Page 44 of Loving a Dowager
Miss White held her ground as his nephew took a step closer. “What gave you the impression I would be taking Lady Emilie anywhere?”
Walter had been absent from the Darlington residence for days, but surely if Nicholas was courting someone, his nephew would have informed him.
Bowing her head, Miss White answered, “Chatter among household staff is not uncommon, my lord.” The reply was part mumble, part sigh.
Tilting Marina’s chin up again, Nicholas said, “Then you shan’t miss the ill-informed household from which you heard these terrible lies.”
Miss White blinked.
Walter smiled. If he was a wagering man, he’d bet his nephew was going to propose.
Instead of dropping to one knee or reaching for the woman, Nicholas barked, “Nor will you reside here as Archbroke’s nanny. We shall marry.”
Mouth agape, not a word came out of Miss White’s mouth.
Slow to react to the hash of a proposal, Walter stood back while Henrietta wedged her way between the couple. “Lord Darlington. In Lady Bertha’s absence, I claim full responsibility for Miss White’s care. She is under my protection. And I can assure you, she will in no way be forced into marriage.”
Nicholas bent and whispered in Henrietta’s ear. What secrets was his nephew keeping from him these days?
Henrietta’s spine stiffened. She pulled Marina aside to the other side of the room, clear out of earshot.
Walter asked, “What is going on? Are you in love with Miss White?”
“If what I feel for Miss White is love, then the poets have it all wrong. However, I do feel a need to protect the woman and I’m confident she’ll provide me with a strong-willed, intelligent heir.”
He stared at his nephew. “I apologize for raising you to hold such beliefs.”
“Uncle. I’ve seen the pain of unrequited love. I will not subject myself to such agony. Miss White doesn’t love me, nor do I love her. It is a fine arrangement.”
Walter wanted to state that the pain of failure he was currently experiencing was far worse than years of loving another from afar. But he knew it would fall upon deaf ears. Nicholas’s jaw was set in determination. There was no changing the lad’s mind.
Henrietta and Miss White rejoined them. Henrietta stepped forward. “It will take you at least three days or more to arrange matters. Miss White does not wish to return to her uncle’s household, and…”
Nicholas reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a folded parchment. “Your family is not the only one who has access to the archbishop. I believe Miss White has the choice of either marrying me later this eve in a private ceremony held at a location of her choice, or we can set off for the border.”
Henrietta snatched the paper from Nicholas’s grasp. She unfolded it so he could view its contents along with her. His nephew’s claims he did not love the girl were false. Nicholas’s actions were that of a man fully in the depths of the emotion, even if he wasn’t ready to admit to it.
“Miss White, it appears Lord Darlington is able to offer you an alternative to your own and Bertha’s plans.”
“May I see the special license?”
Henrietta handed over the sheet of parchment. Miss White’s eyes swiftly ran over the document. “’Tis dated with yesterday’s date.”
“I apologize for my tardiness. However, your uncle misinformed me. He insinuated that you and your cousin had left town to attend a house party in the country. He would not provide me with the details. I had hoped Lady Henrietta would be able to provide me the information I needed to locate you.”
“You were looking for me?”
“Yes.”
Marina refolded the parchment and handed it back to Nicholas. “I’ll agree to wed you upon the condition you will honor your promise never to let my uncle near me again.”
“Done. Are we to wed here or in Scotland, my dear?”
“I’d like to confer with Aunt Henri for a moment.”
The two ladies once again huddled in the far corner.
“What did you say to Henrietta earlier?”
