Chapter 6
The next morning, Nicholas asked his driver to make another circle around the neighborhood before stopping in front of Lord Valeton’s front door. He told himself it was simply to think once more of how to properly approach the situation.
He pulled at his collar. Why did everything feel so suddenly tight and uncomfortable? He shifted in his seat, turning his hat in his hands, staring out at the busy lane outside.
Because you are to marry a woman who despises you, and you have already rejected your mistress’s advances. What are you to do? Not visit your mistresses and have a wife who refuses to bed you?
He’d barely slept the night before, attempting to think of anything else but his future white marriage and the frustrating image of Cordelia naked beneath him, which refused to leave his mind.
It was entirely inconvenient, for he had always thought of Cordelia as a prudish, innocent woman who had a sharp tongue.
He’d never thought of her in that particular way even if he'd always noticed her loveliness.
And you still cannot. A white marriage is what you promised.
He practically growled when the driver stopped, and then the door to the carriage opened.
Jumping out, he placed his hat on his head and approached the Valeton home, however tentatively.
He owned a gambling den, had pulled his family out of debt, dealt with shady characters at all times, fought in the House of Lords, and yet this visit threatened to unnerve him.
Coward.
His hand barely grasped the knocker before a footman opened the door. “Good day to you, sir.”
“The Duke of Meinster, here to see the Dowager Viscountess.”
The young, nervous footman nodded and held the door open, reaching to take Nicholas’s hat.
“Your Grace, just a moment.”
The young man scurried away, leaving Nicholas on his own in the foyer.
He looked about him, and his brows lifted in surprise.
This was not the home of a peer of the realm.
It was shabby, worn, furnishings faded, and there were spots on the wall where he could tell art had hung but no longer did.
There was hardly any extra décor to speak of, and the footman looked as though he was barely out of grammar school.
He heard no other sounds of servants. The house was like a ghost of its former self.
Angry, he put his hands behind his back and stood tall. This was far worse than he had expected.
No wonder the woman was desperate to find a husband at all costs. This is no place for ladies to live and no place for children to grow up.
He was annoyed at David’s and Helen’s devious scheme, but he felt relieved that he at least had the ability to help, and they had a plan.
“Your Grace,” the footman returned, nodding towards the hall. “Follow me.”
Nicholas followed, taking a breath and trying to find the right words to say. While he could tease Cordelia with ease, he did not wish to speak to the Dowager Viscountess in such a manner.
“His Grace, the Duke of Meinster, is here to see you, my lady.”
“Well, how fortunate,” Nicholas heard her say, and when he stepped into the room with a smile, he did not realize that the other young ladies would be there as well. “Welcome, Your Grace.”
The Dowager was lovely, with golden hair and kind blue eyes. She rose and held her hand to him, and he greeted her politely. She practically oozed sweetness, that it confused him how Cordelia could be her daughter.
“I know perhaps you were not expecting us all together, but these are my daughters. Miss Emma Debrett and Miss Danae Debrett.”
He bowed low over each of their hands. “What an utter delight to officially meet you lovely ladies. Might I say, the progeny of the house of Valeton are simply as lovely as can be.” At that, he thought he heard a quiet scoff from where Cordelia stood.
He was nothing if not polite, and young ladies were his specialty.
The sisters looked quite different from one another, with Danae taking after her mother, and Emma likely their father, with her dark hair. Finally, he turned to his betrothed and approached her.
“Miss Debrett,” he said, his smile widening. She looked rested and yet nervous at his presence. He took her hand and bowed over it just as he had the others.
But he kept his eyes on her, lingering just a little bit longer than usual.
“Your Grace,” she said with a slight nod of the head. “Welcome. I – we did not expect you.”
“Oh? Is that so? It seems only natural that a fiancé should wish to call upon his betrothed as well as her family the day after an engagement.”
“It is very natural, indeed, Your Grace,” Miss Danae said, and she was practically beaming at him. “I know that Cord is very happy to see you.”
“Danae!” Cordelia cried, her eyes widening.
He chuckled. “It is good that someone around here is willing to tell the truth.” He winked at the younger sister and then said to Cordelia, “Cord?”
“A family nickname. Not ever to be used,” she whispered back.
He bit back a smile and then turned to the viscountess. “My lady, if I might have a moment of your time?”
“But of course. We can go to the study.”
He winked at the ladies before taking his leave to follow the dowager. The rest of the house was just as shabby as the foyer, and he was eager to get Cordelia out of that situation.
I shall help all of them. No need for them to stay in such a place.
“Your Grace,” the viscountess said at the study door, “Please do come in.”
They stood before the fireplace, and Nicholas looked around. The study was so still and had been barely touched in what looked like a very long time. It seemed to have been preserved after the viscount’s death.
Clearing his throat, he looked to Lady Valeton. “This is a nice room.”
“Yes, my husband adored this room,” she replied with a sigh, looking about her. “I’m afraid it gets no use now, but when he was alive, even the girls would come and sit and read in here while he was working. It was never closed off to them.”
Nicholas could see the tears in her eyes, and he looked away, not wanting to embarrass her.
“I am sorry for your loss, my lady. I understand the way a loss feels.”
“Yes, you do,” she answered kindly. “Well, what can I do for you, Your Grace?”
He cleared his throat again and stood just a little taller. “I know you are likely surprised by Miss Debrett’s and my sudden engagement. But I hope she has explained the situation to you?”
“She has.”
He breathed out, feeling far more nervous than necessary. “Well, then I have come to ask you officially for your daughter’s hand. I know I have done it backwards, but I felt as though I still owed you the courtesy of making the request.”
Lady Valeton looked both surprised and pleased. She smiled.
“You are very kind to do so, Your Grace. Yes, you have my permission. If Cordelia is amenable of course. Although…”
She paused, and Nicholas watched as a stern expression grew over her kind face.
“I know that I may not be a powerful man, and I may merely be a woman. However, if you hurt my daughter in any way, I will do my very best to make you regret it. I have no husband, you see? And with my eldest daughter now to be married, I will have nearly all the time in the world to focus on you.” She smiled, and her stern expression was gone.
Her words had been spoken in a kind manner, except for the steely look in her eyes.
Grinning, Nicholas reached out a hand to shake hers. “We are in agreement, my lady. I have no intention of hurting your daughter. In fact, I mean to keep both her and the children safe. I think it is far more likely that your daughter will hurt me.”
He chuckled, but the viscountess merely continued her serene smile, her gaze narrowing ever so slightly. “Is that so? How interesting.”
Clearing his throat for a third time, Nicholas was eager to be done with this discussion. He needed to speak to Cordelia about their plans, and the quiet, knowing look of her mother was making him itch again.
“Might I request an audience with your daughter as well?”
“It seems you are already full up of private moments with my daughter,” she replied, another knowing look in her eye.
“It will not take long. We must discuss plans. And if I am to be the fiancé, then surely it is within the realm of normalcy for me to ask to speak with my betrothed.”
He thought the lady would refuse again, but she agreed, and Nicholas returned to the sitting room to find no Cordelia.
“If you are looking for your betrothed, you will find her in the garden. She needed some air,” Miss Danae told him.
“Too thrilled with all this, is she?” he teased, and Danae chuckled. The other sister, Emma, did not appear to be amused.
“I shall take my leave of you ladies, then.” He bowed and left, finding his own way to the garden at the back of the house.
He found Cordelia leaning over a bed of roses, lifting one to her nose.
He stopped when he saw her close her eyes, clearly enjoying the scent, and the unfortunate image once again appeared in his mind: A naked Cordelia at pleasure, her hair sprawled over a silk pillow, her pink lips parting as she took in a breath, her skin smooth and soft.
“My dear,” he said, startling Cordelia so that she dropped the flower and let out a little shriek.
“Goodness,” she said, putting a hand to her chest.
“Who did you think it could be?” he laughed. “You don’t think that I would come all this way and not wish to speak with you.”
“Why should I not think that?” she asked, walking away from him down the garden path. “We are not lovers, Your Grace. It is only a sort of business arrangement.”
He followed after her, his hands behind his back and said nothing for a few moments.
The path was lovely but not overly large.
They were in London after all. But in that garden, one could forget it with flowers and long grass covering most of it.
There was a bench by a chestnut tree, and a little meandering path throughout, all surrounded by stone walls.
Once they were halfway down the path, Cordelia turned around. She did not shy back from looking into his eyes.
“Why did you even bother being kind to my family? You do not need to impress them. I have already agreed to the engagement. The deal has been made.”
“You are becoming far too unromantic, I think. I was simply following the natural order of things, and I came to ask your mother’s permission.”
“You…what? Why would you do that?”
“Well, you see,” he said, walking forward and leading the way instead, while she hurried to walk next to him, “I have a way with women of all ages. I knew I could charm your family with ease, and why not? They are to become my family, and we should endeavor to like one another. It is only sensible.”
“You are too much!” she cried, shaking her head. “A rake through and through. Is this what you will teach Timothy? How to bend women to your will merely with handsome smiles and broad shoulders?”
Nicholas stopped to look at her. They were standing near the far edge of the garden by the stone wall, partially hidden from the house by an oak tree.
Cordelia was shifting uncomfortably on her feet, and she could barely meet his eyes.
“So, you think my smiles are handsome and my shoulders broad? What a delightful development.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyone would think such a thing, Your Grace. It is not something that I alone might say.”
He laughed, enjoying that sweet shade of pink that was beginning to crawl up her neck.
“Another compliment. Well, it is rather convenient that my own soon-to-be wife thinks such a thing.”
“I do not—” she paused, opening and shutting her mouth and stamping her foot again. “Will you ever stop being a rake?”
“Perhaps one day.” He smiled. “I should like to apprise you of some new information.”
Her face fell, and she looked fearful. “Is it the twins? The duke? What has he done?”
“No, no, calm yourself,” he said, taking her hand briefly and giving it a squeeze. “I merely wished to tell you that I will provide for your family as well as yourself.”
“You –” she frowned, and the same stern look her mother had used on him now appeared on her daughter’s face. “That will not be necessary. I will simply help them from the allowance I will be afforded as your wife.”
“I cannot leave such financial responsibilities to my duchess, my dear. It is done. There is no use in arguing with me about it.”
“It sounds as though you are trying to be honorable.”
Her voice was soft and surprised, and Nicholas knew he could not let her think such tender things. He needed her anger. It held him up, kept his mind whirring and his grief at bay.
This time, he rolled his eyes. “You are continually trying to pin honorable on me, but it will not work. I simply mean that it does not look good for a man in my position to have in-laws who are struggling so. I have a reputation to maintain as well as a business.”
She scoffed at that. “Managing that sort of business is already disgraceful.”
“And what would you have me do, Cordelia?” he asked, this time, an edge to his voice.
“Stay in my study while others run my errands and handle my affairs? I have learned to work in my life. It gives me meaning and purpose, and I did not think that you to be so unprogressive that you would disapprove of a gentleman having a true occupation instead of idleness.”
She lifted her chin in defiance.
“Perhaps you have a point, Your Grace, but still, I do not know why you attempt to fight me on this matter. You are trying to do an honorable thing. Otherwise, you would not marry me for the children or take care of my family.”
Nicholas felt his world narrow to that one moment. He was angry, certainly, but heat was rising in his blood, and all he saw was Cordelia standing there, her eyes on him, fighting him. That annoying image came back to his mind with a vengeance.
Do not give in to it. It is far too dangerous.
“You really think that you have me all figured out, Cordelia, don’t you?
” To his own surprise, he stepped closer and reached out, his fingers tucking a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear that had come loose in the spring breeze.
Their eyes locked, and she felt far softer than he’d expected.
A tingle spread through his skin at the touch, and he couldn’t help but glance down at her lips.
“But I think I will surprise you at every turn.”
His hand moved to her waist, pressed her gently against the stone wall behind her, and he kissed her.