Chapter 19: Plans

The next month sped by.

The new household didn’t take long settling into its new rhythm. The Ladies organised their days around their appointments and the myriad arrangements required in setting up a wedding for a Duke and a Countess.

Ty had suggested Prue use two of the rooms over the entertainment room as her lab and office. They would often find her, Tah and Raghu working happily, on whatever project they were involved in. Prue had been using her old house as an office, but this setup was much more convenient.

She decided to move out of the house altogether. She gave it to her old nanny, Harriot. If it hadn’t been for Harriot, she wouldn’t be alive today, so she considered it the least she could do for her old friend. She would keep paying the bills and Harriot had her friends, Emma their cook and Old Pierre the butler to keep her company.

Ty and Willow did go ring shopping and the family had all admired the rock that Ty purchased for Willow. He could have used a ring from his ancestor’s collection that he had also given Willow. He, however, had much more fun taking her ring shopping. He wanted the ring to be Willow’s alone.

The shopping expedition had nearly ended in disaster when they had a close encounter as they left the jewellers. Brain was with the carriage on the other side of the street. As they went to cross the road to him, they heard him yell at them.

Ty had to grab Willow, who was distracted by the new ring, and they both ended up diving to the pavement and rolling away from the carriage and horses that tried to run them down. Brain had been very upset when he jumped down off their carriage to help Willow and Ty back to their feet.

Once they got Brain settled down, he told Ty that the carriage had looked like an old transport coach and the driver had been flogging the horses as if in a hurry. Ty wasn’t impressed, and Willow noted him favouring his shoulder.

Willow hugged him, and he kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay Willow, I’ll be fine, as long as I know you are safe,” he told her. He felt a warmth sooth him and assumed it was just the pleasure of finding Willow was not hurt.

Both were a little upset that their day had been marred by a callous person.

A week or so after they moved in, Willow and Prue were amused to find that when Tah fed Nianna her night-time bottle and read her a story, he used the entertainment room.

The other kids had also worked out Nianna got stories with her bottle and Tah would end up with three more kids cuddled around him or in his lap.

Willow said to Prue, “He is quite amazing with kids isn’t he.”

Prue nodded, “He picked Nianna up the first time he set eyes on her. He would even take her off Tina to feed her. In the end, Tina just gave her to him first, while she got the bottle ready for him. After the first week on the ship, we even found him changing her and bathing her.”

Prue looked at Willow sadly, “After I had left Haldol, I got a letter from his father. He said while he understood I hadn’t intended to stay, he didn’t realise that Tah had so much interaction with Nianna.”

“He asked if I was aware that I had ripped his heart out when I took her too. I cried for a week. It seems us Arrondale’s aren’t real smart when it comes to our own love lives. I truly didn’t believe he was my soulmate. But I’m starting to think I got it wrong.”

Willow hugged her, “Maybe you need a heart to heart with Grace too.”

Willow and Ty had to turn up to council meetings three days a week to decide on issues that needed addressing. The other Dukes and Earls soon found that when the pair agreed it was a good thing and the King agreed with their arguments, it generally happened.

They were surprised when Willow asked if she could review some of the issues that the lower house had deemed unimportant. She explained her father had petitioned the council for two years and his problems were considered unimportant until the price of his products sky-rocketed and people died.

Certain members of the Lower House were not happy to have several issues she and Ty had identified suspicious sent back to be reviewed and investigated. Like Sunland, their titles of Barons came with the job, and they had to be re-elected every five years.

Most were re-elected for many years. When they retired or were replaced, they retained the title of Sir, in recognition of their service to the people. But it wasn’t a title that was passed on to their children.

Ty hadn’t got any more useful information from Paul or the surviving man from the ambush. He decided they could stay where they were until he could find out more. One of the guards believed someone had tried to get to the prisoners.

They had a guy saying he was a lawyer and that he had been sent by the magistrate to talk to them. They told him to come back once they had proof of his credentials but he didn’t. So Ty increased the guard duties and thanked them for being vigilant.

He had sent a man to check on the state of Carl’s health to find he had left the city on business and the man said no one knew when he was due to return. Ty was sure he wouldn’t show his face until the evidence of his assault was no longer obvious.

He wasn’t happy and contacted his ring of narks to keep an eye out for him and if they noticed Baron Terence, being in places that he had no business being. He set three of his best men onto watching Baron Terence. He also contacted David and asked if would like to do some digging into the Baron’s financial affairs.

David informed him he had some discrete friends that he was sure would help him. Ty reminded him the information must be acquired lawfully else, he couldn’t use it. David assured him it would be. He was a lawyer and knew the laws.

Ty apologised, and the two men grinned at each other. David knew he just wanted to protect Willow but also had to work within their laws. The King’s Inquisitor still needed proof to back up his accusations of the lies he ferreted out.

Towards the end of the second week, the group were in their favourite room, and the talk turned to the wedding plans. Willow complained about all the malarkey involved in a high society wedding.

“Actually Willow, you should think yourself as lucky, imagine marrying me, or Ulani,” Tah said. He with Ulani’s help then explained a typical Royal wedding to everyone’s horror.

Vincent and Prue looked at each other appalled. They then discussed what would happen if a royal family member got married in a different country. So Tah explained.

Vincent piped up, “Shame Prue ditched you otherwise you two could get married here.”

Tah picked up Prue’s hand and kissed the engagement ring that she still hadn’t taken off. He had a feeling he was going to, seriously upset her, but with Ty, in the room, he had, to tell the truth.

“Actually, she kind of forgot to officially ditch me. According to our laws, we are still engaged,” Tah wiggled his eyebrows at Prue to try to soften the blow. He then looked at the group as they digested this.

Ulani looked at her brother with a frown, “Didn’t father put a stipulation on how long you had before you couldn’t get out of the marriage?”

Tah nodded, “Yes, he said either of us could break the engagement within a year. As of two weeks ago, our minimum one year of engagement imposed by my father was over.”

“So we can get married when she sets the date. The only way either of us can now get out of the marriage is we have to petition my father.”

Prue gasped at him. “Oh, Gods! I forgot about that.”

Tah looked at her in all seriousness, “I can assure you, my love, I didn’t. As far as my people are concerned, we are as good as married. You tell me when and I’ll make damn sure, I bloody well turn up.”

Prue looked at him angrily, “That’s why you came, to make me honour the marriage agreement whether I want to or not?”

“No, I came because I love you, missed you terribly and I want you for my wife,” he told her softly.

“No,” said Prue and stormed out.

The other looked after her, and they all felt sorry for Tah. They had a quiet evening, and Tah disappeared for a walk. The next night they ended up at the Assembly again, and they all noticed the coolness between Prue and Tah.

They didn’t even dance together.

Willow had officially become the first Deb to accept an offer of marriage for the Season.

The fact she had snared the elusive Duke Arrondale only made her popular with many, but not all. Silvia reported some nasty rumours being spread around. One was that Willow had tricked him into offering for her by pretending she was in debt when she knew she was due to the inheritance from the Earl.

Another said that the reason she shunned her cousins, was because Carl refused to marry her when she had bewitched him into taking her virginity. Another rumour stated that she was using witchcraft to keep the Duke from seeing her true nature.

Willow knew who was spreading the rumours but refused to drag herself down to their level. She couldn’t stop people believing or spreading lies. If she refuted them, the listener would then believe they were true.

A week later, Willow and Ty were at a party being held by the Evens, when Pamela one of the twins returning from the privy said, “Some people are so stupid. I hate jealous cows that have nothing better do than run good people down.”

She explained what was being said about Willow. Ty’s face darkened and he collected Willow and David and went to confront the old biddies. Willow asked him to leave it alone that it didn’t bother her, but Ty kept walking.

Six of the matrons, including Beatrice, were set up in one of the corners. Beatrice paled when she saw Ty boring down on them, with most of his group trailing behind. Ty stopped in front of the group and looked them over.

“Lady Turner, you know me well. Am I in the habit of telling lies?”

Lady Terrace said no. Ty had helped her out of difficult situation several years before, and she knew he was very rigid about seeking truth and not lying about the results, even if people didn’t want to hear it.

“Lady Vitelli, am I in the habit of telling lies?” This lady too had to agree that he was known for his honesty. “So if I ask someone a question and tell you the answer is a lie, will you both believe me?”

They both said yes, knowing he wouldn’t accept a nod. “Many of you know Baron David Karlson, is there anyone here that would dispute he is an honest man.” The all looked amount each other and agreed he was.

Ty then asked, “David, do you believe Countess Terville knew of the Earl’s Will and its contents before your first meeting with her?”

David shook his head, “No she did not. She was shocked when I told her. Her parents couldn’t have told her either. They were never informed of the will’s existence or contents per the Earls instructions. She didn’t even know that he was her grandfather.”

“Lady Beatrice, when you went to visit your cousins two years ago were you aware of the conditions of the Earl’s will?”