Chapter Nine
Perry unbuckled his sword and rammed it in the scabbard. He would never wear it again. His days of soldiering were done. There were half a dozen women cleaning his house from top to bottom and preparing it for the wedding breakfast to be held in a couple of hours. Where the hell was Beau?
The wedding gift he'd received from the Don must be returned. It would just be a constant reminder of what he had lost. If the injury had occurred during a battle he would not feel so angry about the damage to his eyes. To be forced to give up what he loved most because of a stupid accident was hard to accept.
The door to the don's grand house was opened and he could hear his brother's voice inside. He walked in and saw Beau deep in conversation with his future father-in-law. As he hadn't announced his arrival they were unaware he was observing them.
His eyes filled. He was a veritable watering pot lately. A servant appeared at his side and he handed him the sword. 'Put this in the armoury.' He'd spoken quietly so he wouldn't be heard on the veranda where the other two were talking.
He strode forward to greet his brother. 'Beau, how in God's name did you find me? You should never have come, risking your life when you are head of the family was…' He got no further as he was embraced fiercely. His brother's eyes were as moist as his.
'Perry, I knew you were not dead. I haven't slept comfortably since I heard you were missing back in the summer. Did you know that Giselle is now married to Rushton? Beth has just married her lieutenant – I brought her out with me and left her with the army.'
'Both pieces of information are new to me. In an hour from now you will be the only one of us not married.'
'I have told you before that I have no intention of stepping into parson's mousetrap. I have a surfeit of heirs so there's no danger that the family name will not continue after my demise.'
Perry gripped his shoulders. 'Good God, I'm not suggesting you marry because you have to but because you will be happier sharing your life with a woman that you love.'
'I am four and thirty, brother, and if I have not fallen in love so far I think it highly unlikely I shall do so in the future. Good God, I've met hundreds of hopeful young ladies, if I was meant to become enamoured then it would have happened already.'
'In which case your siblings will set about finding you the perfect bride. I shall need something to occupy my time once I am home.'
He quickly explained why he had to resign his commission and Beau was suitably sympathetic. 'I think it's a shame that your Sofia is not to become a soldier's bride as I think she is far better suited to that position than our cousin Beth.'
'Have you met her yet?'
'I have not had the pleasure. If she is as pleasant as her mother then I shall be more than satisfied to have her in the family.'
'God's teeth! I don't give a damn whether you are satisfied. I remember your reaction when Bennett wanted to marry someone you believed was unsuitable – I thought you had changed, but obviously I am wrong.' Perry immediately regretted his angry outburst. What the hell was wrong with him? In less than an hour he was to marry the girl who would make his life complete, so why wasn't he in high alt?
'I beg your pardon, Beau, I'm out of sorts today. Excuse me I must change my clothes, I cannot appear at the church in my dirt.'
'I shall come with you. There are still many things we must talk about and I doubt you will have the time or inclination to do so after the ceremony.'
'I can't return to England immediately, Beau, I must find my orderly, O'Reilly, who I think has been captured. Will you and your men accompany me on this search?'
His brother smiled. 'Hardly a romantic wedding trip, but no doubt it will suit the pair of you very well. I should be delighted to accompany you as long as you give me your word that as soon as you have discovered what happened to O'Reilly you will return with me to England?'
'I have nowhere else to go. Sofia and I will have to stay at Silchester until the tenants leave my estate. I can hardly throw them out when they have been exemplary.'
They continued the conversation whilst Perry was completing his ablutions in the washroom.
'I have a suggestion to make. Would you and Sofia consider making your home permanently with me? Aubrey and Mary intend to do so and I have converted the east wing for their use. I could do the same for the west for you and your new bride.'
Perry didn't hesitate. 'I should like nothing better. Silchester is a vast establishment and will do better having three families living there. If you are not to set up your own nursery then you no doubt will be overrun with nieces and nephews eventually.'
Juan had put out the blindingly white, overdecorated and ridiculous shirt that his temporary valet insisted was essential for a wedding. There were black trousers to accompany this nonsense that were so tight he feared the slightest movement would rip the seams.
He refused point-blank to wear the gold embroidered jacket that should complete the outfit. 'I'll wear my new topcoat so you can put that hideous object away.'
His hair had grown to below collar length so he tied it at the nape of his neck with a strip of black ribbon. Not so many years ago the common soldier had been forced to have a tarred pigtail, and even gentlemen had worn their hair in this way.
'Don't scowl at me, Beau, I shall have it cut when I get home.'
His brother was gazing out of the window. 'Your guests are already on their way to the church. If we do not leave now you will be late.'
'That I must not be as I told Sofia I could not tolerate tardiness.'
'What was her response to your remark?'
When he told him they both laughed. If he couldn't be a soldier then he would endeavour to be a good husband and hopefully one day a good parent too. He was about to set out when he noticed the sword he had returned was leaning against the wall just inside the door. It would be churlish to refuse it a second time.
*
'Your future husband and his handsome brother have just left for the church. We must depart ourselves in the next few minutes if we are not to be late. In honour of the duke your wedding is the first of four to be held today.'
'I do hope we don't have to sit through an interminable Mass, Mama. I much prefer the shorter service that we get in our own church. Father Benedict will be there until midnight if everyone has the nuptial Mass. As long as we are legally married I have no wish to prolong the ceremony.' She shook out non-existent creases in her beautiful gown. 'It is a shame they can never ring the church bells for fear that the French would be attracted here.'
'I understand from Don Pablo that the other couples are being married simultaneously to avoid that problem. For your marriage to be recognised in Spain it must be conducted as it always is. You will have to sit through an even more elaborate ceremony tomorrow morning when it will be my turn.'
Now was not the time to mention that Perry had said they would leave at dawn to begin the search for his missing comrade. To be honest, she had no desire to see her mother marry the Spaniard as this would mean she might never see her again. Mama should have been able to accompany her back to England to join in her good fortune.
The small square was deserted, no doubt everyone was in the church. Somehow it didn't seem right to be walking just with her mother, surely the don should have accompanied them? The closer she got the less enthusiastic she felt about the whole thing. Was there still time to run away?
Then they emerged into the marketplace and instead of remaining at the altar Perry was striding towards her. His smile squashed her doubts. He loved her, she loved him, whatever life threw at them they could deal with it.
'My darling, I refused to sit in a church full of strangers. I wish we could wait until we could be married at home with my family around us.'
'As this is to be a Catholic ceremony perhaps we could repeat it in our own religion?'
The tall, dark gentleman waiting by the door must be the duke. He bowed and his expression was warm. 'I am delighted to meet you, and think your suggestion that you have a second marriage at Silchester to be an excellent one.'
She curtsied, not something she could remember doing before. She had never had a Season in London where one was forever bobbing up and down. 'I would have known you for Perry's brother, your grace, your colouring is dissimilar but in every other way you are the same.'
There was still no sign of the gentleman who she was supposed to be walking down the aisle with and she thought this rather odd. The duke offered his arm and she took it. Perry winked and was about to vanish inside to take up his designated position by the altar when the distant crackle of gunfire echoed from the hills. Not an auspicious start to anyone's married life.
The long elaborate service was conducted at a leisurely pace and in Spanish. She responded when prompted and when the gold band slipped over her knuckle she was glad it was done and they could get back into the sunshine. It was dark and cold inside the church as it had not been used for years.
Then they were obliged to follow the priest to the altar and kneel for another interminable hour. All she could think about was that Don Pablo had not attended and this was most unlike him. Eventually they were allowed to stand and turned to face the congregation.
Mama was also absent. A sick dread gripped her stomach and she glanced at her husband. He too looked worried. 'Something is wrong, we must go at once and see why my mother and the don did not attend.'
The duke overheard her whispered comment, nodded at his brother and then strode away ahead of them. They were obliged to stop and accept congratulations all the way down the aisle. When they emerged into the sunshine the firing had stopped. She prayed the English had been successful and that none of the men from the town had been injured.
'Everyone is following us. We cannot abandon our guests. I hope your brother returns speedily to tell us what is happening.'
'Like you, sweetheart, I am concerned at their absence. I'm certain your mother would not have missed your wedding unless it was for something serious.'
There were branches of orange blossom formed into an arch over the doorway. His house was sparkling, the doors to the veranda wide open and in the courtyard a small band of musicians was playing lively music. The wooden steps that led down to the veranda had also been decorated with flowers and blossom. It looked enchanting, she should be happy, but the worry about the missing couple was squashing her joy.
Cider and wine were flowing, a suckling pig had been roasted on a spit in the yard, and a long trestle set up with appetising salads and accompaniments. Once all the guests were happily circulating she and Perry were able to slip away to the far end of the drawing room where they could talk.
'Why hasn't your brother come back? He has been gone this age.'
'We can hardly abandon the wedding breakfast to go in search of them. I shall send Juan to enquire if I can find him amongst the throng.'
Then the duke appeared and smiled. The initial worry that the older gentleman had succumbed to an apoplexy was removed, but for them to be absent must mean something else had occurred.
'Good, I'm glad that you are here. Don Pablo had distressing news from a messenger who arrived just before your wedding started.
'He has family in a small village higher in the hills and it seems a band of deserters, comprising of both French and English, has invaded the place and taken control. Many of the men were killed and the women and children are now enslaved.'
'They must get word to whoever is leading the English cavalry and have them go at once to their rescue.'
'Exactly so, Perry, Don Pablo has already sent word to them. He intends to meet up with his son and his men in the hills which is why he didn't attend your wedding. Mrs Appleby left the church because she thought her future husband had suffered an accident or something worse. She will be joining you here as soon as she can.'
Sofia looked anxiously at her new husband but he shook his head. 'No, sweetheart, my soldiering days are over. I shall leave it to men better equipped than I to do the rescuing.'
'Does that mean we are not to go in search of your missing friend before we begin the long journey to the coast?'
'It does not. We shall leave at dawn as planned. I am doing no more than Beau did for me.'
'I feel I must point out, little brother, that O'Reilly is not related to you so perhaps does not require your personal intervention.'
'O'Reilly has been with me since the start. I have spent more time with him in the past two years than with any other person. He would do the same for me. I shall brook no argument on this.'
His brother shrugged and changed the subject. 'Sofia, from this I take it you have no intention of attending the nuptials of your parent?'
'I know it sounds undutiful, but as my mother was prepared to miss my own wedding then I feel no obligation to attend hers.' This sounded shallow and petty but it was too late to retract. The two men exchanged disapproving glances which made her decide not to explain what she had actually meant.
She had married into this family and must make the best of it, but she had no intention of becoming a subservient wife however much that infuriated Perry. What the duke thought of the matter was no concern of hers – she had married Perry not him and he must learn to keep his opinions to himself.
The day was spoiled and no amount of merriment could mend it. Her mother arrived full of apologies but it was too late for that. Sofia smiled as if she forgave her, but she didn't. To miss one's only daughter's marriage for such a flimsy reason was inexcusable. She couldn't wait to leave this place. Mama had made her priorities clear – a future husband was more important to her than her own flesh and blood.
*
The celebrations went on into the small hours but Sofia complained of having a headache and retired long before the last guests departed. Beau joined Perry on the veranda before they went up.
'I am sorry that this has not been the happy event you had hoped for. You will be having a second ceremony and I shall make sure this one is memorable for the right reasons.'
'I am disappointed in her. I thought her kinder. She will regret departing tomorrow without setting things right with her mother.'
'The French will be gone from Spain soon and then Don Pablo and Mrs Appleby will be able to travel to England. If you are determined to leave at dawn we had better get some shut-eye first.'
They both knew the marriage would not be consummated tonight as Sofia had made it quite clear she would be unavailable. They had the rest of their lives to be intimate, he was prepared to wait until she was ready however long it took.
He had no regrets about marrying her, but he did have worries that the union might not be as harmonious as he would like. He loved her, but wasn't sure that would be enough once they were back in the more restrictive environment of Silchester.
He didn't go into the marital bedroom, he took another empty chamber, stripped off his clothes and fell naked into bed. As he was drifting off to sleep a fact that he had been trying to ignore came to the forefront of his mind.
If he had met Sofia in different circumstances he would never have become involved with her. She was the opposite of everything he had imagined his future wife would be. She was wild, dressed and behaved more like a young man than a young lady of quality, and he doubted she would fit comfortably into his life once they were in England.
He was a gentleman, he had made love to her, he had had no option but to marry her afterwards. He would have done so even if he had disliked her so the fact that he loved her to distraction was a definite bonus. No doubt with his guidance and the examples of her sisters-in-law she would adapt to her new life and become the bride he had dreamed of having.