Rose Gardner's Florist (The Providence Street Shops #2) - Bonnie Dee Page 0,57

else, yet the two continue to fight bitterly over the betrayal.”

“Who’s yer fancy man, Rosie?” Madge butted into their conversation, extending her hand toward Will. “How d’ya do? I’m Dale’s wife.”

“So pleased to meet you, Mrs. Gardener.” He bowed over her hand.

Madge gave Rose a wide-eyed expression of shock above his head. “Cor, what manners! And what a fine suit. Looks like ya landed yerself a gent here. Good for you, Rose.”

“Sally’s dunking her doll in the baptismal font. Might want to look into that.” Rose directed her sister-in-law away. After Madge went inside the church, Rose said, “I apologize for her rude manners.”

“Nonsense. She was very complimentary,” Will said smoothly. “Now, may I meet your parents?”

There was no avoiding it. Arietta and her new husband had already left for the hall rented for the occasion. As Mum and Dad approached, Rose pasted on a smile.

“It was a beautiful wedding. You outdid yourself decorating the church, Mum.”

“No thanks to you who couldn’t be bothered to come early.”

Rose had spent much of the morning helping Arietta dress and arranging her coiffure prior to Will meeting her at the church. She ignored the barb. “Mother, Father, I should like to introduce you to Mr. William Carmody. Mr. Carmody, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Gardener.”

Will smiled and bowed slightly “How do you do? I’m very pleased to meet the parents of such a lovely and accomplished woman as Miss Rose.”

Mother sized him up as if he were a zoo animal, noted his genteel manner and fine suit—far better than the one the groom had worn, and adopted her best imitation of an upper crust accent. “Pleased to meet you as well. Rose has not mentioned you before. Do tell us something about yourself. Who are your people?”

If taken aback by her questioning, Will did not betray it. “Lord Horace and Lady Gwyneth Carmody. I was introduced to your daughter by a mutual friend, Mr. Guy Hardy. Her direct manner and strength of character immediately impressed me.”

“Always was a stubborn one, our Rosie, an’ too proud for ‘er own good.” Dad, in the jovial phase of the day’s drinking, clapped Will on the back as if he were an old friend. “Drink to my daughter’s weddin’ day, Carmody.” He offered the bottle in his fist.

Will politely refused. “No thank you. I have a bit of a sore throat and wouldn’t want to share any illness.”

“Then you’ll drink with me when we get to the party. A full barrel awaits and a spread the likes of which ya ain’t never seen. No one can say I didn’t see me daughter off right,” he announced grandly

“I’ll be sure to enjoy a beer then.”

Rose touched Dad’s arm to stop him from taking another pull on the gin bottle. “Time for that later. Best move everyone along, don’t you think?”

He jerked his arm away. “Don’t tell me what to do, gal. Like I said, ya never did mind yer betters or know yer place.”

“She’s right, Pete,” Mum interrupted, anxious to quell him before he frightened off her daughter’s wealthy beau, a potential resource to be mined in the future. She dropped an unnatural and unnecessary curtsey to Will. “Pleased to meet you, sir. I pray we will see much more of you in the days to come.”

Not if I can bloody help it. After they’d walked away, Rose exhaled the breath she’d been holding. “My parents. Do you understand why I was not anxious for you to meet them, or any of these people?” she indicated the dispersing crowd.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a snob, Miss Gardener,” Will countered. “They are a boisterous lot, certainly, but not bad at heart I’m sure.”

“If by boisterous you mean coarse and loud.” She shook her head as Madge passed by dragging her dripping daughter away from the baptismal font. Her scolding was peppered with expletives that made Rose wince.

“I don’t mean to judge them,” she continued. “But really, do you see now? No one ever talks quietly here when a shout will do, or applies reason or calmness to solve an issue. It seems tempers are always on the verge of breaking and there is no peace to be had. Is it any wonder, I wanted to escape or that I was immediately drawn to a soft-spoken man like you?”

Will took her hand. “I do understand, but wish to point out that squabbles, feuds and criticisms occur in the very best families. Only the insults are delivered in