The Duchess

'Ohh, no!' she cried. 'Pandora behaved dreadfully running away and leaving you to deal with the scandal; but I know my sister. It doesn't matter how many years have passed, or that she is happily remarried. She would be furious to learn you took another wife, and that your second wife was her sister!'

'She will know eventually,' he said. 'Besides, I do not care what Pandora thinks if you do not care, my dearest. I want you to have a wedding trip. France is certainly no place for decent people to go today.'

'Well,' Lady Abbott considered, 'I should like to see Italy.'

'Then it is settled,' he responded, and gave her another kiss.

They were unable to keep their secret from their daughters, however. One look at Lady Abbott the next morning set the two young women shrieking with glee. They danced about the older woman until she finally ordered them to behave.

'He has asked you, hasn't her¹' Allegra said. 'Ohh, I am so glad! Sirena and I have wanted it forever!'

'Now we are truly sisters!' Sirena said laughing, and hugging her mother.

'When is the wedding?' Allegra demanded.

'I want to be there,' Sirena remarked.

'It must remain a secret from everyone else,' Lady Abbott pleaded. 'I want you to have your day, Sirena.'

'Ohh, Mama, I shall have it no matter,' the young girl said. 'Now, when is the wedding? Oh, do tell us, Mama!'

'We shall wed quietly the day after your wedding, Sirena,' her mother responded. 'And 1 mean it. No one else is to know until the day you and Ocky marry. Especially your brother and his wife. Charlotte will, of course, be delighted to be rid of both of us, but I don't want her going about London gossiping. Do you both understand me, girls? This is a secret.'

'Yes, Mama. But may I tell Ocky?' Sirena asked.

'Yes, Aunt,' Allegra said.

'You may tell your husbands-to-be,' Lady Abbott said, 'but you must caution them to silence.'

'We will!' the two girls chorused.

***

Sirena's wedding day drew near. She and Viscount Pickford were to marry at St. George's in Hanover Square, the most fashionable church in London. It would not be a large wedding for Sirena did not want a large wedding. Mostly it would be family and several family servants. They would be married at ten o'clock in the morning, for fashionable marriages were celebrated between the hours of eight o'clock in the morning and twelve noon. A wedding breakfast with a bride's cake would be served at Lord Morgan's home after the ceremony. Then Sirena and Ocky would spend the night at Pickford House, several squares over from Berkley Square; the viscount's seasonal guests having removed themselves from the residence earlier.

The Earl of Pickford arrived in London several days before the wedding to meet his prospective daughter-in-law. He was a slender gentleman with a headful of snow-white hair, and bright blue eyes that his eldest son had inherited. He was immediately taken by the sweet and gentle Lady Sirena Abbott. He had known her breeding, of course, for his son had asked his permission of his father before tendering a proposal. But far too often these overbred girls made bad wives. This girl, he quickly saw, loved his son. Not only that, she had character and manners. He was now twice as pleased as he had been earlier.

'After your wedding trip, you'll come home to Pickford?' the earl asked Ocky. 'Sirena will want to see what you will inherit one day. She must grow familiar with her new home. You will be a most welcome addition to the family, my dear,' he told her.

'Oh, thank you, my lord,' Sirena answered him. Then she shyly kissed his cheek.

The season was winding down. Most of the young women who had not found husbands, or who were planning summer weddings, had left London with their families. Sirena's wedding day was upon them. Allegra's childhood friend, Rupert Tanner, had withdrawn several days earlier to return home. The duke had been invited to stay at Lord Morgan's house until he departed London in a few days' time.

They awoke to a perfect June morning. The sky was a vivid blue with not a cloud in it. The sun shone brightly. In Lord Morgan's garden the Damascus roses bloomed in profusion, and perfumed the air. The servants hurried upstairs with trays for the bedchambers, for the dining room was being prepared for the wedding breakfast after the ten o'clock ceremony.

Sirena could scarce contain her excitement. She was a very beautiful bride in an elegantly simple gown of ivory striped silk with a scooped neckline and little puffed sleeves. The gown was tied beneath the waist with a silver ribbon, and there were tiny silver bows on each sleeve as well as at the tips of her shoes. A delicate lace shawl was draped about her shoulders. Her golden blond hair was affixed into a chignon at the nape of her neck, two ringlets falling to her right. Upon her head was another swath of lace that fell to the floor and was affixed with a small wreath of white roses.

'You are the perfect bride,' Allegra told her cousin. 'I have never seen you look so gorgeous, Sirena.'

Lady Abbott began to sniffle softly. 'She is right. I cannot believe that my baby is getting married. If only your papa were here to see it, my darling. He would be so proud at how well you have done.' Then she turned to her niece. 'You are lovely, too, Allegra.'

'Thank you, Aunt. Now tell us before we go down to meet the others. When are you going to reveal your little secret?' Allegra said.

'Your papa and I shall make our announcement as the wedding breakfast comes to a close,' Lady Abbott answered.

'From that moment on I shall refer to you as Aunt Mama,' Allegra said with a smile.

'You are truly content that I will marry your papa, my dear?' Lady Abbott said. She could still not believe her good fortune.

'Aunt, you have been the mother I never remember having,' Allegra said generously. 'I welcome you with all my heart!' Then she kissed Lady Abbott on both cheeks, giving her a warm hug as she did so.

There was a knock upon the door, and Lord Morgan popped his head in saying, 'My dears, it is time we left for the church. You surely do not want to frighten your bridegroom, Sirena, by being late.'

St. George's on Hanover Square wasn't a great distance from Lord Morgan's house on Berkley Square. They rode in an open carriage, meeting Sirena's elder brother at the church. The Marquis of Rowley would give his sister away. His wife was already seated in the first pew as Lord Morgan escorted Lady Abbott into the building. The older woman glared at the younger until she gave way, moving down the pew to allow the bride's mother and Lord Morgan to be seated.

On the other side of the aisle were the groom's father, the widowed Earl of Pickford, with his sister, Lady Carstairs, and her husband. Behind them sat the two younger Carstairs, Ocky's first cousins, the Earl of Aston, Lord Walworth, with their own betrothed wives. In the third pew on the groom's side sat his longtime valet, Wiggins. In the second pew on the bride's side sat Lord and Lady Bellingham with Charles Trent, and behind them the two serving women, Damaris and Honor.

St. George's was the most fashionable church in the city in which to be wed. It was not one of London's ancient churches, having been built between the years 1721 and 1724. Its beautiful and graceful portico with its six soaring pillars was the first ever built for a London church. There were elegant cast