The Promise (18 page)

“Think of me when you wear it.”

“Oh, believe me, I will.” She smiled sadly then raised herself up on tiptoes to brush her lips across his.

“Come see me whenever the mood strikes. You have an open invitation, day or night… most particularly at night.”

“Minx,” he patted her shapely derriere playfully when she turned to leave. At the door she blew him a kiss then returned to Lord Wheatley… still wearing the diamonds.

Finn made his way back to his horse feeling grateful and unburdened. Thanks to the presence of her new lover, the parting with Blaine had been painless.

Chapter Thirteen

On her wedding day, Jane woke before dawn in her small room above Sugarmann’s Bakery for the last time. She carefully folded her belongings and tucked them into an old portmanteau then straightened the linens on her narrow pallet. She took down Pip’s drawings and stacked them on top of her clothing. After one last look, she went downstairs to the kitchen and set her bag by the door.

She followed her usual morning schedule and rehearsed her resignation. Since Mrs. East had been threatening to give her the boot for weeks, she suspected the news would not be met with too much disappointment. She was wrong.

Mrs. East bustled in and hooked her shawl on a peg by the door.

“The roads were tighter than the Queen’s corset, Jane! We should build a wall around London and not permit another soul entry,” she grabbed a soft cloth and began to shine the glass display case.

“Do I smell almond bear claws? You haven’t made those in an age,” she said. “I think I’ll have one with a cup of tea to start the day. Did you put on a pot…?” She froze when she saw the overstuffed bag. Her head snapped up. “What is this?”

“Mrs. East, thank you for everything you have done for me. I don’t know what would have become of me if you hadn’t taken a chance on me all those years ago.”

“Do not tell me you’re leaving! I refuse to listen,” Mrs. East put her hands over her ears. She strode over to Jane and shook her gently by the elbows. “Is it your salary? Do you need more money?”

“No. It isn’t that. I have…” she began to explain, but Mrs. East was in a panic.

“I
need
you, Jane. Are you overworked? I’ll hire more help. You’re the most talented pastry chef in London! Where are you going? Is it the Mayfair? Have they offered you a job again?”

“I wouldn’t be so disloyal. You gave me a place to stay when I was desperate and you taught me a trade,” Jane said earnestly. “I know this is sudden, and I wish I could give you more notice, but I’m to be married today.”

“Married?” The woman’s mouth dropped open. “Today? I didn’t even know you had a sweetheart. How did you manage it when you spend all your spare time with Pip?”

“I haven’t known him long. As I said, it was sudden.”

Mrs. East paced the kitchen. “Can you at least stay until I find a replacement?”

“I will ask Lord Wallace if one of Cook’s helpers can assist you until you hire another baker.”

“Lord Wallace? Why would he…” Mrs. East squinted at her. “Who are you marrying?”

“Lord Wallace.”

The older woman collapsed in a chair. Obviously a nobleman wouldn’t allow his wife to work in a bakery or anywhere else. There were so many questions, but Jane had picked up her bag and was already making her way toward the door.

“I’ll miss you.” It was the most affectionate thing Mrs. East had ever said to her.

“I will bring Pip for a visit,” Jane promised.

Mrs. East watched mutely as Simmons handed Jane up into the carriage. “I’m happy for you, lass, truly I am,” she called after Jane. She stood in the street and watched until the carriage disappeared into traffic.

THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD was in chaos when Jane arrived. The duchess, who had also risen before dawn, had arranged the most elegant wedding possible on such short notice. Peckham, the housekeeper and cook, every last footman, groom, and maid, had been recruited to deliver last minute invitations that Finn’s mother had spent half the night writing to her closest friends and family.

The sky was still dark when she sent panicked notes to her florist and caterer pleading with both to help her “throw together something fabulous.” The tempting phrases “money is no object” and “no expense spared” were liberally bandied about and the merchants had risen to the occasion.

Jane, who had assumed she would wed Lord Wallace quietly and without fanfare, was taken aback when her future mother-in-law ushered her into the ballroom with a self-satisfied smile. She wondered if there could possibly be a single white flower left in the Covent Garden flower stalls. At the far end of the room fat bouquets of roses sat on round tables amidst sparkling crystal and china. Against the far wall, long, linen-draped tables were laden with cut glass punch bowls and platters waiting to be filled with food. On the other end of the ballroom, caterers had set up rows of organza-covered chairs with giant white bows tied around the backs. The seating faced an arbor festooned with flowers. A violinist and harpist were setting up their instruments nearby.

“When? How…?” Jane was speechless.

“The three Bs, of course! Begging, bribery, and blackmail,” Justine chuckled. “Add unseemly wealth and a centuries-old title into the mix and you have the recipe for success!”

“There are so many chairs!” Jane looked around with dismay.
How many people had the duchess invited?
Her stomach tightened.

“Yes, well, we probably will not need them all. I have no idea how many people will come on such short notice, but we are prepared for fifty. The servants may be dining on turtle soup and broiled lobster this evening,” she laughed.

For the first time since Jane agreed to Finn’s incongruous proposal, she experienced anxiety. She had arrived with the intention of giving him one last chance to change his mind. But if they called off the wedding now, the duchess would look foolish. She was still willing, however, if that was what Finn wanted.

“Where is Lord Wallace? I need to speak with him,” she said.

“Everyone knows it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,” Justine clucked.

“What was his reaction when you told him about my family?”

“There was so much going on last night that we didn’t get the chance, but Cameron is telling him this morning,” the Duchess assured her.

When Jane began to protest, the duchess gently patted her arm. “Trust me. You wouldn’t want to speak with him right now. He’s in a foul temper.”

Jane’s brow furrowed. “Then I really
must
speak with him. Perhaps he has reconsidered.”

“Nonsense! He’s simply upset with what he termed my ‘managing ways.’ Why the very idea that I would allow my son to wed without so much as a plate of scones and Peckham for a witness!”

Jane was seized by the uncharitable suspicion that the duchess wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble had she not learned her father was an earl. Such speculation felt mean-spirited, however, and she immediately felt ashamed for thinking it. Her future mother-in-law had gone to spectacular lengths to mark the day and she should be grateful.

“Your Grace… Justine… I don’t have anything suitable to wear. I thought the ceremony would be smaller.” The situation was exceedingly awkward. “Forgive me, it was kind of you arrange all… this… but I thought it would be a private ceremony.”

“This is my home. What could be more private?” the duchess brushed aside her qualms. “In time you will thank me, if not for your own sake, for Pip’s. Finn abhors gossip and believes he can escape its pernicious effects simply by ignoring it, but he is woefully mistaken. Our family has always been considered the best of
ton
, and I don’t intend to let the Wallace luster tarnish during my watch. My efforts today will still malicious tongues tomorrow. There is no way to hide the fact yours was a hasty union, but by skillfully disseminating our own version of events, we can shape public opinion and silence the whispers.”

“I understand your position and appreciate what you’re doing, but I cannot help but agree with Lord Wallace. Our wedding should be no one’s concern but our own. And yours, of course,” she added hastily when Justine frowned.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but that’s naïve. You have some excuse, but Finn should know better. His reputation and position in society are at stake. He has worked hard to make a name for himself in the Commons, but unfortunately he has also drawn attention to himself in the gossip columns. It has had little impact on his career to date because he is single and bachelors are allowed a certain amount of leeway as far as their personal affairs are concerned. This wedding, however, will lead to rampant speculation unless we meet it head-on.”

Jane couldn’t disagree with anything the duchess said. Nor could she fault Finn’s mother for wishing to stem the tide of gossip that was sure to flow after their slapdash wedding. With a pained expression, she surveyed her plain, brown dress.

“Don’t worry about your gown. Madame Fournier, my modiste, is waiting for you in the sitting room adjoining my chambers. She brought a trunk full of gowns and slippers. Madame will save the day… mark my words. Pip is with her, no doubt pawing through everything and making herself a lovable nuisance.”

Pip! She left last night before she had a chance to discuss the wedding.
“Did you tell her? How did she react?”

“Actually, Finn spoke with her. She was beyond delighted and hasn’t stopped talking about it since. In fact, we should rescue Madame Fournier. Pip is no doubt talking the poor woman’s ears off.”

The moment Pip saw Jane she squealed and ran into her arms. “Mama, I get to be your flower girl! Grandmother said so!”

Jane laughed. Pip’s enthusiasm was infectious. “You look very pretty with those flowers in your hair.”

Pip wore a white silk dress with a wide organza sash and a wreath of silk roses with ribbons streaming down her back. She admired herself in the mirror. “I do look pretty, don’t I, Mama?”

“Indeed you do” Jane smiled.

“A hot bath awaits,” the duchess opened the door between her sitting room and chamber and gestured inside. “Take a nice long soak and try to relax. I’ll keep Pip occupied.”

Jane was grateful for solitude. The morning had been hectic and exhausting. Arriving to find Carlisle House in turmoil had set her on edge. She washed her hair and luxuriated in the rare treat of a bath, lingering in the steaming lilac-scented water until her fingers and toes puckered. She had almost fallen asleep when someone entered the room. From behind the chinoiserie room divider a maid asked, “Are you finished, my lady? I’m to remind you that time grows short. May I assist you?”

My lady.
It had been many years since a servant had attended to Jane’s personal needs; it felt strange. She wrapped a towel around her hair and slipped into a robe that had been left on a chair next to the tub.

“No, thank you. I have everything I need. Please tell Her Grace and Madame that I will join them momentarily.”

FINN STOOD BEFORE his valet tense and belligerent.
How dare his meddling mother turn the day into a circus?
He grievously resented her interference. When the florist, caterer, and their staffs paraded through the front door at sunrise, he had been astounded, not only because she had been able to marshal their services on a moment’s notice, but because she had bothered at all.

What was she thinking?
Although his mother had assured him that only their closest friends and relatives were invited, he was still perturbed. He’d hoped to wed quietly and in private, as befit the circumstances.

“Madam,” — he only called her ‘madam’ when he was displeased — “what am I to tell our guests? Did you think of that? How will I explain our haste? Set my feelings aside for the moment… did you not consider that all this fanfare might embarrass Jane? She’s not accustomed to moving in high circles. I imagine she will feel extremely uncomfortable at the center of so much attention.”

Justine looked contrite, but she wasn’t about to admit to a lack of sensitivity. “No, I was so focused on doing something nice for you that I didn’t think about that.”

“I see. You were being considerate, not domineering. There is a fine line, I suppose,” he drawled.

“I should have asked you first, but it’s too late to do anything about it now. Our guests will begin to arrive at 2:00 and we’ll just have to make the best of it. By the by, I plan to make an announcement after the ceremony that should answer most questions. Leave it to me.”

“I almost look forward to hearing it.”

“Has your brother spoken with you?” his mother asked casually… a little
too
casually for Finn’s liking. She ran a finger over a table then studied her fingertip as if checking for dust.

“About what?”

“About Miss Gray. I believe he had something interesting to tell you.”

He squinted his eyes suspiciously. “This ‘something interesting’ wouldn’t be the cause of your mirth last night, would it?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps. There were some things he thought you should know before the wedding.”

“Like what to expect on my wedding night?” Finn asked drolly.

“Very amusing. No. It was something else…
good
news actually.”

“If it were bad news, I assume he’d have wasted no time.”

She sighed and kissed him on the cheek before leaving him to sulk.

His mother’s comment explained Cameron’s attempt to corner him an hour before. In no mood to speak with anyone, let alone his brother, Finn had tersely ordered him to go away. Cameron had entered anyway.