Chapter Eight

Saturday morning was bright and sunny, the birds were chirping and the grass had an extra green hue that glinted in the sunlight. It was a beautiful and calm day that everyone took advantage of by bustling and running about their business regardless of it being a weekend. Due to the heavy rains that had plagued the region that past week, the sun was a welcome visitor and while servants did the laundry and cleaning, their masters took the opportunity to go for walks and horse riding.

The parks were full with all sorts of people, children running around playing, courting couples taking long walks trying to get to know each other despite the odd childlike squeal here and there.

On that particular day our young gent and his betrothed were also extremely busy what with their secret plans. Jonah had woken up at dawn and headed out on horseback to the best jewellers in town. For hours he had searched through the already present and available rings at the jewellers but he couldn't find one that he liked for Sarah.

Even as his struggle to find the perfect ring ate through his day, he couldn't help but smile like a loon. The knowledge that he wasn't just buying an engagement ring, he was buying an engagement ring for Sarah Sutton, was enough to send him into fits of laughter a few moments. Sarah was the last person on God's green earth that he'd thought he'd ever marry but surprisingly, he felt at ease with his decision to ask her to marry him. He knew that even though they constantly drove each other to the point of insanity, they would always be there for each other. Sarah was fiercely independent and protective of her family, those were some of the things Jonah admired about her. Within a short time they would become a family and knowing Sarah's love for children, they would soon have little ones of their own. This particular line of thought came upon him while he was astride his horse on his way to the last reputable jeweller in London and it made him stop his horse on its tracks.

An image of him playing with his own children and Sarah watching over them with a smile on her face, passed through his mind and he felt a sharp stab at his heart. The thought of marriage and children had always been a dreadful notion in his youth as it spoke of being tied down but now it elicited emotions that he had never felt for anyone who wasn't his family.

Love had always been a notion for Jonah, he knew that he loved his family, even his father but never had he simply thought about someone who wasn't even born yet and felt such emotion. Sarah was going to be the mother of his children and he knew that he already felt something for her, attraction, admiration, lust and a bevy of other emotions that he prayed and hoped one day would somehow develop into love. Signalling his horse back into moving he let his mind wander to his less than stellar history with Sarah and an idea popped into his head, drawing out a smile on his face. With a brand new plan he led his horse into a trot towards the last jewellers shop in London.

~

Across town was the Sutton home, as busy as the rest of the ton. The wash hung to dry in the garden and the maids giggles floated through the backyard and up to Sarah's bedroom. Sarah let out a sigh of despair, she was immensely jealous of how problem free and unburdened her maids were. Walking towards the window she peeled back the curtain slightly and watched as the maids, who's work was complete, lounged around and enjoyed each other's company.

Another sigh escaped Sarah and she drew away from the window escaping the happy picture. It was sad that other people's happiness could only remind her of her own misery. The past few days with Jonah had surprised her immensely due to how lovely they had been but she knew well and good that they had yet to discuss matters of importance ergo their upcoming marriage. No matter how much she planned for the discussion prior to their meetings, they always got sidetracked in their conversation. Like the previous day, they had ended up talking about Beth instead of how they were going to survive their parents wrath if everything didn't go as planned. Sarah found herself pacing in her room at the thought of her mother's reaction. It would most likely be a bloodbath. Sarah reasoned that getting her father on her side would be the best way to get her mother on board but that would mean telling her father about the proposal ahead of time, that was an absolute no. The only way she could get her father to see her side was to inform them of the impending proposal without disclosing Jonah's name because heaven knows what her father would do to him if he found out a head of time.

Sarah paced in her room ,the brightly colored walls offering her solace for mere moments before she had to go and tell her family about the engagement.

It was early so Sarah knew she had a short window of opportunity to catch her family all in the same room. A normal Saturday in the Sutton household would ensure that her parents were both home but with the races and the banquet the following day, this was no ordinary Saturday.

Due to the races coming up immediately after the church services and the banquet taking up the rest of the day, Sarah knew that her father would need to depart for the office as early as he could to finish up the paperwork he normally did on Sunday evening.

Amelia too would be extraordinarily busy as well as she was a member of the board hosting the upcoming banquet.

The Opal Charity banquet was a banquet hosted every single year at the beginning of the social season by a group of the highest ranking members of the ton and Amelia got herself on the board of chairs by being the daughter of a viscount and the wife of a Lord, plus she was extremely popular with the members of the ton.

Sarah knew that the moment had to be right for the two to be together when she broke the news, Harold had to be there as well. Despite being the pain in the neck that he was, her baby brother had the great gift of deflection. Harold could deflect any bad situation with his humor and that was why Sarah knew it best to trap her young brother into having the conversation before he ran off to get into his usual mischievous antics.

Sarah was half way into planning her announcement when a knock sounded at her door and Mary walked in to ready her for the day.  Sarah almost rolled her eyes at Mary's shock to find her awake, granted she usually had to wrestle her pillows and blankets from her to wake up but it was rather insulting how her eyebrows hit her hairline. Letting in a deep breath she lifted her arms to ready herself for her first chest constricting corset of the day.

~

The clock on the mantle showed that it had been an hour since she had woken up. The clinking and scrapping of forks and knives against plates could be heard all the way from the stairwell. Sarah was terrified of entering the sunny dining room.

Mary had already informed her of her family's whereabouts before breakfast and she knew that they were all having their meal to continue with their busy schedules all except for Harold who had been preparing to go off with his friends, having had a mysterious recovery from his suspicious illness the day before.

Her father, Lord George, had been going through some paperwork in his office along with reading his morning paper. Her mother had been fine tuning the final guest list so both of them had to be in high spirits.

As Sarah walked down the stairs she could feel goosebumps litter her skin, she knew that her parents would crucify her when they found out. Of  course they would, this was the boy who had tormented their only daughter for years. She knew well and good that her parents and Jonah's parents would reject the engagement, that was why announcing it to the entire capacity of London's most affluent charity was the best way to have the engagement stick.

Her mother would be mad that she would find out about her own daughters engagement along with the rest of the ton, her father would be mad because out of all the gentlemen and noblemen in all of England she had to choose Jonah, their anger was inevitable but they would forgive her in the end when she placed a grandchild or two in their laps.. She was sure that they would try to discourage the union so she was determined to convince her parents of the benefits of the marriage before the banquet.

With a breath deeper than intended, she walked into the breakfast room. The first person she saw was her father who as usual sat at the head of the table, seated next to him was her mother.

Looking at her parents she almost felt her resolve flee but she steadied herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother's soft voice.

"Harold, I know Cook's elixir works wonders but it certainly doesn't work miracles. Are you sure you're alright?"

Sarah watched as her mother fussed over Harold. A feeling of calm rolled through her as she spotted her father hiding a smile with his tea cup due to her mother's hen like fussing.

For a moment all her worries fled and she was reminded that this was the man who had been a wonderful father to her all her life, the man who dotted on her and protected her with a vengeance unlike any other. The woman seated next to him was the woman who loved her above all else, she was the one Sarah ran too when Jonah did something stupid as a child. Sarah reasoned that her parents were the only two people on the planet that she needn't fear. That final thought made her cement her decision to tell them about the engagement.

"Is everything alright dove. You look as if you've seen a ghost. Sit down before you faint." Sarah realized that as she had been contemplating telling her parents about her engagement, she had frozen, she had been rooted on the spot for nearly two minutes. Clearing her head she listened to her father and sat down.

In order to assure her parents that everything was alright she went about the task of filling her plate with breakfast When they were certain she was alright they went back to their fussing and newspaper reading. Sarah waited until she spotted an opportune moment to grab their attention, she spoke, "Father, Mother, Harold I hope each of you had a pleasant night."

"Yes. Of course and you my little dove, how was your night?" George answered without looking up from his paper.

"Yes, how about you dear?" Amelia smiled at her daughter then redirected her attention back to Harold.

"Mother I can assure you I'm fine, it was simply a cold. You can stop bombarding my mouth with cod liver oil." Harold spoke as he dodged another attempt by his mother, who was trying to force a spoonful of cod liver oil into his mouth.

"Yes, it was quite splendid." Sarah answered quite distractedly as she begun to get second thoughts about telling them. Her keen father was the first to look up at her, when their eyes met she dropped his gaze immediately and feigned eating further raising suspicions from her father who put his newspaper down. "Is everything alright dove? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Sarah let out a shaky smile and nodded. Her father clearly didn't believe her because he took off his reading glasses and folded his arms, a clear sign that he wasn't going back to reading about bread shortages in England anytime soon.

Sarah said a quick prayer, swallowed a bite of toast before gathering her wits and saying. "Actually there is something I wanted to discuss with all of you."

Her father looked relieved at the words but her mother was the one who responded. "Do tell us dear," followed quickly by, "Harold James Sutton! Sit still. You are going to drink this oil even if I have to force it down your throat." Amelia spoke as she spilled yet another spoonful of oil on the dining table linens.

Ignoring his wife's and son's antics George focused on his daughter. "Tell us dear."

Sarah wrung her hands as she always did when she was nervous then cleared her throat before stating. "As you all know it is my second season and I have rejected several proposals."

"I believe the whole ton knows that." Harold quipped in the midst of dodging his mother's spoonful of oil.

Ignoring him she continued, "In a few weeks grandmother is set to arrive and take over my patronage for the season."

Turning to her father she spoke, " til then, papa you are in charge of my hand and dowry."

Until then Sarah had merely stated the obvious and her father's brow had furrowed at her beating around the bush. She knew that he was seconds away from telling her to spit it out so with regular nervous fashion, she found herself rambling out the words, "I have a suitor interested in marrying me."

At her announcement, all movement in the room ceased out of shock at her words, surprisingly even the house cat seated on a cushion by the fire place stopped it's daily process of bathing itself and stared at her. Amelia though in shock took the rare opportunity that presented itself when Harold's mouth fell open in shock and stuck a full spoon of the oil in.

Harold was in such a shock that he barely registered the mouthful of cod liver oil as he swallowed. For the first time in his life he was clearly befuddled enough to be speechless.

George just stared at his daughter blinking rapidly and he could feel his heart rate rise by the second.

Sarah felt a relief flood her after the words came out of her mouth and along with relief came irritation. Irritation at their reaction, yes of course she had expected shock but not to that extent, even the bloody cat was looking at her like she had ten heads. Reasoning that they could have at least veiled their shock a bit better she shook her head slightly as she proceeded to slather a scone with gooseberry jam, speaking with a newly found courage she stated, "Don't you look so surprised, all of you knew I was searching for a husband, it shouldn't come as a shock that I actually found one."

"No, the shock is that someone actually wants to marry you. Ow that hurt!" Harold exclaimed when Sarah kicked him under the table at his comment.

"Well it serves you right, you little monster, your sister has just informed us of her engagement and your big mouth obviously had something to say about that." Amelia spoke to her son then regarded her daughter with a smile. "I'm so happy for you darling. I told you that this would be the season you find a husband."

Sarah smiled at her mother, appreciating her enthusiasm on the topic when Amelia stood up from her seat by her husband to come sit next to her.

"Now dear, tell us all about him. Is it a love match? Does he come from a family we know? When will the wedding be? Oh, how many children do you intend to have? I can't wait to be a grandmother. When will we meet him?" Amelia's excitement was evident and Sarah's relief became guilt.

Glancing at her father, who was looking at her suspiciously ,she steeled her spine, gathering her courage because she knew that he could sniff out any form of uncertainty in seconds then convince her not to marry Jonah. "Father, you are to accept his proposal on my behalf."

George let out a scoff at the statement, "oh am I? Remind me again who is the head of this household? That would be me and I am also in charge of your hand. Who is this man! If he had any serious interests and intentions in marrying you he would have asked me first." George stated, shaking his finger at Sarah.

Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat before saying, "He will be in attendance at the banquet tomorrow, along with his family. I shall introduce you to his parents and I can assure you that he comes from a good and Noble family." Sarah hated lying to her family but she comforted herself, saying that it was all for the greater good and that it wasn't lying it was merely omitting key aspects of the conversation. Her father wasn't convinced and he made that known when he stared her down and asked, "How am I to know that this man is good enough for my daughter?"

Sarah knew that this would be the make or break moment that would ensure their plan would work. Her father valued her opinion on matters and he trusted her judgement unlike other father's in the ton. He truly was the best father but he was also a pretty darn good lawyer, who could turn any situation in his favor so she had to tread carefully and show no weakness when it came to her father.

"I believe that he is good enough for me. He is a good man, he is from a good family and he will make a wonderful husband and father."

She could tell that her father wasn't convinced so using one her father's own tricks she said, "May I remind you dear father of how infuriatingly picky I am. Isn't it strange that out of all the eligible bachelors in London he is the man that I want to marry, there must be something special about him. If I don't marry this man I may never find someone else to marry. Would you rather be referred to as the father of a spinster or the grandfather of a Viscount? The choice is yours."

George stared daggers at his daughter, clearly tongue tied, Sarah knew that she had won that round. A quick glance at her mother showed that Amelia was very impressed and so was the ever condescending Harold as he gave her a thumbs up from across the table.

Sarah could almost feel the disapproval in her father's gaze which further widened her smile and she calmly said, "then if you have nothing to say my dearest papa, I suggest that you accept this proposal with a smile."

George grit his teeth, looking at his wife who was hiding a smile behind her tea cup, he knew that he wouldn't get any support from his matchmaker of a wife. Grumbling to himself as he picked up his paper and continued reading, increasing his grumbling when Sarah kissed his cheek and said, "thank you Papa."

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Editing to be done after all chapters are posted. I love you all. Hope you like this 💜.