a greenhouse filled with orchids and tall palms. He couldn’t ever have her in such an intimate setting, but he’d indulged himself and imagined it anyway.
“I say, Rothwell, are you even listening to us?” Captain Fredrick Ford grumbled.
Such interruptions were not to be borne with any form of good grace and certainly not for a wedding invitation to Newberry Park, home to generations of meddling Fords and the last place on earth Merrick wished to go. He reluctantly focused on his cousins. “I have no interest in attending.”
“He says you have to come or the wedding cannot proceed,” Fredrick whined.
Merrick raised a brow in disbelief. “For God’s sake, man, it’s your own wedding. Tell His Grace you’ll surrender to the enemy or something equally horrifying and he’ll forget about my absence simply to avoid the scandal. You’ll get her dowry one way or the other.”
Their mutual grandfather, the Duke of Rutherford, was as difficult as all the rest and used his rank and influence to intimidate even his own family. Arranging marriages to suit his needs was high on his list of priorities. Fredrick was the first of their generation to succumb to the pressure of the shackle being secured about his leg.
Fredrick frowned. “Do you not wish to meet my bride?”
“I think it more important that you meet her. How long have you known her, anyway? A bare month at most?” Merrick shrugged away his disgust. Marriages made in haste always ended badly. “I’ll see her after the event when you’ve returned from sea and you both come up to Town.”
And if it took a considerable amount of time to arrange that meeting, he would not be discontent. The less time he spent with his cousins, the better. They had nosy, prying natures. Every last one. Only a fool or a Ford relation would disturb a man before one in the afternoon.
Captain Quinn Ford, Viscount Maitland and heir to the ducal estate after his father’s passing, lifted Merrick’s most prized orchid from the corner of the desk and studied it closely. “Sally is counting on you to come. She’s in a complete snit about Freddy bowing to the arrangement as it is.”
Merrick retrieved the temperamental orchid as Quinn started to pitch it from side to side as if measuring how it would fare aboard his ship. “Your sister has cause to disagree with the appeal of an arranged marriage.”
Deprived of his amusement, Quinn sprawled in his chair as if he would never leave. “Sally is long over her disappointment, I assure you.”
Merrick closed his eyes briefly. Did Quinn really not understand the cruel damage done to Quinn’s sister’s heart from her own aborted match? Not for one moment did he think Sally had forgotten that on the eve of her wedding, she had discovered her intended was marrying her for the guaranteed promotion it would offer him in his career. Such a disappointment would not go away so easily.
When Merrick had come upon Sally soon after, he’d calmed her down and then had the chore of ensuring her former intended suffered just enough for breaking her heart rather than the Ford cousins killing him. That was the last time he’d involved himself in Ford affairs. He was in no rush to return to the family fold to continue old bad habits.
When he opened his eyes again, Quinn held out a folded parchment document. “His Grace sent this for you. If it’s like ours, you might want to burn it before opening. It contains a special license. He’s determined to have us all married before the year is out.”
His cousin placed the parchment on his desk and Merrick stared at it, cursing his grandfather’s meddling but rather impressed in turn. When he did decide on which woman he wanted to marry, the whole business could be concluded at their own convenience.
He smiled serenely. Since he had a special license in his possession now, it wouldn’t do him any good to leave London. “Give my best to your mother and sisters when you return to
“I say, Rothwell, are you even listening to us?” Captain Fredrick Ford grumbled.
Such interruptions were not to be borne with any form of good grace and certainly not for a wedding invitation to Newberry Park, home to generations of meddling Fords and the last place on earth Merrick wished to go. He reluctantly focused on his cousins. “I have no interest in attending.”
“He says you have to come or the wedding cannot proceed,” Fredrick whined.
Merrick raised a brow in disbelief. “For God’s sake, man, it’s your own wedding. Tell His Grace you’ll surrender to the enemy or something equally horrifying and he’ll forget about my absence simply to avoid the scandal. You’ll get her dowry one way or the other.”
Their mutual grandfather, the Duke of Rutherford, was as difficult as all the rest and used his rank and influence to intimidate even his own family. Arranging marriages to suit his needs was high on his list of priorities. Fredrick was the first of their generation to succumb to the pressure of the shackle being secured about his leg.
Fredrick frowned. “Do you not wish to meet my bride?”
“I think it more important that you meet her. How long have you known her, anyway? A bare month at most?” Merrick shrugged away his disgust. Marriages made in haste always ended badly. “I’ll see her after the event when you’ve returned from sea and you both come up to Town.”
And if it took a considerable amount of time to arrange that meeting, he would not be discontent. The less time he spent with his cousins, the better. They had nosy, prying natures. Every last one. Only a fool or a Ford relation would disturb a man before one in the afternoon.
Captain Quinn Ford, Viscount Maitland and heir to the ducal estate after his father’s passing, lifted Merrick’s most prized orchid from the corner of the desk and studied it closely. “Sally is counting on you to come. She’s in a complete snit about Freddy bowing to the arrangement as it is.”
Merrick retrieved the temperamental orchid as Quinn started to pitch it from side to side as if measuring how it would fare aboard his ship. “Your sister has cause to disagree with the appeal of an arranged marriage.”
Deprived of his amusement, Quinn sprawled in his chair as if he would never leave. “Sally is long over her disappointment, I assure you.”
Merrick closed his eyes briefly. Did Quinn really not understand the cruel damage done to Quinn’s sister’s heart from her own aborted match? Not for one moment did he think Sally had forgotten that on the eve of her wedding, she had discovered her intended was marrying her for the guaranteed promotion it would offer him in his career. Such a disappointment would not go away so easily.
When Merrick had come upon Sally soon after, he’d calmed her down and then had the chore of ensuring her former intended suffered just enough for breaking her heart rather than the Ford cousins killing him. That was the last time he’d involved himself in Ford affairs. He was in no rush to return to the family fold to continue old bad habits.
When he opened his eyes again, Quinn held out a folded parchment document. “His Grace sent this for you. If it’s like ours, you might want to burn it before opening. It contains a special license. He’s determined to have us all married before the year is out.”
His cousin placed the parchment on his desk and Merrick stared at it, cursing his grandfather’s meddling but rather impressed in turn. When he did decide on which woman he wanted to marry, the whole business could be concluded at their own convenience.
He smiled serenely. Since he had a special license in his possession now, it wouldn’t do him any good to leave London. “Give my best to your mother and sisters when you return to
Similar Books
