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Terryn had to pause, taking a moment to think. "We haven't had much contact since she passed...there is an aunt and uncle. They live only a fortnight's ride away. I believe they have a ten year old daughter as well." She played with her hair absentmindedly, trying to remember anyone else. "There is my father's sister, but whether or not they keep contact, I could not say." She hadn't spoken to Aunt Idessa since her father married Serina; the woman had been fervently against it from the start.

"Well not just wedding her, young Lord Winters. You have a responsibility to be her husband, which is much different than just going through with the ceremony and all. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, and you must never forget that." He didn't specify whose lifetime he was referring to.

Terryn nodded her agreement. "Of course. And most likely, they will not be too inclined to see Marcus married off. Serina's cousin is still very fond of him, or so I hear." She wondered whether the vapid girl had ever realized what had happened that day that Marcus left her sleeping in the carriage. She doubted it. "At any rate, I believe that will most likely be all in the way of guests. An overly elaborate affair is what we wish to avoid at all costs. Besides which, more people means more food, which in turn incurs a higher price tag. I always dislike putting my father out of a large amount of his coin."

The earl stroked at his beard lightly, tugging a bit at the sparse white hairs growing there that he had yet to shave. "And...what is it like, then?" There was a very specific answer that he was looking for, and was curious to see if he could live up to expectations.

Terryn breathed in sharply. She didn't want to give her too much time to think. She had a feeling there were quite a few names just waiting to be jotted down. "Well, as long as there aren't too many. Remember we must fit everyone in the small garden center. There are not a large amount of seats to fit them all."

The earl made a "hmph" sound and nodded. "It's called love, my boy. I know you are most likely not used to that feeling around your...women...but my daughter has a way of doing that to men. I remember when she was born..." He started looking out the window again. They were approaching his grounds, but there was still time to reminisce. "I had always wanted three sons. My father had two sons and a daughter just like I did. My older brother died of the pox as a youth and I contracted it soon after. My sister wasn't prepared to handle the estates if I died, and my mother was past childbearing age at that point, so I had to hold on. Luckily, I recovered, but I promised that I would always make sure to supply my family with plenty of young men who were all properly learned in the ways of nobility and ownership. And so, when I learned that Lillianna had given birth to a daughter, I had to admit that I felt a bit of displeasure. It was like my family all over again."

He chuckled, shaking his head a bit as he returned his attention to his son-in-law. "But then when I went in and saw her and held her in my arms...well...there was no describing it." He sighed wistfully as he recalled that day rather vividly. "The point is, Marcus, that Terryn is a very special girl. She has something about her, that I'm glad you were able to bring out again. I had missed my little girl very much." He patted the boy on the knee as the coach came to a halt. "Just remember that you are a very lucky man."

"Ummm...my lady..." Terryn leaned over, wincing at the length the list was approaching. "Please, I think that is enough of the guest list. Can we think of something else? Decorations or food or entertainment?" She was afraid that if she left the Duchess to her own devices, Terryn would end up being wed in front of the entire kingdom.

The earl wasn't 100% positive that he was speaking completely from the heart, but he seemed like he did, which was good enough for him at this point. And, even with his father's cynicism, he had to admit that Marcus had a very sincere look in his eyes. He had to admit, there were man worse men for Terryn to marry, and at least he was highly familiar with the family Marcus came from. "You remind me a bit of myself, Marcus. Many years ago, of course." He remembered those feelings, the first time he kissed Lillianna. Oh yes, he had known he was in love all through their courting, but it wasn't until he had asked for her hand and was allowed to be with her without an escort that he realized just how deep that love ran.

Terryn didn't like the thought of heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers meant loud noise. Loud noise meant ruckus, and ruckus meant the exact opposite of a peaceful wedding. "Well, perhaps we shouldn't waste my father's good reserves on them. Wine is weak and expensive, but rum and ale are cheap and more effective." She sighed, counting down the names. If she assumed that maybe 1/5th of the list were going to be partying heartily, it still left her with many more than she wanted.

The earl chuckled as the coach halted and the doorman helped him scramble out. "Take it as you will. When I was a youth I had terrible skin." He shuffled on towards his house, not looking back at his son-in-law but smiling a bit all the same. He still wasn't perfectly pleased, of course, but he had planned this day to be a happy occasion between himself and the man his daughter loved and he wasn't about to spoil it now.

Terryn wanted very badly to make the point that they did not have to make do. She figured, though, that it would be best to let Marcus handle this considering he actually knew these people. "Well, it need not be extravagant. Perhaps just a singer or something of that nature. We do not need a bear baiting or anything on that scale."

When they entered the manor, the earl instructed Marcus to take to the gardens and look for a man of about 40 tending to the roses. "Tell him that I would speak to him and bring him to the stone circle at the center of the garden." He took off upstairs, ringing a smell bell at the door to summon his manservant to help him climb the steps and then get something to eat outside.

"To themselves is a good idea." Terryn nodded in affirmation. She quite liked music to be honest, so a few musicians did not present a problem to her. She wasn't too fond of fools, though, but if they kept the drinkers at bay, it was worth it.

The earl returned to the gardens a few minutes later, followed shortly by a tray of bread, cheese, and olives, as well as a bottle of a lighter red wine. He took a seat at a small marble table in front of the stone circle centered in the garden, looking at the trellis archway in front of him. The one that he said his vows under. He looked for Marcus, drumming his fingers on the table before popping an olive in his mouth.

Our ideas, your ideas...same thing. She knew well enough to not roll her eyes and instead smiled at her with a hidden little sense of pride. "I learned that all men are the same. If you use a quick tongue you can frighten them into submission." No doubt the Duchess had done the same to her father on more than a few occasions.

"Wonderful, please sit." The earl motioned to two of the other chairs, all wrought iron, that surrounded the slab of table. He nodded at the steward who still stood there to pour them both wine before leaving the bottle and taking off. "Now first, I need to discuss the matter of the condition of the gardens." He tore off a heel of bread and placed a slice of cheese on it before chewing away. After a moment, he returned his attention back to the small, dirt covered man. "We will require a rather quick but thorough landscaping job. Do you think you could build a small group of servants to trim the bushes, dethorn the ones around the altar, and sweep the stones?"