Page 46 of The Duke of Aces
In the dim light of the coach, she noted Charlotte’s knee bobbing ever so slightly beneath her skirts. Isadora summoned her courage and flickered her gaze between Drake and Charlotte. Neither looked comfortable. “Drake, are you still planning to join Minerva and me for tea tomorrow?”
“No.” Drake stared at Charlotte and continued, “I’ve decided to go on a Grand Tour now that it is somewhat safe to travel once more. I will be busy making arrangements.”
“There is no need for games or lies amongst the four of us.” Tom sighed. “Drake refuses to challenge Minerva.”
Isadora glared at Drake. “Why are you such a stubborn mule?”
“Minerva deserves a husband to grant her every wish…and I’m simply not that man.” He crossed his arms and looked at the coach windows. “The Crown can banish me wherever it pleases, but I cannot marry your sister.”
Silence descended upon the coach.
The warmth of Tom’s touch long gone, Isadora pulled her cloak tighter about her. “Will you be back in time for my wedding?”
Drake’s eyes went wide. “Wedding?”
“Aye. His Grace proposed this eve, and I accepted.”
Charlotte patted Isadora’s knee. “Drake cannot simply return when he wishes. That is not how things work.”
Isadora looked at Tom. “I swore I wouldn’t marry before Minerva. We have… A hundred days. A hundred days to find Minerva a husband.”
“A hundred days?” Both Tom and Drake repeated simultaneously.
“Aye, we have ninety days in which to hold the ceremony after the banns have been read for three consecutive weeks.” Pleased with her concise explanation, Isadora glanced about the coach at its occupants. “A hundred days.”
Three sets of bewildered eyes looked back at her. What was the problem?
Drake scowled at her. “Minerva won’t like you interfering with her plans.”
“Mayhap, but since you will be traveling, I shall manage my sister.”
Charlotte looked to Drake and then to Tom. The siblings were communicating again. Would she be privy to their code once she married Tom?
Tom exhaled and said, “I appreciate all your efforts, Charlotte, but no, we will not be marrying by special license. We shall instead assist Isadora in finding Minerva a suitable husband.”
Her heart leapt. Tom had backed her request. Perhaps Lady Luck was on her side this eve, for why else had she been blessed with such an understanding and supportive fiancé?
Charlotte nodded. “Very well. I shall begin compiling a list first thing in the morn.” Her future sister-in-law reached out and gave Isadora’s hands a squeeze. It would be nice to have another sister, one she wouldn’t have to keep secrets from. Once she married Tom, she’d no longer be able to share her activities with Minerva or Diana. It would place them in jeopardy.
Drake stiffened in his seat. “Who do you have in mind?”
“It is of no concern of yours,” Tom answered. “And it appears you shall miss both Minerva and Isadora’s weddings. Shame, considering how close you are to the Malbury family.”
The poignant sentiment hit Isadora in the chest. Anger, frustration, and disappointment all rolled through her at once. She pinned Drake with a stare. “Whatever your reasoning is for not complying, it had best be worth it to you.”
The coach rolled to a stop, and Isadora quickly gathered her skirts to exit before Drake could respond. But Charlotte placed a hand out to stop her. She peeked out as the coach door opened. They weren’t at the Malbury townhouse. They were in front of Drake’s residence.
What the devil was going on?
Tom nudged Drake. “Time to pack. I shall assist.”
Drake shuffled out the door without a word or a backward glance. Tom followed but stuck his head back in. “I shall meet you both at Lord Torrance’s.”
Confused, Isadora waited for the coach door to close before asking, “Why am I going to Lord Torrance’s residence?”
Charlotte shrugged. “We simply follow orders, not make them.”
Isadora sat back as the coach lurched forward. This would be her first insight into what her life would be like once she married Tom.
