Page 60 of The Duke's Indecent Match
Nathanial shot her a look.Even though his wife was out of earshot, neither Daniel, the coachman, nor the footman the Blackstones had sent with him was.Neither was Emma nor Fiona.
Though Emma was peering at him as suspiciously as Julianna.Only Fiona was unaffected, thoroughly enjoying the activity of unloading the various boxes and trunks.
“I got married,” he replied blandly.
Pursing her lips, Julianna narrowed her eyes at him in a manner that was very reminiscent of their mother.That she was wearing one of their mother’s old dresses only increased the resemblance.
“Without us,” she said accusingly.“And nothing but a note saying that it was happening and that you would be returning from the Blackstones to here rather than going on to London.”
“There was no need to be in London once I had a bride.”Though he would need to send for his things at some point.Or, more likely, Drake would send them on once he returned to the capital.He’d been kind enough to let Nathanial stay with him and not mention it to the rest of their friends.
They all knew that Nathanial was up the River Tick, but he hadn’t wanted all of them to know exactly how bad it was.Matthew would have hounded him about borrowing money.Christian and Gregory likely would not have been much better.He’d avoided asking Sebastian and Zachary because their households had contained nosy females—neither of the dowager duchesses was among those he would trust with the information about how far the Herefords had fallen.
Drake had been both understanding and discreet, and he had let Nathanial keep his pride.He’d made Nathanial feel like a guest in his home rather than the charity case he truly was, and Nathanial would be forever grateful for that.
“She’s very pretty,” Fiona piped up from beside him, causing Nathanial to give Julianna another look.At ten years old, Fiona had not learned discretion yet, and often repeated things she heard but did not understand.
“She is.”
“And rich?”Emma whispered with a glance at the men who were beginning to carry the trunks inside, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt.
One of them stood by the heads of the carriage horses, far enough away that he probably could not hear.The guilt that Nathanial felt over leaving his sisters here at the dilapidated hall rose up inside Nathanial once more.They’d been stuck here, waiting to hear what their fates would be, waiting on him, and not knowing what was going on.
“Very,” he replied softly.Straightening away from the trunk he’d been about to lift, he turned and faced his sisters.Despite his feelings about how he had attained his new wife, he was glad that he could now reassure his sisters that they were safe.They would be taken care of.Their financial worries were over.Looking across their three faces—Julianna and Emma’s expressions consumed with anxious worry and a touch of hope, Fiona’s full of pure trust—he cleared his throat.
“My new wife had a substantial dowry—no I’m not going to tell you how much—but enough that I am going to pay off the remainder of the debts, pay the Milfords, hire new staff, and Julianna will have her debut next year.”
Fiona cheered as Julianna’s shoulders sagged in relief, and Emma stepped up beside her, putting her arm around Julianna and bolstering her.It was then that Nathanial realized how much pressure Julianna must have been feeling, wondering if Nathanial would be able to restore the family’s fortunes or if it would be up to her.Seeing his sisters’ joy was almost enough to make him think he should forgive his new wife and her father their duplicity.
Almost.
He could have gone deeper into what his plans for the money—the investments, the improvements to the estate that would yield future benefits—but he did not want to bore them.Besides, it would be more satisfying to put things into motion and see their reactions as their lives all changed.They did not need to know the details, only that he had done what he needed to in order to provide for them.
Which included marrying a woman who had trapped him.
The war between gratitude and anger had grown even stronger as he watched his sisters’ reactions.The fact that he had to feel grateful at all fueled a simmering resentment.
“Does that mean I can keep my pets?”Fiona asked.
“No,” chorused three voices all at once.
Fiona pouted, but everyone else was in agreement.Nathanial could only imagine how overrun the house would become if they gave Fiona permission.
“But we will start having more animals on the grounds, and I will make a special place in the stables for you to keep any of the injured ones you find,” Nathanial conceded.
Fiona beamed while Julianna and Emma rolled their eyes.Neither of them was truly upset; they all agreed that Fiona was overindulged, yet none of them was willing to stop.
She was the only one who did not remember their earlier life, before their father had completely drained the estate’s coffers.It also meant she had never experienced life as anything other than a struggle, her elders worrying over money, wearing her sisters’ hand-me-downs, and an increasingly dwindling staff.No wonder she had chosen to make friends with the animals rather than the people, with as many as had been let go or moved away after not receiving their pay over the years.
She was also the only one who truly missed their father because she had not realized his lies for what they were.
So, they did what they could to give her life joy.Thankfully, she was a naturally happy child, especially with her ‘pets’.
“Will there be horses?”she asked, her eyes lighting up.
“There will,” he assured her solemnly.“Horses and dogs.We can also restore the goat herd.”
Fiona threw her hands in the air and spun in happy circles that made her twin plaits fly out around her like a miniature cyclone.“Goats!”
