to pass as they did, you know.”
Robert kept walking, urging her on until they reached the delicate white and gold parlor once more. He seated her again in a gilded Louis XIV chair. Mother pressed a cup of tea in her hand. Abby took a sip, nearly scalding the roof of her mouth from the heat of it as she stared blankly at the opulent décor. Draw up a contract? But that could only mean…
Wesley’s marriage contract.
He must have already won the duke’s approval. Perhaps he would wed one of Danby’s granddaughters before Christmas. There was already a vicar present, after all. They were more than prepared to host another wedding with very little warning.
She never should have allowed herself to fall in love with him in the first place—not all those years ago, and certainly not when he returned after so long. The pain of losing him again right after losing Grandmama…
Abby tipped her teacup back, draining the blistering tea into her mouth and down her throat in one swallow.
She savored the burn. It meant she could still feel.
*
“ That’s all settled, then.” Danby pushed back from his desk with a satisfied smile on his wrinkled face. “You may wed in the morning.”
More than anything else to have come out of the duke’s mouth since their arrival at Danby Castle, that forced Wesley’s jaw to the floor. “In the morning? As in tomorrow? I haven’t even asked her to marry me yet. Abby thinks I’m to marry one of your granddaughters.”
The duke lifted a brow and frowned. “I didn’t take you for a simpleton, Cavendish. You are to marry one of my granddaughters. Tomorrow morning. See to it.”
He wanted nothing more, but simple
He pinched his lips together and stared at her for several more moments. Then he looked up above her. “She’s a feisty one, Cavendish. Are you certain this is what you want?” He didn’t make any comment whatsoever about Grandmama or the life she’d had to live after birthing a child out of wedlock.
“ More so now than ever,” he answered.
Abby narrowed her eyes at him inquisitively, but he just winked at her. What on earth did he have to do with the business of Danby being her grandfather? Nothing was making any sense.
The duke nodded at Wesley, then turned to her parents again. “And you approve?”
“ With all our hearts,” Father said. Mother nodded fervently, dashing a stray tear away with her free hand.
He passed a ducal stare over her brothers then. Robert and Thomas had been largely ignored since the beginning of this rather anomalous interview, but seemed perfectly content with such a fate. Abby would have preferred that as well, truth be told, but she was none the worse for wear from the duke’s scrutiny. Danby stared at them until they were both squirming in their seats. Finally, after what had to have been several minutes or more, he clucked his tongue. “I’ll deal with the two of you later.”
Seemingly out of nowhere, he scribbled something else on his paper and smacked the quill down on the desk. “Well, there’s nothing else to be done for it but to draw up the contract.” He reached overhead and pulled on the bell. Milne reappeared almost instantaneously. “Kindly show Mrs. Goddard and her offspring back to the gold parlor. Arrange rooms for them in the East Wing and see that they have everything they need. I have business with Mr. Cavendish and Mr. Goddard.”
Before she had time to wonder what sort of business the duke would have with her father and Wesley, Robert assisted Abby to her feet and led her out into the walkway. She followed along numbly, placing one foot after the other.
Just before the doors closed behind her, the duke’s voice carried out to her. “Your mother never mentioned you to me, I’m afraid. I would not have allowed things to pass as they did, you know.”
Robert kept walking, urging her on until they reached the delicate white and gold parlor once more. He seated her again in a gilded Louis XIV chair. Mother pressed a cup of tea in her hand. Abby took a sip, nearly scalding the roof of her mouth from the heat of it as she stared blankly at the opulent décor. Draw up a contract? But that could only mean…
Wesley’s marriage contract.
He must have already won the duke’s approval. Perhaps he would wed one of Danby’s granddaughters before Christmas. There was already a vicar present, after all. They were more than prepared to host another wedding with very little warning.
She never should have allowed herself to fall in love with him in the first place—not all those years ago, and certainly not when he returned after so long. The pain of losing him again right after losing Grandmama…
Abby tipped her teacup back, draining the blistering tea into her mouth and down her throat in one swallow.
She savored the burn. It meant she could still feel.
*
“ That’s all settled, then.” Danby pushed back from his desk with a satisfied smile on his wrinkled face. “You may wed in the morning.”
More than anything else to have come out of the duke’s mouth since their arrival at Danby Castle, that forced Wesley’s jaw to the floor. “In the morning? As in tomorrow? I haven’t even asked her to marry me yet. Abby thinks I’m to marry one of your granddaughters.”
The duke lifted a brow and frowned. “I didn’t take you for a simpleton, Cavendish. You are to marry one of my granddaughters. Tomorrow morning. See to it.”
He wanted nothing more, but simple
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