“Good morning, Mother, Helen,” he greeted cheerily, walking to place a kiss on his mother’s cheek.
“Reeds said you had returned, but I figured you went back to Sinners.” Helen took a bite of her toast. “Why is Reginald with you?” Her eyes squinted with suspicion. “And you’re smiling. Is Augustus dead?”
“Really, Helen, Hunt would never kill anyone, not even Augustus.” His mother patted his cheek before leaning back and looking at him. “You look different.”
“I am different,” he said, smiling as he stood in front of his small family. “Reg, do sit down. I have an announcement.”
“What sort of announcement?” Helen folded her arms and glared at him. “Why are you still smiling? I can’t take all this cheer this early in the morning?—”
“Helen, I love you, but be quiet for one glorious moment.” He pinched his fingers together.
“Be quiet?” She reared back. “Well, it must be important?—”
“Helen!” Hunt, his mother, and Reg all said at the same time.
Reg sat down beside Helen. Suddenly, all eyes turned expectedly to Hunt.
He took a deep breath and said, “I’m going to be married.”
They all stared at him with various degrees of shock on their faces. Helen blinked several times. Reg had a complete blank stare on his face, as if Hunt had spoken another language. His mother was smiling.
“What?” Helen asked.
“Married!” Reg said, standing abruptly.
“To Miss Adelia St. George?” his mother asked, shocking him with a knowing look.
“Yes, Miss St. George has agreed to be my wife,” he said, puffing his chest out a little more than usual. “I have written both the Duke of Cliffbury and the archbishop. Mother, please prepare the staff for a small wedding, just us, Lady Margaret, Walter and Sampson, of course.”
“You met her barely a sennight ago. Have you gone mad?” Helen asked.
“The length of time you know someone doesn’t matter.” It was a fact, especially in his and Delia’s case. He’d known from the moment he’d met her, but Hunt had ignored the pull, mostly because she was rude to him.
“You said you would never marry?” Reg reminded Hunt of the pledge he’d made years ago as a young man.
“That was before I met Delia.” His cheeks hurt from all the smiling he was doing, and it was only the morning.
His mother stood, using her cane for support. Hunt assisted her up, staring down into her hazel eyes. He was shocked to find tears running down her smooth cheeks.
“I’m happy for you, Hunt. You deserve happiness.”
“Thank you, Mother. I am happy.” The words were the truest he’d ever spoken in his life. “Delia makes me happy. She makes me feel worthy of her?—”
“You are worthy. You’ve always been worthy. It’s those who mistreated you who weren’t worthy.” She shook her head, herhair pinned back in a loose bun. “I’m sorry that I did not protect you from your father.”
“No. It is not your fault. Father believed he was right,” he said, knowing that he owed her and Helen the truth. But he would tell them another day, with Delia by his side. Hunt wouldn’t allow his father or Augustus to sully the news of his impending marriage. They had ruled his life for far too long, but that ended the day he met Adelia St. George.
“I guess I have a new sister,” Helen said, standing and walking over to Hunt and their mother. “If you mess this up, I’m going to kill you.” She gave him a rare hug.
His sister had never been overly affectionate.
“If I do anything untoward, you have my permission to murder me.” He squeezed her back.
There was nothing that he would do that would make him lose Delia. He’d fight heaven and earth to stay by her side.
“No one is murdering any child of mine,” his mother interjected lightly before sitting down.
“I guess congratulations are in order,” Reg said, giving Hunt a one-arm hug. “I’m still in shock.”
