They gave their troth to each other next and then Blayne placed a thin gold band upon her finger. “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
A prayer followed and after that a blessing and a psalm. Charlotte scarcely heard another word. All she could focus on was that it had been done. She was finally Blayne’s wife and as such, she could not wait for them to be done with the wedding so they could begin their life together. And then, more suddenly than she’d expected, Blayne swept her into his arms for a kiss so thorough it made her dizzy.
“Congratulations to you both,” Marcus said.
“I’m so incredibly happy for you, miss,” Daisy added with a beaming smile.
Mrs. Callanach drew Charlotte into her arms for a tight embrace.
“She’s grateful to ye,” said Mrs. Callanach’s maid, whose name turned out to be Hannah. “Ye brought her son back and saved him from his uncle.”
Since Blayne’s release Seamus had been arrested for attempted murder, and while he would not be sentenced until he’d been heard in court, it was clear his actions would lead to severe consequences. The news had made the headline in the previous day’s paper.
“Shall we go and see about our wedding breakfast, Wife?” Blayne asked with a twinkle in his eyes. The inn where they were staying would provide it in one of their supper rooms.
Charlotte grinned. “Indeed we shall, Husband.”
“Ach, I do like the sound of that word,” he said as they set off together, arm in arm.
The wedding breakfast was a small affair, hardly worth mentioning at all by Mayfair standards. In Charlotte’s opinion, it was perfect. Devoid of nosy gossips and those whohadto be invited because of their rank, it consisted only of the people who truly cared about Charlotte’s and Blayne’s well-being. There was no judgment to be found here, no condescension or shocked dismay over a viscount’s daughter marrying a St. Giles tavern keep who’d been accused of murder. Only happiness reigned, and it was wonderful.
“My mistress would like to offer ye both a wedding gift,” Hannah said when Mrs. Callanach nudged her after dessert.
“That’s generous, Mama, but there’s really nae need,” Blayne said. He looked slightly uncomfortable all of a sudden, so Charlotte placed her hand over his to offer support.
“Ye’re her son,” Hannah said. “Her only child. And she is yer only parent, so if she feels the need, ye ought to accept it with grace.”
Mrs. Callanach nodded her agreement, then handed a piece of paper to Blayne. After unfolding it, he proceeded to read. His eyes widened. “This is too much. We cannae possibly accept.”
His mother handed him another piece of paper and smiled as only a mother could when faced with a stubborn child. Blayne frowned. “I knew ye’d say that,” he read, “but I insist.”
“What is the gift?” Charlotte asked, her curiosity mounting with each passing second.
“Read for yerself.” Blayne handed her the letter, then told his mother, “I really dinnae deserve this.”
Another note crossed the table. “It’s not just for ye. It’s also for yer wife and…” Blayne’s voice faltered slightly before he managed to add, “my grandchildren.”
With heat creeping into her cheeks, Charlotte tried to focus on her own reading while Blayne and Hannah exchanged a few words. And now Marcus was adding his opinion and Daisy too. Doing her best to block them all out, Charlotte fixed her gaze on the neatly penned words before her.
With no inheritance to speak of and having sacrificed your own hard-earned savings in order to free the woman you love from a disagreeable union, your future is not as secure as it ought to have been. I’m sorry for this. The events that took place so long ago and forced you to flee are largely my fault, and while I cannot change the past, I hope to have some influence over the future. As such, I wish to bestow upon you and your wife the sum of four thousand pounds.
Charlotte sucked in a breath.
The funds are the remainder of my inheritance from my father. He always believed a woman should have her own means by which to support herself. Just in case.
Smart fellow. Charlotte wished she could have met him.
She folded the letter and met Mrs. Callanach’s gaze. “Thank you. This truly is most magnanimous of you.” To Blayne she said, “I’ll let you decide what to do, but consider the following first. We have invited your mother and Hannah to live with us. Children will follow if things take their natural course. So maybe that cottage we had in mind, or something slightly bigger, would not be the worst idea. Provided we can afford it?”
He took a deep breath while pressing his lips together in obvious disapproval. “It’s a huge sum, Charlotte.”
“Agreed.” Lowering her voice, Charlotte told him softly. “I’m happy to stay at The Black Swan if you prefer, but I think it would please your mother to know she was able to help you in some way.”
“I suppose the countryside would be a better spot for us to raise a family,” he grumbled.
“And you can plant as many crops as you like.”
“That wouldnaebe my reason for accepting this.”
