*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
"I'm ready, Papa," said Della as she met him at the front door dressed in a floral skirt and a white blouse. She had her hair pulled up into a low bun and held her hat in her hands. She stopped when she saw Adelle was standing next to their father by the door dressed in her farming clothes.
"Della," said Hunter, "I thought it would be best if you stayed home today and tended to the children rather than have you worked today. I think it's better that Adelle join me today."
"But Papa," she said, "I am to take mother's place and work with you at Lord Reigns' residence."
"Not today, Della," he said. "You will tend to the children while Adelle accompanies me today. You're getting too close to Lord Reigns and filling your head with foolish notions that he would care for you."
"Papa, he does, he said so himself. He offered me his heart," argued Della. "He loves me."
"No, Della," he said, "he does not love you. He loves the need of you and your foolish innocence. He will destroy you, Della. It's best that you stay home today, tend to your mother and the children. We will return at day's end."
"But Papa," she protested.
"Della, ENOUGH!" he snapped. "You will remain at home, Adelle will accompany me end of discussion," he said as he opened the door. Della gave Adelle a look of sadness but Adelle shook her head at her sister and followed her father out the door. He slammed the door shut behind him leaving Della at home to tend to her siblings and her sick mother. He had to do what he could to keep Della from Lord Reigns. He had already began to fill her head with silly notions of love and offering her his heart. He would never truly love her but his daughter was a fool. She failed to see that Reigns was using her for his own selfish gain. He would not allow Reigns to destroy his daughter and make her an unacceptable bride to another man.
"Papa," said Adelle as they walked through the woods to the Earl's house. "Does Lord Reigns truly love Della?" she asked.
"No," he answered quickly. "He is turning your sister into a fool. He has no heart nor desire for her just selfish ambition."
"Della loves him madly," she said. "They traveled to the garden together."
"They did WHAT?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, I should not have spoken," she apologized. "I am mistaken."
"Adelle, truthfully has Della spent nights with Lord Reigns?" he asked.
"One," she answered. "One that I know of, he took her to the garden and gave her a rose. Della speaks of love for him and speaks that he loves her."
"I assure you, Adelle, Lord Reigns has no feelings for your sister. She's foolish and I will put a halt to these late night meetings and such."
"Papa, please don't allow Della to be in trouble," she begged.
"Della needs to learn THIS is her life she has no business entertaining a man of Lord Reigns' station. She will marry in the month," he said with determination.
"But Papa, she doesn't wish to be a farmer's wife," she stood up for her older sister. "She wishes for more."
"She wishes for less if she continues the thought to entertain Lord Reigns. He will destroy her and make her unsuitable for any type of marriage with a farmer's son or any other man," he warned. "I warn you now Reigns is a trickster, he prowls on young women. Do not fall victim to his advances."
"I won't, Papa," she said with a nod as they continued on their trek. She knew that her father was upset over the news of Della sneaking out to see Lord Reigns so she decided it best to not speak out of turn the rest of the day. Della would be upset with her for telling their father but she didn't want to see her sister hurt by Reigns.
"There is going to be a wedding!" Lady Tennyson burst into her son's bedchambers in the early morning hours. "Oh Roman," she said delightfully. "You're going to be wed to one of the most beautiful women in the world!" She clasped her hands together.
"Mother," he grumbled as he pulled the covers over his head.
"Get up, get up, we have some planning to do. You and Lady Amelia will be wed in the coming weeks," she announced. "Wake up!"
"Mother, have you any idea what the hour is?" he grumbled. "Can we speak another time, at a different hour?" he pleaded.
"Nonsense," she said, "we have so much to discuss so much to plan. We will need to get the invitations to the wedding delivered throughout London. And we need to make a formal announcement that Lord Reigns the Earl of Cambridge will marry Lady Amelia. This is exciting and such joyful news."
"Mother," he said sitting up in his bed. "I have hardly begun to think of our union. And you say within a month? Amelia has as much a say in our union and our wedding as I do."
"Don't be foolish, Roman," she said with a joyful smile. "You will be married in the coming weeks. I was planning on having a wedding next week and then you will move to residence in Cambridge with your beautiful bride where you will produce many beautiful heirs."
"Mother," he said wiping his eyes. "One step at a time, I just decided to settle down with a wife I have not begun to think about heirs."
"But they will arrive in the first years of marriage you mustn't wait too long my dear. If you wait too long Amelia will become barren."
"I'm aware, Mother," he said impatiently. "So you wish for us to be married within a week?"
"Two in order to get things together we can have the wedding here," she suggested. "We could have the wedding in our courtyard wouldn't that be lovely?"
"Yes, Mother but I still believe this should be discussed with Amelia before you and I make any plans."
"Her father agreed that you two be married as soon as possible. Two weeks is enough time for Amelia's mother and I to get things organized and planned out. We will make sure you two have the most beautiful wedding."
"Surely nothing extravagant," he said. "A small wedding will do."
"Nonsense," she waved her hand. "You and Lady Amelia will have the largest wedding next to the King and Queen of England," she said excitedly but Roman was anything but excited. He knew he must form a union with Amelia but he didn't believe it needed to be an extravagant event but he knew with his mother's wishes it would be anything but small. He grunted to himself over his mother's enthusiasm over his arranged marriage he had no choice but to take Amelia as a wife. Their parents had planned it out and arranged their union the day Amelia was born. They had been betrothed since the beginning. Roman would have been just as happy without a union, without a wife, he didn't need a wife. He had whatever woman he wanted to have. He would have been happy to grow old as a bachelor but because he was an Earl it was required he form a union with a woman and produce heirs. He had no desire for children, had no desire for a wife but his life had been planned out for him since he was a young boy he had no choice but to stick to the rules of his mother and father.
"All right, Mother. A large, grand extravagant wedding whatever you wish. I just wish for it to be over."
"Roman, don't be so cynical," she scolded him. "Amelia will make a wonderful wife and she's beautiful as she was trained and educated properly."
"I'm sure she will, Mother," he said. "I'm sure she will."
Word of Amelia's and Roman's engagement spread throughout the village and throughout the town. Roman's mother had gone into town with Amelia and her mother to begin wedding preparations. She accompanied Amelia and her mother into town to search for a wedding dress and to make plans for their wedding while Roman stayed back at their home hoping to see Della but he was surprised when he ran into her younger sister instead. "Are you searching for someone Lord Reigns?" asked Adelle as he appeared in the barn where she had been working.
"I'm sorry, Love," he said. "I was searching for Della, you wouldn't happen to know where she is would you?"
"Yes, My Lord," she said standing to her feet. She was nearly as beautiful as her sister but she wasn't more beautiful. They shared the same deep blue innocent eyes but Adelle's hair was blonde much like their father's and she had their father's nose but had her mother's mouth. She was not breathtakingly beautiful like her sister and Roman was not as attracted to her charms as he was to Della's she was also 6 and 10 far too young for Roman maybe in a year or two but now she was far too young. He believed she would grow into a beauty right now she was the duckling waiting to become the swan her sister was. "Della is at home tending to the children and our mother," she explained. "Papa said it was best for her to stay home."
"Will she be back tomorrow?"
"I cannot say, Sir," she said. "Papa believes it is best I accompany him to do farm work instead of Della she is to be married by the end of the month she needs to learn how to be a wife and a mother," she said.
"Can you deliver a message to her for me?" he asked.
"No, Lord Reigns she cannot," said Farmer Helmsley as he appeared in the doorway of the barn. "Della will no longer be working with me at your residence. It is best that she stay away from you."
"But Sir," pleaded Roman. "I wish to see her."
"To fill her head with more foolish thoughts? You're to be wed to Lady Amelia do not lead my daughter to believe that your heart is hers. I know your intentions, Lord Reigns. Della will be married by the end of the month. You will never see or hear from her again," he demanded, "and if you do truly care for my daughter you will stay away from her."
"Ah, but it is her that cannot stay away from me," he smiled and teased the farmer. "Your daughter is drawn to me. She will never stay away."
"She is forbidden to see you, Lord Reigns."
Reigns laughed at the farmer's words. "Forbidden you say? She is 8 and 10, headstrong, strong willed she will not allow you to forbid her from seeing me," he said with a laugh. "It is her that comes to me. You can keep her away and I can stay away but she will not. I cannot keep her away and neither can you, Helmsley. She will seek me out, she will love me and she will be mine. You cannot stop that from happening."
"Don't be so certain. She will be out of London in a couple week's time with her grandfather. I'm sending her to Spain where she will wed her betrothed."
"If you believe you can keep her from me you are foolish," he scoffed. "Della will never stay away, she will never follow your rules and she will never marry her betrothed."
"I know your intention to destroy her, make her unsuitable to marry when you finish with her she will be no man's desirable wife she will be a damaged woman. I will not allow that. Stay away from her, Reigns."
Roman laughed again, "I promise to stay away but it will be her that comes to me, Helmsley and I will not deny her. I will not turn her away," he promised. "If she chooses to come to me I will keep her," he said as he pushed passed the farmer. "And Adelle," he said softly. "It was a pleasure to meet you. And I hear your heart race much like your sister's when she is near me. Seek me out when you're 8 and 10 and we will discuss our future," he laughed before he hurried away leaving Adelle and her father standing in shock.
The day faded into the evening and the evening fell into night before Farmer Helmsley and his young daughter Adelle began their trek through the woods to their small cottage. They arrived home to see that Adelle's grandfather had come to visit his sick daughter. They walked into the cottage to see Vince sitting at the table with Della. "Della and Adelle, please go to your room," instructed Hunter.
"Papa," began Della, "how was?"
"Go to your room he interrupted her. I need to speak with your grandfather."
"Yes, Papa," she said before she and her sister traveled to their bedroom with the other children that were sound asleep in their beds giving Hunter, Vince and a sick Stephanie a chance to talk.
"Is she doing much better?" he asked his father in law.
"I'm afraid not," he answered. "The physician from Spain will arrive in a day to tend to her and hopefully make her better. He has a new way of doing things and new medicines to try with her. He is a delightful young man."
"What is his age?" asked Hunter.
"7 and 20," he answered.
"Has he taken a wife?"
"No," he answered.
"I would offer him Della for his services to treat her mother," he suggested. "I do not have the coin to pay him but I can offer him my daughter's hand in marriage."
"Yes I did mention that," he said, "he is willing to take Della as a wife."
"Wonderful the girl has become so foolish. She speaks foolishly of falling in love with an Earl and an Earl falling in love with her. She speaks of love and not marrying a farmer's son."
"She will settle for the physician," said Vince. "I am sure of it. He's a handsome man and wealthy too. He does not have the station of an earl but he is respected as one."
"Wonderful," said Hunter with a smile. "I have resigned from the farm job at Lady Tennyson's residence. Lord Reigns and I had a bit of a scuffle today over Della. I cannot continue to work for that woman knowing her son is out to destroy Della but she's such a fool she fails to see it. I need to save her before he makes her an unsuitable wife."
"Of course, Hunter," he said.
"By month's end Della will be a wife of a physician in Spain far from the grasp of Lord Reigns. It's keeping him away now that troubles me and keeping her from seeing him. She has been sneaking out late at night to see him. His hand in marriage is promised to another. He makes a fool of her."
"I could take Della home with me and she would be far from his grasp."
"Della would never go for that," said Hunter, "and she will be a wife in a few week's time," he said. "I have to be extra cautious and more observant of her moves."
"Correct," said Vince. "We will save her," he promised. "Without work how will you provide for the family?"
"I will find another farming job, I will sell milk and eggs," he said. "I will figure something out."
"I will assist you and help you if need my help," he offered. "I can help you find work."
"Thank-you," he said gratefully. "And thank-you for finding Della's husband."
"You're welcome," said Vince. "I am sure Dr. Rollins will make Della very happy."
Later that night after Vince had taken his leave and Hunter put Stephanie to bed he went to look for Della. He knocked on their bedroom door before he opened it. "Della," he said, "I would like to speak with you."
Della stood up from her bed and made her way to her father. "Yes, Papa?" she asked.
"You will be married at the end of the month," he said.
"Papa, I will not marry a farmer," she protested crossing her arms.
"He is not a farmer but a physician from Spain. He will arrive tomorrow to tend to your mother. He will be in London tending to your mother while you court him and before he departs back to Spain you two will marry and you will travel back to Spain and take residence with him there."
"But Papa that's not what I wish."
"Your wishes are foolish, Della. No Earl truly loves you and he is playing you for a fool."
"But my heart belongs to him no one else. No other man shall hold my heart the way Lord Reigns holds mine."
"Lord Reigns is set to be married within the coming week," he broke the news to his daughter. "He does not love you. He will be another woman's husband and if you shall travel to him, fall into bed with him you will be a mistress nothing more than a whore, Della. Lord Reigns does not love you. He belongs to another and you are betrothed to the physician. Enough of the foolishness, you're 8 and 10 and you will be wed to the Spanish physician by the end of the month."
"But, Papa," she protested.
"Enough, Della," he said. "I have discussed this enough. You are forbidden from seeing Lord Reigns again. You will respect your future husband and hold yourself like a lady and you will respect me as your father. Am I clear?" he snapped.
"Yes, Papa," she said with tears in her eyes. "You are clear."
*A/N: What did you think of Hunter choosing to take Adelle with him to work leaving Della behind? Do you think that was best for Della? What do you think of Lady Tennyson's enthusiasm when it comes to Roman's and Amelia's wedding? Why do you think Roman is less thrilled with the thought of marriage? What do you think of him only marrying her because he is being forced to do so and the same for her? What did you think of Roman's altercation with Hunter? Do you believe Della will stay away or that Roman will stay away from Della? Who will seek the other out first? What do you think of Roman telling Hunter he will not deny Della if she comes to him? Is Roman truly in love with her or out to destroy her? What did you think of Hunter and Vince arranging Della's marriage to a Spanish physician (Dr. Rollins)? Is that the only way to save her? What did you think of Della's reaction to the news that she would be married to a physician by the month's end? Please review and thank-you for reading.