Lord Portman's Troublesome Wife by Mary Nichols Page A

door had closed on them, Rosamund burst out laughing. ‘Oh, my lord, I am sorry for that, indeed I am, but my aunt would not countenance me approaching you myself.’
    He was laughing himself, glad to see she had not lost her sense of humour and was not, as he had supposed,cast down by the situation. ‘Oh, no, that would never do. And I have been reproached for proposing to you in a manner that was bound to draw a rejection on account of its being not quite proper.’
    ‘Did she really say that?’ she asked in surprise.
    ‘Indeed she did.’
    ‘Then I am sorry for it.’
    ‘No matter.’ He drew her down on to the sofa beside him. ‘Did you turn me down on those grounds?’
    ‘No. That is absurd. I…I was not sure…’
    ‘And now you are?’
    She nodded without speaking, afraid her voice would give away the fact that she still had enormous doubts, but his proposal was preferable to the alternative.
    ‘Then, Miss Chalmers, will you do me the inestimable honour of becoming my wife?’
    ‘On the conditions you outlined on Saturday evening?’
    ‘If they are acceptable to you, ma’am.’
    ‘I accept,’ she said solemnly.
    His memory suddenly furnished him with a picture of Beth when he proposed to her. She had been shy at first and then her face had lit up and she had literally thrown herself into his arms. That had not been proper behaviour either, but it had delighted him. This was very different. Miss Chalmers was not just out of the schoolroom, as Beth had been. It was, he reminded himself, one of the reasons he had chosen the lady. All the same he ought to display some sign of his pleasure. He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, before placing it gently back in her lap. ‘Thank you, my dear.I must arrange to have the banns read. When and where would it be convenient to you to have the ceremony?’
    ‘I am afraid it has been taken out of my hands, my lord. My aunt and my brother are vying with each other to make all the arrangements to see me off. I know it is not what you had planned—a quiet wedding in the country, you said—so perhaps you can persuade them not to make a great to-do about it.’
    He smiled wryly. The brother and aunt had not even wanted to give her house room before he proposed. Now, he supposed, having realised their plain Jane had netted a fairly big fish, they intended to make the most of it. He squashed his inclination to insist on a quiet ceremony, knowing it would cause more gossip when the news did get out and that would not be fair on his bride. ‘My dear, I shall not even try, unless you wish it,’ he said. ‘A lady ought to be able to puff herself up on her wedding day, if no other. And as far as the haut monde is concerned, there is to be nothing havey-cavey about this wedding.’
    ‘You are very kind.’
    ‘I hope I may always be kind, Rosamund.’ It was spoken quietly and went some way to stilling her doubts.
    There was a scratching at the door and Mrs Bullivant put her head round it. ‘May we come in?’
    ‘Yes, of course,’ Rosamund answered.
    They came into the room, Mrs Bullivant all eagerness, Max a little more sedately. ‘Are we to offer felicitations?’ the old lady asked.
    Harry bowed to her. ‘You may. Miss Chalmers has agreed to wed me.’
    ‘Oh, happy, happy day!’ she exclaimed as if it were the first time she had heard of it.
    ‘Congratulations, Portman,’ Max said, offering his hand. Harry took it, noting how clammy it was.
    ‘When is it to be?’ Mrs Bullivant demanded. ‘I think, under the circumstances, we may shorten the period of mourning. We can say Joshua knew what was in the wind and asked especially that Rosamund should not regard it.’
    ‘I was not acquainted with Sir Joshua,’ Harry pointed out, inwardly laughing at the old lady’s imaginative fabrication.
    ‘My brother knew everyone and everyone knew him,’ Jessica maintained. ‘I cannot think how you can say such a thing. Why, he was a member of all the clubs, as