‘That’s wonderful, Joe. I’m so pleased for you.’

He nodded. ‘And there’s a cottage to go with the job. I’ll have a home of my own, and for Annie, if she chooses to live with me.’

‘Then you’d better discuss it with her, Joe.’ Kate smiled as she watched him cross the room to sit by his sister. She was happy for them both, and it would be a good Christmas, but for the fact that there was someone very important to her, who was missing.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Christmas was over, but it had ended with the announcement from Giles and Arabella that they planned to get married at Easter. Kate was delighted for her mother, and Lady Lyndon was full of plans for the wedding to be held in the village church with the reception at Warren House. Giles agreed that St Mary’s would suit both him and his fiancée, but he insisted that Pomeroy Park would be a much more suitable venue for the wedding breakfast than Warren House. The guest list seemed to grow by the minute as he included all the notable families in the area and beyond. The whole village would be welcome and he planned to have entertainment that would astound and delight everyone. Kate was not so sure about that, but her mother was so excited by the whole idea that Kate did not like to cast doubts on the practicality of her future stepfather’s plans.

They had to wait for the thaw, which took place at the end of January, and then Arabella insisted on returning to Finsbury Square so that she could order her wedding gown from one of the top modistes in London. Kate was worried about her mother’s safety if she returned to their town house, but Arabella was determined to make her mark as the bride of Giles Pomeroy-Smith.

‘What is the point of marrying the wealthiest man in the county if I dress like a country bumpkin, Kate?’

There was nothing that Kate could say that would persuade her mother to remain at Warren House until the wedding, and Lady Lyndon did not make matters easier.

‘If dear Arabella thinks it’s safe to return to London, then there’s nothing to stop me from moving back to Finsbury Circus. I think you worry unnecessarily, Kate. I’ll get Hattersley to pack my things. We’re going home.’