Jasmine laughed softly. 'Because she has gone and grown up on you, Jemmie,' she teased him. 'No father likes to see it happen to his daughter. Not only that, she prefers another man over you these days. What a betrayal to your heart!' She pulled him down, and kissed his cheek. 'But I will always love you, my lord duke, and I will not leave you for anyone but death, and then reluctantly.'
He chuckled. 'Oh, my darling Jasmine,' he told her, 'it is good that you are wiser than I. Come, and let us enjoy the day. We will bid our friends and family farewell, and be gone from this place. There is too much strife here, I regret, with Buckingham deciding the queen is his enemy and the French king sending a diplomat to sort out what the hell is going on that our king, and his pretty little queen, cannot get along. And the Puritans are gaining more influence and power every day. They will be trouble, mark my words. There is nothing worse than someone who truly believes his way is the only way and everyone must conform, or be punished, or perish. I shall be glad to be back in my highlands at Glenkirk. I do not think I will come to London again. By the way, have you spoken to your aunt Willow yet about some young men for India. I want her married as soon as possible. Let her be her husband's problem. We have one more daughter and five lads to settle before our job is done,' he concluded with a chortle.
'Do you honestly believe that marrying them off absolves us of our parental responsibilities?' Jasmine asked. 'I do not care how old they get, they will always be our children, and we will always care what happens to them, Jemmie Leslie!'
'But they'll be out of the house,' he reminded her cheerfully.
They spent their day making their farewells, and James Leslie was pleased to see India awaiting them at the riverside quai without Viscount Twyford in tow when they were ready to depart. It was just dusk when they reached Greenwood House. Once inside, India asked her brothers to bring down her trunks and place them in the front hall.
'But, dearest,' her mother said, 'we are not going until Tuesday morning. There is no hurry.'
'Papa is always saying that I am tardy, and that I keep everyone waiting and make them late being behind with my packing. I decided this time to be ready before all of you. I even had the laundress do my laundry yesterday so she would not be overburdened. I want to see my trunks here in the hall, Mama.' Then she giggled charmingly. 'It may be the only time in my life I am ahead of Papa's schedule.'
'Well, go and get your sister's trunks,' James Leslie commanded his sons. 'If she is ready now, she deserves the credit for it, and we shall all look admiringly upon her trunks here tomorrow as we pack our own clothing for our departure.'
India smiled sweetly at her father as her brothers brought down her luggage. 'I was very rude to you today, Papa. I apologize for my discourteousness, but I do not ask your pardon for loving Adrian, even if you won't let us marry. I think you are being very unfair. You will not even give him a chance, but hold him responsible for the bad behavior of his mother and half-brother. It is wrong, Papa, and I am ashamed that you would do such a thing. You have always been a fair-minded man until now.' She curtsied.
The duke gritted his teeth and held his temper. 'You know that I love you, India. You must accept that I know what is best for you. I only want you happy,
'If you do not let me marry Adrian, I will be unhappy the rest of my life,' India announced dramatically.
'Since you two cannot agree on this point,' Jasmine said, interjecting herself between her eldest child and her husband, 'I think it best we do not discuss it again tonight. India, you have done a fine job of getting ready, and since you are, you will help your sister and me to pack our own possessions tomorrow. Now, go to your room, my child, and rest. You know how difficult it is to rest along the road, and we have a very, very long journey ahead of us,' Jasmine concluded.
Kissing her parents, India moved serenely up the staircase and entered her bedchamber. She had given her father one last chance, and she had hoped against hope that he would change his mind and then they wouldn't have to run away. She sighed. Adrian had been right all along. Her father was not giving them any other choice. Well, this time tomorrow they would be well at sea and on their way to Italy, and all her parents would know from the note she was leaving them was that she and Adrian had gone off to marry and they would not come back until they had.
'Why do you bait Papa that way?' Fortune demanded, entering the room. 'He is not being unreasonable. Your viscount really isn't right for you, India, but you are always so insistent upon having your own way.'
'Papa has never said he disapproved of Adrian, only his family,' India retorted.
'A man is his family,' Fortune replied. 'You packed early so you could sneak off tomorrow, and spend time with your swain, didn't you? Mama saw right through you, and now you'll have to help us,' she teased her elder sister. 'I am very fussy about how my things are packed. It will take you all day between us, I fear.'
'If you are not careful,' India threatened her sister, 'I'll take all your clothing and throw it out the window!'
'Ha! Ha!' Fortune taunted, and, picking up a pillow, whacked India with it.
Within moments, the two were engaged in a pillow fight that ended with them both collapsing into gales of laughter upon the bed.
'I shall miss you, little sister,' India said.
'When Father marries me off to his dark stranger in a few months' time,' India quickly said. 'God's boots! Do you realize our childhood is just about at an end? By this time next year we could be both great with child!' She stuffed one of the pillows beneath her skirts and paraded about the room. 'Ohhh, I hope it's a son for my dear lord.'
Fortune giggled. 'Why do men always want sons?' she wondered aloud.
'Well, our real father didn't get one first,' India said. 'He got me before he got Henry, and then he got you after he died.'
'Do you remember our real father at all?' Fortune ask wistfully.
India sighed deeply. 'I have one tiny memory of this great, big, golden laughing man lifting me up in front of him on his horse and riding me about, but that is all. It really isn't much, is it?'
'It's more than Henry and I have,' Fortune answered her. 'Our real father wasn't even alive when I was born, but I do remember Prince Henry a little bit. He was handsome, and could never take his eyes off Mama. Just imagine if he had been allowed to marry Mama. Then our Charlie would be king now instead of his uncle Charles.'
'Mama was considered unsuitable,' India said. She had been older than Fortune, and remembered more.
'Just like Adrian is unsuitable for you,' Fortune responded.
'I am going to bed,' India announced, ending the discussion.
The two sisters washed themselves, put on their nightgowns, and climbed into bed. Across the room the fire burned brightly, warming the bedchamber. India blew out the candle and settled down. If she did not wake up in time, Adrian had promised to throw pebbles at the windowpane again. As her trunks were in the hall by the front door, it would only take her a little while to dress and go down to join him. She wasn't certain she would sleep, but she did, Fortune snuggled close next to her, making her familiar little sleep noises.
India awoke suddenly in the darkness. The clock in the hallway struck
