The next week was the longest in Titus’s life. By the time the letter from Rose finally reached him, he felt as if he had aged ten years. The letter was from Mr. Winter, a single line inviting him to attend at their house at his earliest convenience.

“It’s finally come then,” Mrs. Cartwright said as he buttoned up his coat. “I’m glad. You’ve been like a bear with a sore head all this week.”

“Yes, thank you, Mrs. Cartwright,” he replied, already halfway out the door.

“She better be worth it.”

“She is,” he said with a smile, setting off at a march. It was just his luck that no hansom cabs were to be seen anywhere, forcing him to walk the distance to Rose’s house. The journey seemed to last days, if not weeks, yet his pocket watch told him it was only a little after two in the afternoon when he arrived on her doorstop.

He took a deep breath before ringing the bell, a niggling thought in his mind that this was some kind of elaborate joke on their part, designed to crush him completely. Stop thinking that way, he told himself as footsteps echoed from within the house. Stop it.

The door opened and he was brought inside by a maid. “The master is expecting you,” she said. “This way.”

Titus followed her into the drawing room, the scene of his previous disgrace. Sitting in the same chairs as last time were Mr. and Mrs. Winter. “Good afternoon,” Mr. Winter said, rising slightly before returning to his seat. “Won’t you sit down?”

“Thank you.”

“We are glad you were able to come so swiftly,” Mrs. Winter said. “We have much to discuss.”

“If you don’t mind, dear, I will handle this.”

“Well be sure to apologise.”

“I was just about to.”

Titus coughed politely. “You were going to apologise? Might I ask what for?”

“I have no doubt you will recall the manner of your departure last time,” Mr. Winter said, looking to his wife for approval. She nodded back at him.

“I believe you told me I was a failure.”

“We did and for that I apologise wholeheartedly.”

“Might I ask why the change of heart?”

“Rose came to see us a week ago and she spoke to us in a way I had never expected.”

“What way was that?”

“She was mature, adult, and responsible. Frankly, it came as something of a shock. She explained to us that she was having second thoughts about marrying Mr. Carlisle. She had heard the most unseemly rumours about him and she insisted that we investigate. This we did and the engagement was ended forthwith. Please, do not ask me to detail my investigations for I have no wish to relive them.”

Titus could guess what happened. It would not take much digging to find out that the fiancé of their daughter was gallivanting with all and sundry, his betrothal doing nothing to assuage his lust for as many partners as he could lay his hands on.

“That explains why he ran off with Margaret Smethwick two days ago,” he said, watching the shocked expression appear on Mr. Winter’s face. “Didn’t you hear about that? I have proven myself a failure with two students in a row. The first would not grow up, the second grew up so fast, she was off with a man before her mother even knew what was happening. I thought you would have heard about it by now.”

“No, we have not heard about it. Mr. Carlisle has eloped with your fiancée?”

“I believe he may have done it as an act of revenge.”

“Revenge for what?”

“Well, if I understand it right, the engagement was cancelled, Mr. Carlisle will have assumed I was somehow the cause of the cancellation, or perhaps Rose told him so. He will have sought revenge against me. Taking my fiancée was his last hoorah.”

“But you are smiling, Mr. Burlingham, care to explain why?”

“I love your daughter. I have loved your daughter from the moment I set eyes on her. I have never stopped loving her since that day. Mr. Carlisle and the future Mrs. Carlisle will be very happy together, is that not enough to make a man smile?”

“Ah, then I have something that will make your smile all the broader.”

“You do?”

“Rose wishes to marry you.”

“She does, does she?”

“Told us not two days ago. Begged us to write to you and invite you here so that we might find out your feelings about the matter. I believe you may have just given us all the answer we need to the question.”

“What question might that be?”

“Will you marry our daughter? I must warn you, she still has her moments. She can still argue and whine and throw tantrums. You will have your work cut out dealing with her childlike temperament.”

“Oh, I think I should be able to deal with such things. After all, I have had plenty of practice.”

“That’s settled then. I shall send for her at once.”

“I’m already here.”

Titus spun round in his chair, surprised and pleased in equal measure to see Rose standing in the doorway.

“Eavesdropping yet again are you?” Mr. Winter asked. “Do you see what I mean about childish behaviour, Mr. Burlingham?”

“That’s just little Rose being herself,” Titus replied. “How do you feel about getting married, little Rose?”

“It is a funny thing,” she said, walking slowly towards him. “When I was to marry Jonathan, I was indifferent about the whole idea. But when I think about marrying you, I feel as if it’s the most wonderful idea in the whole wide world.”

“Capital!” Mr. Winter said, turning and hugging his wife. “We have a wedding to plan, my dear. I wonder if we can just change the name on the invitations. What do you think?”

Mrs. Winter gave him a playful shove. “I am jesting,” he said, breaking out into a loud roar of laughter. “Welcome to the family, Mr. Burlingham. I hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for.”

“He does,” Rose said, squeezing his hand with hers, reaching over to whisper in his ear. “You can start by changing my nappy, Papa.”