Chapter Fifteen
Nick’s gut was alternately in his throat and in his shoes. He’d made her nearly faint, and how hard had his words hit her that Nell of all people had gone faint. But she hadn’t fainted all the way and now she was just looking at him from across the space between them.
Which wasn’t so far, he could reach out and take her hand from where he was sitting. But Nick wouldn’t, not until there was some sort of sign from her it was what she wanted.
He should have written, but it had been all he could do to keep his head up while planning his father’s funeral and burial. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her he’d had the ring in his pocket the entire time.
It was still in its little box, but he had opened it to look at it often enough that he knew precisely what it looked like. Nell hadn’t ever been the sort that would prefer diamonds, so he’d gone with emeralds and rubies that surrounded the center gem.
Hopefully, she would allow it.
“Nell, can we talk?” He asked, watching her nod slowly. “I don’t want to frighten you, Nell, but I care for you very much.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” she whispered. “You could have any of the better-bred ladies of the Ton; in fact, I hear them whispering about you all the time.”
“But I don’t want them.” How could he help her understand? “I want you, Nell. I want the person who cares for the city, the person who tromps around in the mud so that the people have medicine. I want a woman who would come back home with me when I spend summers on the subcontinent.”
“And before you object, my dear, I will take over with the medicine while you are gone.” Her father patted her on the shoulder. “Now, lad,” he looked across the intervening space at Nick. “Tell her what you told me.”
“I want to marry you, Nell.” He kept his voice gentle. “I want to make a home with you.” He slid from the chair and went to one knee in front of her, opening the little box and letting the dawn light glint off the gems in the ring. “Will you wed me, Miss Eleanore Warrick?”
“Nick—” she looked down and then back up at him. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I’m certain, beyond certain, please, Nell.”
“A-alright, Nick.” She looked at him again, staring straight into his eyes. He just looked back, as open as he knew how to be. “I accept your proposal.”
He could have leapt to his feet and yelled with the strength of the feeling rushing through his veins. She’d said yes, and that was all he’d wanted. Even if she didn’t feel the same way toward him yet, he was confident that they could learn to care for each other.
But instead of acting the fool, he just took the ring from the box and slid the band onto her finger. “Thank you, Nell.”
“What do we do now?” She looked a little lost, and Nick stood, helping her up after him. “Nick, I don’t know how to be a duchess. I don’t know how to do anything that isn’t tramping about in the mud to help the people.”
I don’t know how to be a duke.” He smiled at her. “So we can figure it out together. Mama will probably be willing to help you.”
“And there will be quite a lot of you helping people, Nellie,” Earl Warrick said with a grin. “I’ve heard there’s no shortage of mud to tromp around in on the Graves’ estate.”
“Papa,” Nell half-turned to grin back at her father. “What do you know?”
“Only what I’ve heard, my girl.” He nodded, looking up at Nick, expression turning serious. “You take care of each other.”
“I will,” Nick said, as sincerely as he knew how before looking down at Nell. “I know you’ll mind me, Nell.”
She chuckled. “I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“So I suppose we should plan a wedding?” Lady Warrick walked into the room followed by a maid. “It’s breakfast time, all of you, and then we’ll discuss how to include Duchess Graves in our plans without breaking mourning.”
Nick thought for a moment, turning the problem over in his head. “Well, we cannot wed until mourning is over, and Nell is allowed as my fiancée. But we’ll need an escort, so perhaps you would do us the honor, Lady Warrick?”
“A sound solution, lad.” Earl Warrick nodded, looking over at his wife. “You said something about breakfast, love?”
“I did,” Lady Warrick said. “And you know how the cook feels about breakfast sitting on the table.”
Nick backed away from Nell, fully intending to go home, but Lady Warrick shook her head. “You’ll eat with us, and then you can go home while Nellie rests. We’ll come by for tea, and we can discuss things.”
Nick just nodded; it gave him an excuse to spend more time with Nell, and he wasn’t going to throw that out the window.
Breakfast was interesting. Earl Warrick was in a fine, cheerful mood, and it was only towards the end of the meal that he could see how tired Nell was. Which was sound, she’d been up all night.
But he took his leave, bowing over the hands of Lady Warrick and his new fiancée, returning to his townhouse where the curtains were drawn and there was black lying everywhere.
“Mama?” He poked his head into the drawing room where his mother was sitting in the light of one of their new lamps, stitching busily on her frame.
She immediately set the frame away from herself and bustled over to him. “Well, Nicholas?”
He nodded. “She said yes, Mama. Nell will come and see you for tea, and she’s bringing Lady Warrick to act as escort.”
“I suppose I should change then.” His mama popped up on her toes and kissed his cheek, patting the other. “I hope the two of you will be happy, Nicholas.”
“Thank you, Mama.” He bent to return the kiss on her cheek. “I hope so too.”
“Don’t just hope, Nicholas, you have to work for it.” She shook her finger at him. “Does she care for you?”
“I think so,” Nick said. “I care for her, and she was hurt that I went away for my father’s funeral and didn’t write.”
“I am going to go and change,” his mama sighed. “Let the kitchen know, please. I am going to hunt up a certain book for your fiancée.”