Mary Rose burst into laughter. Lillian looked extremely prim, but her remarks weren't at all proper.
"I don't want to see my brother hurt again."
"I will try not to hurt him," Mary Rose promised. "I want only to get to know him and then return to my home. I would correspond with him, of course, and hopefully one day he would wish to come and see me. I would like him to meet my brothers."
Lillian didn't know what to make of her. "Don't you realize what your father could give you?"
"Yes, I know exactly what he could give me. A father's love. I will protect his heart. And I will try to love him just the way a daughter should love her father. I haven't had any practice, but I'll learn."
"My dear, you're now a married woman, and therefore you are under your husband's control. Harrison 's home is in England. Surely you realize you must stay here with him."
She didn't realize any such thing. She wasn't about to share her views with Lillian though.
"Are you married, Aunt Lillian?"
"I was. My dear Kenneth passed on five years ago. We weren't blessed with children."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Mary Rose said.
"I keep busy. I have my charity projects and of course the family requires a great deal of my time and attention. Robert has seven children. They're always getting in trouble. Barbara's a sweet woman, but she can't control her brood. They have six girls and one boy," she added with a nod. "You will meet all of them in another hour or two."
"Who are Robert and Barbara?"
"They're your uncle and aunt. William, your father, is the firstborn, then I came along, then Daniel, and finally Robert. Barbara's his wife. Do you have a more suitable dress to put on before we dine, my dear?"
Mary Rose looked down at her skirts. She didn't see any smudges or wrinkles that were overly noticeable. "Is something wrong with this dress?"
"It's hopelessly old-fashioned."
"I paid a bloody fortune for the material," she argued.
Lillian let out a loud gasp. Her hand went to the base of her throat. "You mustn't talk like that, Victoria. One simply doesn't use the word 'bloody' unless one is common. We'll have to start work on improving your manners immediately. We have so much to do before you're presented to society. You mustn't forget who your father is."
She wasn't certain what her aunt was telling her, but the intense look on her face indicated it was important.
"No, I won't forget who my father is," she agreed. "Why haven't you remarried, Aunt Lillian? You're such a pretty woman. If you lived in Montana, you would have been pursued by at least ten men before your dearly departed was even in the ground."
"Good heavens, child. Don't be impertinent."
"I'm not being impertinent," Mary Rose countered. "Just honest."
Lillian reached up to make certain her bun was intact, then stood up. "You'll have to remember to keep your opinions to yourself, Victoria. You're bound to shock people if you say what's on your mind."
It suddenly occurred to Mary Rose that Lillian was accepting her as her brother's child.
"You couldn't have changed your mind so quickly, madam," she remarked.
"The proof's difficult to argue with, but I shall reserve judgment. I'm giving you the benefit of my doubts, my dear."
"Why?"
"It's rude to ask so many questions, Victoria. Come along inside. Your father and your husband have waited long enough for your company."
"I have a favor to ask of you first."
Lillian turned back to her niece. "Yes?"
"Please call me Mary Rose."
"But you aren't Mary Rose any longer, now, are you? You're Victoria. You're going to have to get used to hearing your name."
She latched on to Mary Rose's arm and pulled her along. "I understand your friend will be joining you tomorrow. What is her name?"
"Her name is Eleanor," Mary Rose explained. "I believe you'll like her, Aunt Lillian. Her manners are better than mine."
"We shall see about that," Lillian replied.
Mary Rose followed her aunt inside the salon. Neither Harrison nor her father noticed her. They were in the midst of a heated debate.
"They want you to have this money, sir. I believe you should take it," Harrison said.
He stood in front of the hearth with his back to his bride. Mary Rose walked over to her husband and stood next to his side.
"I will not take it," Lord Elliott announced for the third time. "Send it back to them, Harrison."
Harrison shook his head. Mary Rose brushed her arm against his. He immediately took hold of her hand.
"Are you talking about the money my brothers sent?" she asked.
"Yes," Harrison answered. "Your father doesn't want it back."
Lord Elliott was sitting in a wing chair adjacent to the hearth. Mary Rose turned to him.
"It would please my brothers if you would take the money back, Father."
The look on Elliott's face indicated he was going to be stubborn about it. He started to say something to her, then changed his mind and turned to his sister for assistance.
Lillian immediately hurried forward. "You shouldn't involve yourself in this discussion, Victoria. Let the men sort it all out. Shall we go upstairs and look through your clothes? I'm sure we'll be able to find something a little more suitable for you to wear tonight."
Mary Rose heard Harrison sigh. He squeezed her hand and looked down at her. "Go ahead, sweetheart. We'll talk about this later."
She'd been properly dismissed. If she'd been back home, she would have argued something fierce about being excluded from "men's talk," but she wasn't home now. She was in England. The rules weren't at all the same here, and she was suddenly feeling unsure of herself. She had promised her brothers she would try to get along with all of her relatives, and so she meekly followed her aunt out of the room. She paused at the entrance to give Harrison a good frown just to let him know what she thought about being excluded, but his reaction wasn't at all sympathetic. He actually winked at her, and that only pricked her temper all the more. She let out a sigh then and went on up the stairs. She would have to wait until later to let Harrison know how she felt.
She spent the next hour arguing with her aunt Lillian about her wardrobe. The woman seemed obsessed with clothes. Mary Rose found her behavior puzzling. She thought it was ridiculous that Lillian couldn't find anything suitable for her to wear. Why, she showed her eight perfectly lovely day dresses. Lillian looked them over, then shook her head. In a haughty tone of voice, she emphatically rejected every single one of them.
Mary Rose tried not to let her feelings get involved. Things were different here, she reminded herself. Still, she had personally chosen the fabric and the style of two of the dresses her aunt had found so distasteful. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
She ended up keeping her blue dress on. Lillian went back downstairs to send a messenger to a dressmaker.
She paused in the doorway. "Tomorrow, after you've had your examination by the physicians my brother has scheduled, you and I will go over fabrics and begin to build your wardrobe."
"I don't need to see a doctor," Mary Rose protested. "I feel fine, really."
"Don't be difficult, Victoria. It's for your own good. I shall make certain you're seated next to me at the table tonight so that I can assist you with your table manners. You may rest now for an hour, and then come downstairs. Robert and his family should be here by then."
"Aunt Lillian? You mentioned another brother, Daniel. Will he be visiting?"
"Daniel and his wife are in the south of France. They'll be back home in another week or two. You'll meet him then. His wife's name is Johanna. They have three children, all fine boys. Have your nap now, Victoria. I'll send Ann Marie in to assist you."
Mary Rose didn't ask why she needed a maid to help her rest. Lillian would only tell her she was being impertinent again. She didn't argue about taking a nap either, though she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to sleep during the day. She wasn't at all tired, but, Lord, she was weary. There were so many names to remember, and so many rules she must try to obey.