“The tenant cottages are complete, and the workers have all moved in,” Anthony said to his father as he and Dahlia greeted the Earl of Aimsley in his study. “And all is well at Aimsley Park.”
“Glad to hear it,” Adam said as he rose from his desk and made his way to where they stood. “Will you be off to the Continent now?”
“Next week,” Anthony replied. “We’re going to have dinner with Andrew and Danny before we leave. Discover the best places to go and such,” he added.
Diana joined them, pulling Dahlia into an embrace and giving her son a peck on the cheek despite her rounded belly. “You two look as if you’ve enjoyed the country.”
“Oh, very much,” Dahlia replied. “The weather was perfect when it wasn’t chilly, and we made so many friends in Wiltshire.”
“Then you’re no doubt looking forward to a warmer climate, Adam remarked.
“Oh, we are,” Anthony assured him. “Is there any correspondence I need to see to here?”
“A few notes, a couple of invitations,” Adam replied. “Several wedding gifts arrived while you were at Aimsley Park. Hummel had a footman take them up to your apartments.”
“Including one from Chippendale’s,” Diana added, her eyes indicating how impressed she was by the gift. “There’s a card on it, but I didn’t peek,” she claimed.
“A piece of furniture?” Anthony guessed.
“Indeed. It’s beautiful, and I think there was a perfect place for it in your salon,” his mother added.
“Well now I’m curious,” Dahlia said, anxious to head up to the apartments.”
“As am I,” Anthony remarked. “We’ll get settled, and I’ll come down later to see to the correspondence,” he added as he offered Dahlia his arm.
Dahlia hurried up the stairs with him, commenting on how glad she was to be back in London. “I did love running the household in Wiltshire and the country air was divine, but I did miss the entertainments,” she said as they moved on to the next flight of stairs.
“I never thought I would, but you’re right. I think we shall have to split our time betwixt the two houses, at least until I inherit,” Anthony replied. He paused as he pushed down the handle of the door to their apartments. “Will you allow me to carry you over the threshold?”he asked as he gave the door a gentle shove.
Dahlia grinned. “Again?” She let out a shriek and a giggle when he lifted her into his arms and used a booted toe to kick the door open as wide as it would go.
He chuckled as he set her down in the middle of their sitting room. The two glanced about before he shrugged. “Looks like it did when we left it,” he commented. He noted how his wife stared at something in the connecting salon, and his gaze followed hers to the new piece of furniture. He let out a guffaw. “Is this some sort of joke?” he asked, hurrying to the note that sat in the middle of the inlaid wood top of an elegant maple and ebony library table.
He unfolded the note as Dahlia stood still in the middle of the sitting room, her hands on her hips.
“Who’s it from?” she asked, almost sure she knew the answer before Anthony scoffed.
“Your father,” he replied.
Huffing, Dahlia marched over to the table and plucked the note from Anthony’s hand.
To the newlyweds,
With so many possible uses, I can think of no better wedding gift than a library table from Chippendale’s. I’m quite sure you will find that one perfect way to use it.
Yours in service,
David Fitzwilliam
P.S. Please don’t mention this to Mr. and Lady Comber. I shouldn’t want there to be any jealousy.
Reading the missive over Dahlia’s shoulder, Anthony chuckled. “I cannot decide if he’s trying to cause trouble or if he is pretending ignorance,” he murmured.
Dahlia gave him a quelling glance. “He knows exactly what he’s done, and if I were a betting woman, I would say an exact replica has been delivered to the townhouse in Bruton Street,” she claimed, her hand skimming over the surface of the table. She leaned over it to study the inlaid pattern, her body bent nearly at a right angle. “It’s even the perfect height,” she added, lowering her chest to the tabletop as she bent her elbows and rested her cheek on the back of her hands.
Anthony’s chuckle turned into a struggle to breathe. “My sweet, you really shouldn’t do that,” he warned.
“Do what, Tony?” she replied, angling her head to look back at him.
When he saw the expression on Dahlia’s face, he shook his head. “Are you... are you quite sure?”
He blinked when she merely arched a brow and grinned.
