First Comes Scandal

She had not anticipated, however, that he would arrive with his own parents in tow.

“You’re all here,” she said with faint surprise when he leaned down to greet her.

“Surely you did not think I would come on my own.” He quirked a brow, the expression oddly devilish on so serious a person. “If I am to share your familial burden, you must share mine.”

“Fair enough.”

He sat beside her. “Also, I couldn’t stop them.”

This made her grin, but for some foolish reason she hid this behind a sip of her tea.

The Rokesbys were regular visitors to Aubrey Hall, but it was somewhat unusual for them to make a call so early, and indeed Lady Bridgerton wore an expression of surprise as she rose to greet them. “Helen!” she exclaimed as she went to her friend’s side. “This is unexpected. What brings you to Aubrey Hall this morning?”

“Ah, well, you know …” Lady Manston mumbled a string of nothings. Georgie was impressed. She knew Nicholas’s mother quite well; she had to be bursting with the news.

“Is something amiss?” Lady Bridgerton asked.

“Not at all.” This, however, was said with enough vigor and emphasis to cause the whole room to look her way.

“Mother,” Nicholas said under his breath. He leaned out of his chair and took hold of her arm, gently tugging her away from Lady Bridgerton. He looked over at Georgie. “Where is Edmund?”

“He and Violet already left with the boys.”

“Probably a good thing,” he replied. “It’s going to be chaos enough in a moment.”

Lady Bridgerton looked from person to person. “Why do I feel as if there is a secret and everyone knows it but me?”

“I don’t know it,” Lord Bridgerton said genially, getting back to his breakfast. “If it makes you feel better.” He motioned for Lord Manston to take a seat beside him. “Coffee?”

“Or champagne,” Lord Manston murmured.

Nicholas’s head whipped around. “Father.” Georgie bit her tongue to keep from laughing at his frustration.

“You’re not helping,” he warned her.

Georgie decided there was nothing to do but make her announcement. “Mama, Papa, I have something important to tell you.”

Nicholas cleared his throat.

“That is to say, we have something important to tell you.”

Georgie had not intended to draw out the moment. But there was something fascinating and delightful in watching the parents react—Lady Manston’s giddy smile, Lord Manston’s smug happiness. Her own mother’s eyes widening as she realized what was happening. Her father, of course, remained clueless until Georgie announced, “Nicholas and I have decided to marry.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Lady Bridgerton exclaimed, and Georgie did not think it was an exaggeration to say that her mother leapt across the room to give her a hug.

“This is the best news,” Lady Bridgerton continued . “Oh, the very best. I could not have hoped for better. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it, except that Nicholas was not here, and it never occurred to me—”

“It does not matter how it came about,” Georgie interrupted gently, “just that it is happening.”

“Yes, of course,” her mother said. She looked over at her husband. “We’ll need a special license.”

“Done!” Lord Manston called out, and Georgie could not keep her mouth from falling open when he whipped the document out of his pocket.

“I have it right here,” he said. “We could get them married this afternoon.”

Georgie tried to intercede. “I don’t think—”

“Should we?” her mother said. “I mean, yes, of course, there is every reason to get it done and quickly, but would such haste be unseemly—”

“Who will know if it’s unseemly or not?” Lady Manston put in. “No one knows when he asked her, and it’s not as if anyone will think it’s not in some response to the scandal.”

“That’s true,” Lady Bridgerton mused. “It really is more of a we-must-make-the-best-of-it situation.”

“I’m delighted,” Lord Bridgerton said to no one in particular. “Just delighted.”

Lord Manston leaned over and said something in his ear. Georgie was no lip reader, but she was fairly certain it was: “This was my idea.”

Nicholas turned to Georgie. “Do you think anyone will notice if we leave?”

She shook her head. “Not even a little bit.”

“We must make plans,” Lady Bridgerton announced.

“No time for a grand wedding,” Lord Bridgerton reminded her.

“I’m not talking about the wedding,” she replied. “I’m talking about after. Where will they live?”

“Edinburgh, Mama,” Georgie said, even though the question, while about her, had not been directed toward her. “Nicholas must return to school.”

“Yes of course, but …” Lady Bridgerton let her words trail off, and she made a little motion with her hands that seemed to indicate that she expected everyone to understand what that meant.

“But nothing, Mama. I will go with him to Scotland.”

“Darling,” her mother said, “you don’t want to go to Edinburgh right away.”

Georgie kept her expression scrupulously even and matter-of-fact. “But I do.”

“Don’t be silly. Nothing will be ready.”

“I don’t mind.”

“That’s only because you don’t know.”

Georgie tried not to grit her teeth. “Then I’ll learn.”

Lady Bridgerton turned to Lady Manston as if to say, Help me here.

Lady Manston smiled brightly. “Lord Manston wishes to lease a house for you in New Town.”

“New Town?” Georgie echoed. She didn’t know much about Edinburgh, she realized. Nothing, really.

“It’s the new part of town,” Nicholas said.

“Oh, that’s helpful,” she muttered.

He shrugged. “It’s true.”

She scowled. “Really?”

“Some of Andrew’s friends are involved in the planning,” Lord Manston said. “It’s all very progressive, I’m told.”

Nicholas’s older brother Andrew was an architect by training, if not by degree. Georgie had always enjoyed talking with him about architecture and engineering, and if he said New Town was the place to lease a house, she was sure he was correct.

This did nothing to mitigate the fact, however, that if one more person tried to tell her what she wanted, she was going to scream.

“Georgiana,” Lady Manston said, “it will be very rough in Edinburgh.”

“Rough?” Georgie echoed. What the devil did that mean?

Nicholas leaned forward, frowning at his mother. “What are you talking about? It’s a perfectly civilized city.”

“No, no,” Lady Manston replied, “that’s not what I meant. I’m sure it will be a lovely place to live. Eventually.” She turned to Georgie. “You must understand—even once a suitable house is found, there will be much to do. Furniture to purchase, servants to hire.”