desk.
“I won’t do it,” he said, his mouth a grim line.
Nicholas had expected his refusal, but he was certain he
could make Kerrick see reason.
“Then I will find someone else.”
Kerrick’s jaw tightened. “Who?”
Nicholas shrugged, pretending a casual indifference he was
far from feeling.
“I am sure there are any number of men who would gladly do
the deed. I would have preferred it to be someone I knew could be counted on to
keep his mouth shut, but…” He shrugged again as he allowed his voice to trail
off.
“Don’t do this, Nicholas. Think of the scandal if word were
to get out”
“It matters not. You know there will be rumors anyway after
Louisa and I marry so quickly, but her position as marchioness will serve as a
nice buffer against those rumors.” He braced his arms on the desk and leaned
forward. “My heir will survive those rumors. He would hardly be the first
by-blow to assume a title. Overlea, however, would not survive Edward as the
marquess. He would drive the estate into the ground. And you’ve heard the
rumors that are swirling around town about him. From what I’ve recently
learned, I daresay most of them are true.”
Kerrick sank into his chair again and buried his head in his
hands. It was almost a full minute before he looked up.
“Have you so little regard for this woman you are to marry?
From what you’ve told me, she may have saved your life. You probably wouldn’t
have survived a night out on the road, not in the condition you were in.”
“She won’t be happy. In fact, I expect her to be furious,
but she is a practical woman. She will do what needs to be done. And when I die
she will give thanks every day that she will never have to watch her own child
and grandchildren succumb to the same illness. Grandmother has already lost a
son and a grandson to that illness. Soon, she’ll have lost two of her four
grandchildren. Louisa Evans will not have to suffer that same fate. Better she
should think me a bastard now than suffer what my grandmother has.”
Kerrick had stilled during his speech. Without conscious
thought, Nicholas had risen at some point. He had never before spoken so
passionately about what was to come. He had always avoided the subject of his
eventual death.
He turned and stalked to the window, trying to get his
emotions back under control.
Neither spoke for what seemed a very long time, the two men
locked in a silent battle of wills, neither willing to admit they might be in
the wrong. In the end, Kerrick approached Nicholas and laid a hand on his
shoulder.
“I can make no promises,” he said, “but I will return with
you to Kent.”
Nicholas closed his eyes in relief. Everything was going to
work out as he’d hoped.
Chapter
Eight
The morning of the wedding dawned
and Louisa was surprised at the calmness that had settled over her. She’d been
overwhelmed at first by all the wedding details, but just as he’d promised,
Nicholas’s grandmother had taken care of everything.
Lady Overlea had already arranged to have most of the Evans
family’s personal belongings moved to Overlea Manor. John had been sullen and
silent during the last weeks but he hadn’t protested, and for that Louisa was
grateful. That night her brother and sister would be sleeping in their new
rooms at Overlea manor. She knew Catherine, at least, was very excited by the
prospect.
She, on the other hand, would be spending the night here
with her new husband. Before leaving, Nicholas had informed his grandmother
that he wanted privacy after tonight’s ball, and since some of the guests would
be spending the night at the manor house before departing on the morrow, it was
decided they would get that privacy only by retiring to the Evans cottage. A
group of servants were there now, preparing the house for her honeymoon night
with her new husband.
She shied away from thoughts of the upcoming wedding night.
She had expected to see Overlea at some point during the last week,
“I won’t do it,” he said, his mouth a grim line.
Nicholas had expected his refusal, but he was certain he
could make Kerrick see reason.
“Then I will find someone else.”
Kerrick’s jaw tightened. “Who?”
Nicholas shrugged, pretending a casual indifference he was
far from feeling.
“I am sure there are any number of men who would gladly do
the deed. I would have preferred it to be someone I knew could be counted on to
keep his mouth shut, but…” He shrugged again as he allowed his voice to trail
off.
“Don’t do this, Nicholas. Think of the scandal if word were
to get out”
“It matters not. You know there will be rumors anyway after
Louisa and I marry so quickly, but her position as marchioness will serve as a
nice buffer against those rumors.” He braced his arms on the desk and leaned
forward. “My heir will survive those rumors. He would hardly be the first
by-blow to assume a title. Overlea, however, would not survive Edward as the
marquess. He would drive the estate into the ground. And you’ve heard the
rumors that are swirling around town about him. From what I’ve recently
learned, I daresay most of them are true.”
Kerrick sank into his chair again and buried his head in his
hands. It was almost a full minute before he looked up.
“Have you so little regard for this woman you are to marry?
From what you’ve told me, she may have saved your life. You probably wouldn’t
have survived a night out on the road, not in the condition you were in.”
“She won’t be happy. In fact, I expect her to be furious,
but she is a practical woman. She will do what needs to be done. And when I die
she will give thanks every day that she will never have to watch her own child
and grandchildren succumb to the same illness. Grandmother has already lost a
son and a grandson to that illness. Soon, she’ll have lost two of her four
grandchildren. Louisa Evans will not have to suffer that same fate. Better she
should think me a bastard now than suffer what my grandmother has.”
Kerrick had stilled during his speech. Without conscious
thought, Nicholas had risen at some point. He had never before spoken so
passionately about what was to come. He had always avoided the subject of his
eventual death.
He turned and stalked to the window, trying to get his
emotions back under control.
Neither spoke for what seemed a very long time, the two men
locked in a silent battle of wills, neither willing to admit they might be in
the wrong. In the end, Kerrick approached Nicholas and laid a hand on his
shoulder.
“I can make no promises,” he said, “but I will return with
you to Kent.”
Nicholas closed his eyes in relief. Everything was going to
work out as he’d hoped.
Chapter
Eight
The morning of the wedding dawned
and Louisa was surprised at the calmness that had settled over her. She’d been
overwhelmed at first by all the wedding details, but just as he’d promised,
Nicholas’s grandmother had taken care of everything.
Lady Overlea had already arranged to have most of the Evans
family’s personal belongings moved to Overlea Manor. John had been sullen and
silent during the last weeks but he hadn’t protested, and for that Louisa was
grateful. That night her brother and sister would be sleeping in their new
rooms at Overlea manor. She knew Catherine, at least, was very excited by the
prospect.
She, on the other hand, would be spending the night here
with her new husband. Before leaving, Nicholas had informed his grandmother
that he wanted privacy after tonight’s ball, and since some of the guests would
be spending the night at the manor house before departing on the morrow, it was
decided they would get that privacy only by retiring to the Evans cottage. A
group of servants were there now, preparing the house for her honeymoon night
with her new husband.
She shied away from thoughts of the upcoming wedding night.
She had expected to see Overlea at some point during the last week,
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