The doctors sought out Lord Elliott to give him their expert opinions. Mary Rose's father included his sisters and their husbands in the conference and thought to include Harrison a short time later.
Dr. Wells was a stout man with thick, gray whiskers. He rubbed them constantly while he spouted his opinion. Harrison found the man a bit too pompous. His know-it-all opinions were all wrong too.
The meeting took place inside the library on the second floor. Harrison came in just as Wells was explaining how important he believed it was to help Victoria make a smooth transition into her new life. Harrison shut the door behind him and then leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest.
"She mustn't be allowed to dwell on her past," he dictated. "Both Kendleton and I noticed how loyal she is to the men she stayed with. Why, she's actually accepted them as her brothers," he added with a nod. "We found it impossible to make her admit they weren't, in fact, related."
Dr. Kendleton nodded agreement. He squinted at his audience over his thick glasses. "I don't believe it's a good idea to let her talk about what happened to her. You must help her let it go. In time she'll forget, once she's settled in to her new life here. Your daughter is most intelligent, Lord Elliott. She shouldn't have any difficult finding her place here, and once she gets over this strange loyalty she feels toward those men, her adjustment will be complete."
Harrison listened to the experts and vehemently disagreed with every suggestion they made. Elliott, he noticed, was hanging on their every word. He was looking for guidance, but in Harrison 's estimation, he was listening to the wrong people.
He couldn't keep silent any longer. "Sir, why don't you talk to your daughter about your concerns? If you think she'll have difficulty adjusting to her life here, then ask her what you can do to help her."
"I've just been advised not to dredge up her past, Harrison. We all want to help her move forward, son. Didn't you hear her last night? She believes she'll stay here only a short while and then return to America. She does feel a tremendous loyalty to those four men." He addressed the last of his remarks to Dr. Wells. "You were right about that."
"You cannot undo what happened to her," Dr. Kendleton announced. "But with work and patience, your daughter will have a full, rewarding future."
Harrison was hard-pressed not to let his anger show. "Why do all of you believe she's been through some godawful ordeal? She wasn't a prisoner all those growing up years. She had a good life. She was given everything she needed, and she was certainly loved. You're making a grave mistake not letting her talk about her brothers, sir. They are her family. Of course she's loyal to them."
"We must listen to the experts," Lord Elliott insisted. "They know better than you or I how to help Victoria."
Harrison didn't know what more he could say to the man. He was astonished by his behavior. It wasn't like Elliott to ever be unsure of himself. He was usually a very disciplined, methodical man, and certainly reasonable. If he'd only think about it, he would see the rightness in accepting Mary Rose for what she was.
If the two of them had been alone, he would have asked him to tell him what he was afraid of.
Elliott must have guessed what Harrison was thinking, for he suddenly said, "I will not lose her, son. I will do whatever it takes to make her happy."
"We all want what's best for her," Lillian interjected.
Harrison let out a loud sigh. "What I want is for all of you to realize what a lovely young lady my wife is. She doesn't need to change. You can't erase her past, and if you listened to her talk about her growing up years, you would realize what a mistake it would be to try to make her pretend none of it happened."
"We don't want to change her," Barbara said. "We only want to broaden her education and her experiences."
Dr. Kendleton took the floor again to offer a few more suggestions for "handling" Victoria.
Harrison couldn't listen to any more of their drivel. Without a word, he left the library. He had an almost overwhelming urge to pack up his wife and take her back to Montana. The thought of anyone trying to improve upon perfection appalled him.
He decided to wait a few days before he had a talk with Lord Elliott. He would give the man time to get used to having his daughter around, then take him aside and remind him of something he'd obviously forgotten. A father's love should be unconditional. Mary Rose didn't need to change. She needed to be loved and accepted for who she was. Harrison fervently hoped Elliott would come to his senses soon and start being reasonable again.
He looked in on his wife, just to assure himself that she was all right. Mary Rose was standing on a footstool in the center of the bedroom with her arms out at her sides, while two women took her measurements. She was staring up at the ceiling and looking bored with all the fuss going on around her.
He whistled to get her attention. Lillian came hurrying past him just as he let out the shrill noise.
"My dear man, one doesn't whistle to get noticed. Where are your manners?"
" Harrison has wonderful manners," Mary Rose called out. "May I please get off this stool now? I wish to speak to my husband."
"No, dear, stay where you are," Lillian ordered. "You can talk to Harrison later. We have work to do."
"Sweetheart, I have to go back to London to pack up some papers. I'll be back by nightfall."
She wanted to go with him, but her request was refused by her Aunt Lillian.
"I wish to kiss Harrison goodbye," she announced.
"No, dear," Lillian replied.
Harrison ignored the aunt. He crossed the room, cupped his wife's chin in his hand, and kissed her. He lingered over the task, but Mary Rose didn't seem to mind. Much to her aunt's consternation, she put her arms around him and kissed him back.
He left a few minutes later. He spent most of the afternoon in the storage area adjacent to his London office. There was a pile of paperwork on top of his desk, and he knew he had at least a month's work waiting for him. While he sorted through boxes of old ledgers and correspondence, his assistant went over his list of questions about more pressing business matters.
Harrison didn't return to Elliott's country home until well after sundown. The house was packed to the rafters with relatives and close friends.
His wife looked relieved to see him. She was seated between her father and her friend Eleanor on one of the long sofas, but hastily stood up when he entered the drawing room.
Showing open affection in front of guests wasn't considered acceptable behavior, but neither Harrison, who knew better, nor Mary Rose, who didn't know, worried about convention. They wound their way around family and friends to get to each other. He was reaching for her when she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.
"I missed you," she whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. "How was your afternoon, sweetheart?"
"Hectic," she answered. "Lillian's frowning at us. I wonder what I've done wrong now."
"We aren't supposed to let anyone see how much we like touching each other," he explained.
"It is a hard and fast rule?"
He shrugged. He finally let go of her, but then draped his arm around her shoulder and hauled her up next to him.
Lord Elliott was looking at him in astonishment. Harrison surmised he was going to once again hear how much he had changed.
The two of them made their way over to her father. Lillian frowned with displeasure.
"It isn't like you to make a spectacle of yourself, Harrison. Let go of your wife."
"Leave him alone, Lillian. He isn't a little boy you can order about any longer. Come and join us, son. Eleanor was just telling us how much she enjoys being in England."
Mary Rose and Harrison sat down on the settee across from her father and her friend. Lillian was seated in a round-backed chair adjacent to the sofas.