May Wedding

By Ellie Thomas

Sequel to Gentlemen's Agreement

Some of the gentlemen who meet weekly for supper at The Golden Lion in London’s St. James’ are preoccupied with the prospect of matrimony.

The Honourable Percy Havilland is at full organisational pelt for his sister’s triumphant society marriage, ably backed by his friends. His frequent stress-induced outbursts are endured by his ever-patient lover, Nathan.

Percy has mixed feelings about the upcoming nuptials, the sorrow at losing one of his precious sisters balanced by the opportunity of exhibiting his exquisite good taste to make this the wedding of the season.

His friend Jo Everett reacts differently to the wedding, desiring an equivalent opportunity to mark his enduring love for Daniel Walters.

Will Percy manage to survive the wedding without falling out irreparably with Nathan? And might Jo and Daniel discover they have the support of their close circle to celebrate their own special day?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: May 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685504502

Book preview

Chapter 1

London, Spring 1817

The Honourable Percy Havilland minutely examined his appearance in the full-length mirror of his dressing room. Today, of all days, nothing less than perfection would pass muster for his sister’s wedding. Rather than preening at his admittedly exquisite form, he critically scrutinised his burnished golden curls arranged in an elegant Cherubin style, the precision of his Oriental knotted cravat, and his flawless peaches and cream complexion above his smoothly shaved chin.

With one final assessing scan of his reflection, Percy was satisfied. Daniel has outdone himself, he thought with genuine admiration for his favourite tailor’s skills. The dove grey tailcoat was so closely cut that he needed assistance from William, his butler and de facto valet, to don the garment without a single wrinkle, let alone a strained seam.

The neutral colour not only brought out the cerulean blue of his eyes but emphasised the lean masculinity of his figure, nipped in at his swooningly slender waist, the perfectly cut pantaloons showing off Percy’s enviably long, slim legs. Percy tweaked one golden curl a fraction of an inch into place. Not too bad for an old man of nearly twenty-six, he thought with some satisfaction that his startling youthful beauty had not faded completely.

He grinned naughtily, spoiling the impression of a sketched fashion plate in The Gentlemen’s Magazine. Nathan won’t know where to put himself when he sees me in this. He imagined his long-term lover’s rousing reaction to Percy’s most outstanding qualities packaged in such an enticing mode.

Nathan had remained the love and light of Percy’s life for the past two and a half years and, with God’s good grace, until the end of his days. That is when they weren’t squabbling over some inconsequential trifle or imagined slight.

Approaching forty and brusquely sensible, Nathan was a physical contrast to the dazzling Percy. He was marginally shorter, with indeterminate receding dark hair, middling-brown eyes, and thickset and muscular in build. Also, he hadn’t a smidgen of vanity and frequently bridled at Percy’s obsession with his appearance and the long but necessary hours spent before the looking glass, frequently causing them to be more than fashionably late.

When lingering during such an instance in the doorway of Percy’s dressing room, Nathan had raised a cynical eyebrow at Percy’s declaration of requiring a new suit for Araminta’s wedding from Shelford’s, the tailoring establishment in Bond Street. Percy was a frequent customer who provided free advertising for the shop’s wares. He took great pride that the relatively new second branch on Tottenham Court Road was commonly referred to by the surname of the manager, Daniel Walters, Percy’s close friend and partner in extravagant clothing, or at least its provision.

Nathan’s expression at the announcement of ordering another outfit reflected his recall of the dozens of barely-worn finery crammed into the wardrobes in Percy’s spacious dressing room.

You don’t want to outshine the bride, Nathan remarked, only partially in jest.

There’s no question of that, Percy replied firmly. His sister was not only possessed of striking good looks but also, Percy was meticulously overseeing every frill and furbelow embellishing the bridal gown.

I don’t want to let the side down, Percy continued. Let alone give anyone the slightest opportunity to pass a spiteful comment and mar Araminta’s special day.

Although the upcoming event was a love match and a joyous occurrence, there had been several hurdles to circumvent. The devastating Havilland family scandal had faded after more than two years and eventually became stale news. Subsequent eruptions of juicier gossip inevitably emerged to divert the ton. But Percy was conscious that a public occasion like a society wedding could provide an ideal opportunity to rehash past infamy.

It felt like yesterday when Percy discovered that he and his siblings were illegitimate and suddenly beneath society’s notice. It had been revealed that his father, Sir Edgar Havilland, was married and had produced an heir in the far West Indies before travelling home to insouciantly wed Lady Caroline while his first wife was still very much alive.

This revelation was disastrous to all the younger Havillands. Percy could