Page 69 of Lady Waldrey’s Gardening Almanac for Cultivating Scandal (Love from London #3)

F rom Gardens from Age to Age, A Compendium ?—

A garden is for the enjoyment of the household and its visitors, and perhaps none enjoys a garden more than a dog. The abundance of smells coupled with the freedom to roam—what could be more pleasant to a loyal hound?

“Wait—Seamus is a dog ?” Percy fairly shouted. “You jumped into a lake to save a dog ?”

They were sitting at the breakfast table—Candace, Percy, and Adelaide. Vera had been absent the last days, spending more and more time at the baroness’s house. Apparently, Jacqueline had found an injured stoat in the woods that required immense amounts of attention, and Vera was helping her.

“I jumped in to save Arthur,” Candace demurred, sipping calmly from her teacup.

She was well acquainted with her brother’s outbursts. She’d hoped marriage might calm him down a bit, but his wife was apparently too indulgent with his moods.

“Of all the things—a dog ?”

“Feel free to ignore him,” Adelaide offered. “I always do—at least when he reaches that particular octave.”

“I daresay I’ve had more experience with that octave than you have,” Candace teased. “In fact, I’m shocked that you’ve had adequate opportunity to become acquainted with it at all. Aren’t honeymoons typically supposed to be happy occasions?”

“My dear husband enjoys a fuss from time to time. The nature of travelling presents so many opportunities for a fuss; one can’t expect him to pass them all by.”

Percy crossed his arms and frowned. “I assume you know I can hear you.”

“Why, there’s the luggage being late, the luggage going missing—though only for a quarter of an hour—then there was the time that the luggage wasn’t properly secured to the carriage.

..” Adelaide frowned over at him. “Percy, are you really just a nervous porter in disguise? In retrospect, all your concerns seem to center around luggage.”

“My concern revolves around the fact that my sister threw herself into a lake to save a dog .”

“I went in after Arthur. He was the one who went in after Seamus. If you’d like to yell at someone, perhaps you should ask James whether his son is available for a set-down from some man he barely knows.”

Percy snorted.

“Oh, well done.” Adelaide blinked up at him.

“Does that mean your sinuses have finally cleared, darling?” She turned to Candace and shook her head, eyes wide.

“He’s been so congested since the ship back, I was becoming quite concerned.

Not so much for him, but I can’t get an ounce of sleep with all that snoring. ”

Candace smiled behind her teacup. It was far easier to enjoy her brother and sister-by-law’s domestic banter now that things were happily settled between her and James.

“I find all these jokes at my expense in poor taste, especially since it’s my birthday.” He turned to Candace. “Though I suppose you’ve forgotten.”

“Not at all.”

She gestured at the footman, who retrieved a lumpy, paper-wrapped parcel from the sideboard and set it next to Percy’s plate.

In truth, she had forgotten. Well, not so much forgotten as thought that she’d have more time to get him a gift, as he was supposed to be in France for weeks yet.

But Candace was nothing if not resourceful.

“You truly remembered?” Percy blinked at the parcel as if he were touched.

“Of course. You’re my only brother. But you musn’t expect too much. I plan on getting you something else in addition once we return to London.”

Percy tore off the paper, revealing a porcelain stack of bright fruits. He blinked at it for several moments.

“Thank you, Candace. Er...what is it?”

“Turn it around.”

“Ah! It’s a clock. I think it should go right there on the sideboard. How nice.”

“Very colorful,” Adelaide agreed, her eyes twinkling.

“His Grace the Duke of Canterbury,” Benson said from the doorway .

“Don’t bother with the honorifics, Benson,” Percy said. “He’s soon to be my brother-by-law.”

“And yet he will always be the Duke of Canterbury to me, my lord.” Benson gave a respectful bow and departed before Percy could make additional demands against his propriety.

“Good morning.” James crossed the room in great strides to press a kiss to Candace’s cheek.

His warm lips left a blush in their wake.

Percy sat straight in his chair. “Now hold on. I gave you permission to marry her, but that doesn’t mean you can slobber over her whenever you want, right in front of me.”

Adelaide looked heavenward. “ Really , Percy. The dramatics.”

“It isn’t right.” He thumped the table, setting the silver jangling, as James calmly took the chair next to Candace. “Not in my own house. Show some restraint.”

“Restraint?” Candace arched an eyebrow. “Is it restraint that brought you back early from your honeymoon, brother?”

Percy reared back as if an invisible horse beneath him had bolted. Adelaide gave a tinkling laugh; James hid a smirk behind the glass of orange juice a footman set before him.

Percy spluttered, looking back and forth between his sister and wife, color staining his cheeks. Finally, he fixed upon Adelaide. “Did you tell her?”

“No, my love. I was going to do so this morning.”

“Congratulations,” James said. “Best wishes for a healthy baby and mother. ”

Beneath the table, Candace reached over and squeezed his knee. She knew, better than most, how sincerely he offered those words, how much past pain was tied up in them.

Percy jabbed a finger in her direction. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

Adelaide broke into great billowing laughter that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Percy, leave them be. They’re in love, as we are. You’re going to have to get used to them sitting next to each other.”

“They aren’t married yet.”

“I aim to rectify that as quickly as possible.” James turned to Candace. “The vicar’s available later this morning. Are you?”

Her eyes went wide.

“Today?” she squeaked.

“The point of an engagement is to get married, Candace. I wish to be wed with all haste. If we do it now, several of my closest friends can attend. Forgive me—I know your sister is in Paris. Would you like to wait and see if you can summon her back?”

Candace shook her head before he finished speaking, a smile upon her face. “I don’t wish to cut her time short. I’ll write her a letter; she’ll understand.”

Percy’s eyes narrowed, looking back and forth between them. “Is there a reason for such haste?”

“Percy!” This time it was Adelaide who slapped the table.

James gave his near-brother a look so cold, Candace was mildly surprised the water in their goblets didn’t freeze over.

“For the sake of familial relations, I’ll pretend you never asked the question.

As for the answer...you’re a newlywed yourself.

Do you regret the haste in which you married the woman you love? ”

“Apologies.” Percy jerked a stiff nod. “It’s a shock, you see. She’s my sister.”

Candace grinned. “Now you know how I feel every time you and Adelaide moon over each other.”

“We don’t moon ,” Adelaide said, a smile hinting at the edges of her mouth. “We show admirable restraint in the company of others.”

Candace scrunched her nose, then turned to James. “Getting married means I’ll get to move away from them, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“Then later this morning cannot come soon enough, for many reasons.”