Page 47 of The Duke of Aces
Chapter Twenty-Five
Candlelight seeped beneaththe drawing room door of Lord Torrance’s modest townhome. Tom crept toward the room Isadora was ensconced in. Guilt plagued him. He should have explained to Isadora that it wasn’t in his full control to delay their vows. Instead, he let her believe they could play matchmaker for Minerva without consequence. He was a coward.
Ear pressed to the thick wood panel, Tom waited a moment.
Lord Torrance’s warm baritone voice filtered through the door. “Lady Isadora, I understand your plight. But we must act swiftly on the information Avondale and Lady Charlotte recently obtained. I cannot in good conscience send you abroad with Avondale without the two of you first being wed.”
“My sister has taken great care of my family. She deserves happiness and a family of her own. I will not marry before her.” Isadora’s tone was resolute.
Tom winced in anticipation of his handler’s response, but when Lord Torrance remained silent, Tom placed a hand on the door handle—ready to enter at any moment.
“Lady Isadora, let me be clear—we do not tolerate insubordination within the Foreign Office. There are consequences.”
“Until Tom and I are wed, I’m not officially a part of such an organization. My family comes first.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Your Grace, stop milling about and enter,” Lord Torrance ordered.
He opened the door and smiled at the sight of Isadora standing toe-to-toe with the man that was like a father to him. “Beg pardon for my late arrival.”
“Of all the women who have crossed your path…” Lord Torrance said, staring at his intended, “You have chosen wisely.”
Tom agreed wholeheartedly. He entered the room and stopped at the sight of Charlotte laid out upon the settee, hands tucked under her cheek with a thick blanket covering her as she slumbered. Since they arrived home from France, his sister had not stopped running from one errand to the next. He should have assisted her more rather than brooding in his rooms over Isadora. He walked over to his sister and tucked the blanket around her.
Eyes closed, Charlotte hissed, “Go away, you will draw their attention to me!”
“I should have known you were feigning,” Tom whispered back. He planted a kiss on the top of Charlotte’s head, which she rarely let him do anymore.
Tom wiped the smile from his face and turned around to join Torrance and Isadora by the fire. “What has been decided?”
“Nothing.” The pair said in unison, and they both continued to glare at each other.
Isadora was magnificent, and the crinkle at the corner of Torrance’s eyes told Tom, Torrance agreed.
He wrapped an arm about Isadora’s waist and faced Torrance. “There must be a reasonable solution.”
“I have tried to convey to your intended here the import of the two of you marrying immediately. Your aunt and I made a great number of promises in order to obtain the special license.”
“I appreciate the lengths you have gone to in order to see to Tom’s happiness.” Isadora leaned in and placed a chaste kiss upon Tom’s cheek. “However, I will not yield. Minerva is more important to me than my own welfare.” She spun from Tom’s hold and began to pace.
Tom opened his mouth to respond when Torrance nudged him in his back and shook his head. They watched as Isadora muttered to herself, proposing and then discarding various schemes attempting to balance out everyone’s goals until she came to a stop mid-turn. “Aha.”
The corners of Torrance’s mouth twitched. “This should be enlightening.”
Isadora came to stand before Tom and tugged on his lapel. “Your Aunt is famed for her matchmaking abilities. She must have a running list of eligible bachelors. We will host an engagement party and invite them all.”
“But Minerva has declared she will only marry the man who can defeat her in chess. That is no easy feat.” Tom glanced at Torrance for assistance, but his mentor simply shrugged.
“I shall recruit my brother-in-law’s help.” Isadora’s eyes were bright and filled with hope. “We can develop a set of signals, and Chestwick can assist the gentleman. If Minerva believes her opponent to be worthy and he can charm her, she will allow him to defeat her, and voila she’ll be engaged and married in short order.”
“You’re willing to trick your own sister into marriage?” Torrance asked.
“I cannot trick Minerva. She is far too smart for that, but she currently believes she lacks options. We simply need to show her she has the pick of the litter, so to speak.”
Tom chuckled, “I’m not certain I care for your reference to my peers as hounds, nor do I follow your plan entirely, however, I believe in you, and thus we should attempt it.” If it worked, it would mean Isadora would be his wife sooner rather than later.
He was rewarded with a kiss, and when Isadora was done kissing him, she pulled back and said, “Charlotte you can stop pretending to slumber. What do you think of my plan?”
Charlotte stood and brushed a hand over her rumpled dress. “I like Lady Minerva. If marriage is truly what she wishes, then I say we have much to do.”
