Page 51 of The Duke's Indecent Match
“Are you unhappy with the outcome?”Tiffany asked, peering up at her.“I think that is also partly what has Astrid convinced—despite Christian’s attentions, you and Nathanial seemed drawn together over and over.”
Kalina’s shoulders hunched.
“I… I feel a connection with him,” she admitted.“If I were to choose which man to marry…” Not that she had been given a choice.“Though, perhaps Christian would be the better choice.Going by which man showed interest in me.”
Tiffany studied her for a long moment.
“Perhaps.Or perhaps if he were given the opportunity for a true choice, Nathanial would have chosen you, too.”Tiffany hesitated.“He has his reasons for holding back from you, but in some ways, I think the two of you are a better match than you and Christian would be.”
Kalina could only hope.
Though even if her soon-to-be husband was furious with her and believed she had trapped him, she could live with it now that she had at least one friend who knew the truth.
Nathanial
It was a rather strange stag night, gathered with his friends in the billiards room of Blackstone Manor.He did not have the heart to play.Neither did he want to drink.Instead, he slowly sipped some water while watching Matthew and Christian compete.
Billiards was one of the few arenas in which Matthew’s luck was not a factor, evening the playing field between him and his friends.Christian was currently winning and grinning from ear to ear over it, while Matthew was scowling and grumbling under his breath.
“This feels rather more like a funeral than is comfortable,” Gregory said, going for a bit of levity as he often did.He held a crystal snifter in his hand, the amber liquid inside it practically glowing in the gas lamplight.Leaning back in the heavy armchair he occupied, he glanced over at Nathanial.“Are you sure you will not have a drink?”
“That’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”
“Exactly, so it can hardly make things worse now.”
Despite himself, Nathanial snorted.It rather felt like gallows humor, but he could not help the spurt of amusement.Gregory was good at that.
“It could certainly be worse,” Matthew pointed out, turning his attention to the conversation rather than to the table where Christian was lining up a winning shot.“She could be a poor title hunter with no dowry.And ugly.And stupid.Instead, you’re going to have a beautiful, rich, clever wife.”
Matthew did have a way with words.
“What are you going to do if your coin decides on an ugly, poor, stupid wife for you?”Sebastian asked with some real curiosity.“Or are you banking on the idea that it would never do such a thing?”
The Lord of Luck blinked, caught off-kilter by the question.This time, Nathanial’s snort of amusement was not at all reluctant.Clearly, Matthew had never considered that his luck might go so awry.
“Do not listen to Sebastian; he described his own sister as plain and dull.”Gregory shook his head.“He has no idea how to judge a woman’s attributes.”
That made all of them laugh as Sebastian scowled.They’d all heard Sebastian’s descriptions, of course.Tiffany’s style, under Lady Astrid’s tutelage, had certainly improved, and she was far more fashionable now, wearing clothing that flattered her much more than her previous attire.Nathanial could only assume her mother’s influence had been to her detriment.Older women could become rather set in their ways, especially with fashion.
Yet, despite her beauty, she had never stirred him the way Miss Little did.
Christian let out a shout of triumph as he won the billiards match against Matthew, thrusting one fist into the air.Sighing, Matthew turned away and put the stick back in its holder on the wall.
“Anyone for cards?”he asked hopefully.
“Only if you pay me every time you win,” Gregory joked.
“There is an interesting experiment—would Matthew’s luck still have him winning the game, or would he begin losing because winning would have a different outcome?”Christian mused.
Before Matthew could respond, the door to the billiards room opened, and Drake and Zachary came striding in.As usual, Zachary’s monkey was riding on his shoulder, one tiny paw in Zachary’s hair, his little tail curled around Zachary’s neck.Rescued from an ill-tempered owner at a ball earlier in the Season, the monkey was thoroughly attached to Zachary, who had decided to name it after Sinclair, the only member of their little group to meet his untimely demise before finding a wife and heir.Well, the only member so far, but that was a black thought Nathanial pushed away from his mind.Sinclair’s tragic and unexpected death had been the catalyst for all of them to put more effort into the search for a bride.
The new arrivals were immediately met with glad greetings, especially Monkey Sinclair, who accepted the attention with gravitas worthy of a duke.
“I was not sure you would come,” Nathanial admitted.Since Zachary had not initially been a guest for the house party, he would not have blamed the other man for refusing the invitation now.
“And miss your wedding?”Zachary shook his head.“Besides, I needed to quit London while I had the chance.Being the only unmarried duke in the city was hardly a comfortable experience.Worse, my mother has begun campaigning for me to marry Lady Annabelle.”
“Lady Annabelle Walsh?”Sebastian asked.
