'No more hunts,' Harrison agreed.
Elliott nodded with satisfaction. He leaned back in his wing chair, folded one leg over the other, and said, 'Now you may begin. Tell me everything. Whatever this legal problem is, we'll work it out together.'
'Actually, sir, there aren't any legal problems. I just wanted to make certain we had a private talk. I didn't want your assistant to overhear what I had to say to you.'
Elliott raised an eyebrow. 'You didn't want George here? Why in heaven's name not? You like MacPherson, don't you? Why, he's been with me for years now, almost as long as you have. Tell me what's bothering you.'
'He's going to give you good news, mi'lord.'
Murphy made the announcement from the doorway and then came inside with a full bottle of brandy. He placed the liquor on the table and turned to his employer.
'Mi'lord says you'll need a stiff drink when you hear what he has to say,' Murphy explained. 'Shall I pour for the two of you?'
'If Harrison believes I'll need it, go ahead, Murphy.'
Harrison was happy for the interruption. He was suddenly feeling tongue-tied. He didn't think it would be a good idea to simply spring the news on Elliott. The shock might give him heart palpitations, but Harrison couldn't come up with a simple way to ease into the announcement.
Murphy left the library a moment later. Elliott took a sip of his drink and turned to Harrison once again.
'I got married.'
Elliott almost dropped his glass. 'You what?'
'I got married.'
Lord above, why had he started out by telling him that? Harrison was almost as surprised as Elliott appeared to be.
'Good heavens,' Elliott whispered. 'When did you get married?'
'A couple of weeks ago,' Harrison answered. 'I didn't mean to start out with my announcement. I have other more important news to tell you. You see, I went to…'
Elliott interrupted him. 'Nothing could be more important than hearing you're married, son. I can barely take it in. Am I to assume the young lady you married is from America?'
'Yes, sir, but…'
'What is her name?'
'Mary Rose.'
'Mary Rose,' Elliott repeated. 'Is your bride downstairs? I must confess to being disappointed I wasn't in the church for your wedding. I would have liked to stand by your side when you spoke your vows.'
'Actually, sir, we weren't married in a church.'
'You weren't? Then who married you?'
'Hanging Judge Burns.'
Elliott looked like he was having difficulty following the explanation.
Harrison let out a sigh. 'I realize it sounds… peculiar.'
'A 'hanging judge' married you. Now, why would I think that was peculiar, Harrison?'
Harrison smiled. 'You'd like Burns. He's a rough-talking man with strong ideas about what's right and what's wrong. His love of the law is to be admired. I argued a case in his court, and he didn't let me get away with much at all. He's as sharp as they come.'
'Did you win for your client?'
'Yes, sir.'
Elliott nodded approval. 'I didn't expect less from you. Was the marriage forced?'
'Yes, it was. I forced her into marrying me. I really tried to fight the attraction, sir. I didn't feel I had the right to pursue her, but in the end, I couldn't…'
'Well, of course you had the right to pursue her. She's lucky to have you, Harrison. Remember who your father was. Any woman would be proud to marry you. Are you telling me your bride's family didn't think you were worthy enough? What utter nonsense,' he ended in a mutter.
'No, sir, that isn't what I was telling you. You see…'
'Where does your bride come from? I can't seem to take this in. I recall hearing you say over and over again that you would never marry, and now it appears I'm about to meet your bride. I thought your broken engagement to Edwina soured you against matrimony. I'm pleased to see it was a false concern. The right woman will change the way a man thinks.'
'Sir, Mary Rose isn't with me. She's still in America.'
'She didn't come home with you? Why not?'
'There were circumstances preventing her from accompanying me.'
'What specific circumstances?'
'Her family.'
'And where is her family?'
'She lives with four brothers on a ranch just outside Blue Belle, in Montana Territory.'
Elliott smiled. The name of the town caught his fancy. 'I've read quite a few books on the rough-and-tumble towns dotting the western section of the United States, but I must confess, I've never heard of a town named after a flower.'
'Actually, sir, the town was named after a prostitute. Her name's Belle.'
Elliot started to laugh. 'Are you serious?'
'Yes, sir. Belle helped Mary Rose get ready for the wedding.'
'She did, did she?' Elliot was trying hard not to laugh again. 'Then why was the town named Blue Belle instead of simply Belle?'
'Belle doesn't like what she does for a living.'
Elliott couldn't control his amusement. He laughed until tears came into his eyes. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the corners of his eyes while he tried to regain his composure.
'What have you gotten yourself into, son. This isn't like you at all. You've certainly given me quite a lot to digest,' he added. 'I can't wait to meet your bride.'
'You think I've lost my mind, don't you, sir?'
Elliott smiled. 'I think you've changed,' he admitted. 'I knew there was something different about you, but I never would have guessed you'd marry a girl from the country. I also thought that if you did marry, you'd choose someone more… refined.'
'Mary Rose is very refined,' Harrison said. 'She's everything I could ever want.'
'I didn't mean to suggest she was lacking, son. If you'll remember, I also married a country girl. My Agatha was from your Highlands. I've always believed growing up on a farm was the primary reason she was so unspoiled. Of course, she had good parents,' he added with a nod.
'Sir, I went to Montana in search of your daughter. I didn't fail this time.'
'No, of course you didn't. Granted, it was another false lead, but one with a happy ending, because you met and married your Mary Rose. What a pretty name your bride has. You do love her, don't you?'
'Oh, yes, sir, I love her very much. You'll love her too.'
'Yes, of course I will.'
Harrison leaned forward in his chair. 'As I said before, it wasn't a false lead this time. There's one more important thing you need to know.'
'Yes?'
'I married your daughter.'
Mary Rose and Eleanor arrived in England on the twenty-first day of July. It was hot, humid, and threatening to rain.
Harrison had used up every bit of his patience waiting for his bride to get over her anger and come to him, and he'd only just made up his mind to book passage back to the States when a telegram arrived from a gentleman named John Cohen, giving him the pertinent information about Mary Rose's departure from Boston and her expected arrival date.
Harrison spotted her golden crown the second she stepped off the steam tender from the ship. He shoved his way through the crowd, grabbed hold of his wife, and pulled her into his arms. As soon as he touched her, he felt an
