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"What is it?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he replied, uncrossing his legs. "I am merely observing the proceedings."

"Enjoy the spectacle while you may," she warned him. " Aunt Beatrice will undoubtedly examine Julian when she meets him regarding marriage settlements, guest lists, and chapel decorations."

Cassian's smile faltered slightly. "I had not considered that."

"He has survived tropical fevers and mountain blizzards," Adelaide noted, "yet I am uncertain if he is prepared for Lady Beatrice, equipped with a guest list."

"No gentleman is prepared for that," Cassian agreed.

Looking at her aunt writing furiously at the desk, Adelaide felt both relief and lingering apprehension take root.

"Viscountess Pembroke, miss."

Adelaide looked up from the botanical index she was reviewing as the butler stood in the doorway of the morning room.

"Viscountess Pembroke? Here, at this hour?" Adelaide set down her pen and stood up.

Charlotte appeared in the doorway before the servant could formally announce her arrival. She wore her velvet traveling cloak, its hem dusted from the road, her bonnet slightly askew. Despite an entire day of travel from Sussex, she offered a broad, radiant smile.

"Adelaide Ashbourne, you extraordinary creature!"

"Charlotte!" Adelaide crossed the carpet and took her friend's hands. "What brings you to London? You sent no word ahead. How did you learn the news?"

"How did I learn?" Charlotte laughed warmly, squeezing her fingers. "My dear, the entire county knows. I received two separate letters before finishing breakfast on Tuesday. Lady Marsden wrote to me, Lady Forbes dispatched a note, and my own housekeeper heard the rumor from the butcher's wife. You are to marry the Duke of Ravensmere, and I refused to let you face London society without me."

Adelaide drew Charlotte into a warm embrace. The velvet cloak smelled faintly of road dust, horses, and the distinct lavender fragrance Charlotte had favored since girlhood.

"I have missed you deeply," Adelaide murmured.

"And I have missed you," Charlotte replied, pulling back to inspect Adelaide's face with sharp, affectionate scrutiny. "You look remarkably well—far better than you have in years. You have genuine color in your cheeks."

"The room is warm from the hearth," Adelaide demurred.

"The color comes from being engaged to a duke, as we both well know." Charlotte untied her bonnet and tossed it onto an armchair. "Now, sit down and tell me every detail."

They settled upon the small sofa near the window while Adelaide rang for tea. Charlotte slipped off her riding boots and tucked her feet beneath her skirts—a relaxed habit from their youth that London manners had failed to eradicate.

"When is the ceremony to take place?" Charlotte inquired eagerly. "Where shall it be held? Have you chosen a chapel? Will you remain in London afterward, or retreat to his estate? I hear Ravensmere Park is magnificent, with extensive grounds and a lake."

"I have not yet inquired about the grounds."

"You have not inquired regarding the grounds? Adelaide, you are marrying a natural historian; of course the estate possesses remarkable gardens."

"He is an explorer and a scholar, not merely a gardener."

"The distinction is minor. When is the wedding?"

Adelaide smoothed her skirts. "Julian is applying for a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace."

Charlotte's mouth parted in surprise before she recovered her voice. "A special license?"

"Yes."

Charlotte pressed her hands to her cheeks. "Adelaide! Do you comprehend what that implies?"

"It permits us to marry without waiting weeks for banns to be read."