The Duke's Alliance: A Soldier's Bride(27)

Cider and wine were flowing, a suckling pig had been roasted on a spit in the yard, and a long trestle set up with appetising salads and accompaniments. Once all the guests were happily circulating she and Perry were able to slip away to the far end of the drawing room where they could talk.

'Why hasn't your brother come back? He has been gone this age.'

'We can hardly abandon the wedding breakfast to go in search of them. I shall send Juan to enquire if I can find him amongst the throng.'

Then the duke appeared and smiled. The initial worry that the older gentleman had succumbed to an apoplexy was removed, but for them to be absent must mean something else had occurred.

'Good, I'm glad that you are here. Don Pablo had distressing news from a messenger who arrived just before your wedding started.

'He has family in a small village higher in the hills and it seems a band of deserters, comprising of both French and English, has invaded the place and taken control. Many of the men were killed and the women and children are now enslaved.'

'They must get word to whoever is leading the English cavalry and have them go at once to their rescue.'

'Exactly so, Perry, Don Pablo has already sent word to them. He intends to meet up with his son and his men in the hills which is why he didn't attend your wedding. Mrs Appleby left the church because she thought her future husband had suffered an accident or something worse. She will be joining you here as soon as she can.'

Sofia looked anxiously at her new husband but he shook his head. 'No, sweetheart, my soldiering days are over. I shall leave it to men better equipped than I to do the rescuing.'

'Does that mean we are not to go in search of your missing friend before we begin the long journey to the coast?'

'It does not. We shall leave at dawn as planned. I am doing no more than Beau did for me.'

'I feel I must point out, little brother, that O'Reilly is not related to you so perhaps does not require your personal intervention.'

'O'Reilly has been with me since the start. I have spent more time with him in the past two years than with any other person. He would do the same for me. I shall brook no argument on this.'

His brother shrugged and changed the subject. 'Sofia, from this I take it you have no intention of attending the nuptials of your parent?'

'I know it sounds undutiful, but as my mother was prepared to miss my own wedding then I feel no obligation to attend hers.' This sounded shallow and petty but it was too late to retract. The two men exchanged disapproving glances which made her decide not to explain what she had actually meant.

She had married into this family and must make the best of it, but she had no intention of becoming a subservient wife however much that infuriated Perry. What the duke thought of the matter was no concern of hers – she had married Perry not him and he must learn to keep his opinions to himself.

The day was spoiled and no amount of merriment could mend it. Her mother arrived full of apologies but it was too late for that. Sofia smiled as if she forgave her, but she didn't. To miss one's only daughter's marriage for such a flimsy reason was inexcusable. She couldn't wait to leave this place. Mama had made her priorities clear – a future husband was more important to her than her own flesh and blood.

*

The celebrations went on into the small hours but Sofia complained of having a headache and retired long before the last guests departed. Beau joined Perry on the veranda before they went up.

'I am sorry that this has not been the happy event you had hoped for. You will be having a second ceremony and I shall make sure this one is memorable for the right reasons.'

'I am disappointed in her. I thought her kinder. She will regret departing tomorrow without setting things right with her mother.'

'The French will be gone from Spain soon and then Don Pablo and Mrs Appleby will be able to travel to England. If you are determined to leave at dawn we had better get some shut-eye first.'

They both knew the marriage would not be consummated tonight as Sofia had made it quite clear she would be unavailable. They had the rest of their lives to be intimate, he was prepared to wait until she was ready however long it took.

He had no regrets about marrying her, but he did have worries that the union might not be as harmonious as he would like. He loved her, but wasn't sure that would be enough once they were back in the more restrictive environment of Silchester.

He didn't go into the marital bedroom, he took another empty chamber, stripped off his clothes and fell naked into bed. As he was drifting off to sleep a fact that he had been trying to ignore came to the forefront of his mind.

If he had met Sofia in different circumstances he would never have become involved with her. She was the opposite of everything he had imagined his future wife would be. She was wild, dressed and behaved more like a young man than a young lady of quality, and he doubted she would fit comfortably into his life once they were in England.

He was a gentleman, he had made love to her, he had had no option but to marry her afterwards. He would have done so even if he had disliked her so the fact that he loved her to distraction was a definite bonus. No doubt with his guidance and the examples of her sisters-in-law she would adapt to her new life and become the bride he had dreamed of having.





Chapter Ten


Sofia heard Perry walk past the bedroom and her heart broke. He couldn't have made it plainer. He was regretting this marriage as much as she was. If only he had agreed to wait until she saw she had her monthly courses before insisting they tied the knot.