Page 9 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
“Never,” she said, smiling. “Although I should call you Father, you know. You raised me from the age of ten.”
Nash grimaced. “No, thank you. Only one man held that title in this house, and that’s how I would like to keep it.”
“What will you have your children call you?”
“I haven’t thought that far yet, but I suppose they can call me Nash.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Men. Your children cannot call you by your name. They might as well call you Barrington.”
The sound of his first name made Nash wince.
Why did my parents choose such a name? It sounds more like a last name and is far too formal for any child to carry. Thank goodness, they were wise enough to give me a shorter second name.
“They can call me Papa,” Nash decided. “Have you finalised the menu with Mrs Black?”
The smile on his sister’s face died. “Yes. She’ll go to the market in the morning to purchase all the ingredients we need.”
“That’s good. The Ruperts always enjoy your dinners.”
“Yes, I suppose they do,” Ellie half-heartedly agreed. “This will be the tenth dinner with them since David expressed his wish to marry me. Do you not think that excessive?”
“Not for people who will become your in-laws. The dinners also give you time to spend with David.”
“I have spent enough time with him.”
Nash didn’t like where this conversation was going. “What do you mean by that? You haven’t been seeing him in secret, have you?
His sister looked at him as though he had grown horns. “Are you touched in your upperworks? Why on earth would I do that? I would never do anything to breed scandal and bring shame to our family name. The Stratford name will never be sullied by my actions.”
Relief flowed into him. “Thank goodness! Too many young women are taking matters into their own hands and falling prey to temptation.”
“I do not wish to have this conversation with my brother,” Ellie insisted.
“If not me, then who? I am your brother, after all.”
“Precisely. A sister doesn’t discuss such things with her brother, but with her mother or sister.”
“You do not have either of these,” he reminded her.
“Thank you for that reminder. Why don’t we eat our dinner? I tire of this conversation.”
Nash widened his eyes but said nothing else. His sister was in a foul mood, and he had no idea what had brought it on. Ellie wasn’t usually one for tempers, preferring to maintain a mild disposition. She was neither too jolly nor too serious and could be depended upon to have a level head in all situations.
Nash could rely on his sister for anything and never worried about the household because she took care of everything. While he was happy to see her married, it would also be a sad day for him.
Silence stretched between them as they ate their dinner. They had never had such a quiet meal before, at least, none that he could recall. Was she really so vexed with him?
“Your birthday is in three months,” she said quite suddenly. “What would you like to do?”
She must not be too angry if she could still speak about his birthday. “The same as every year,” he replied.
“I think we should do something different this year.”
“Such as?”
She shrugged. “I have yet to think of anything. Do you have any ideas?”
Getting her married would be a wonderful birthday gift, but Nash was wise enough not to say anything. Ellie had just started talking to him after what felt like hours of silence— why spoil it?
