“She understands the situation, and she agreed to it.” Griff lifted his glass and swallowed a mouthful of sherry. “She chose me over the Duke of Sussex.”
His mother smiled. “I don’t blame her. She sounds like a sensible girl.”
Griff nodded.
“She’s Penina Tressingham’s youngest daughter, isn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard she’s quite lovely.”
“She’s one of the season’s Incomparables,” Griff offered.
His mother frowned at him. “I don’t doubt that she’s lovely on the outside. My hope is that she’s just as lovely on the inside.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Griff replied.
Lady Weymouth glanced from her husband to her son. “Trevor forced you into this, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did,” Griff admitted. “But he didn’t choose Lady Alyssa. That choice was mine.”
His mother reached over and patted him on the hand. “I don’t imagine Penina is too happy about losing the Duke of Sussex for her youngest daughter. She already has two earls and a viscount.”
Griff shrugged. “It’s done. She’ll get used to it. Besides, I’m not marrying Lady Tressingham. I’m marrying Lady Alyssa.”
“I’m sure I’ll like Alyssa very much. When do we meet her?”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight?” she repeated.
“At Lady Harralson’s. Didn?
?t Father tell you?”
Lady Weymouth turned to her husband. “No, he did not. But that explains our unexpected foray into the ton tonight and your father’s suggestion that I wear my Countess of Weymouth finery.”
Weymouth cleared his throat, then drained his glass of sherry. He looked at the clock. “Griffin, you’ll want to be on your way—”
“On his way?” Lady Weymouth asked. “I understood that Griffin was riding with us.”
“No, my dear,” Lord Weymouth explained. “Griffin is escorting his intended and her mother to Lady Harralson’s. We’re meeting them there.” He looked at his son. “I’ve ordered your carriage brought around. It’s waiting out front.”
“Thanks, Father.”
Lord Weymouth smiled. “You don’t want to be late.” Griff placed his sherry glass on a marble-topped table, shook hands with his father, and then leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek. “Good-bye, Mother. I’ll see you at Lady Harralson’s.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Chapter Thirteen
“My first test of endurance comes tonight. I must learn to endure my future mother-in-law’s enmity.”
—Griffin, Lord Abernathy, journal entry, 26 April 1810
Griffin wished he could say the same. Not that he wasn’t looking forward to seeing Alyssa. He was. Very much. But he wasn’t looking forward to spending an evening in the company of her mother.
Despite what he’d said to his mother, Griff was well aware that marrying Alyssa meant marrying her family as well. Griff knew that better than anyone. Hadn’t he lured her father into accepting his proposal by dangling the prospect of joining their families and their possessions?