Page 23 of Rescued from Betrayal
Nathaniel took up his pacing again about the room. “How is Melior taking all of this?”
“Why not ask her yourself?” a feminine voice said from the door.
Heat crept up his neck when he turned to see Melior herself, her dark hair only half up and the rest hanging in waves downher back. He’d not seen so much of her hair since she’d begun pinning it up at sixteen. It was now well past her waist.
“Well, I shall leave you two to talk.” Then under his breath, Eddie muttered, “It is about time.”
Tension filled the air when the door shut. There were so many things to say, but none of them came to mind as he took in Melior’s appearance.
There were dark circles under her eyes as if she’d not slept well and the dress she wore looked as if it had seen better days. She slowly crossed to the settee and sat daintily on the edge, but her posture was not as perfect as was her habit. Regret pulled at him. She seemed to be taking this far worse than he’d initially thought.
Had he made the right choice to offer for her? Perhaps Lord Caraway could have been persuaded to step in and save her. The two seemed to have a tendre for one another—or at least Melior seemed to like him a great deal.
Would Lord Caraway have been a better option, or an option at all? What if he and Melior could never make this marriage work? Would she run to Lord Caraway?
“I…” He cleared his throat. “I came for your at-home yesterday, but only your mother was in the parlor.”
“Yes, well there is no point in being at home to visitors when no one will be coming to see me.”
“I am no one?” He frowned.
“That is not what I meant, Sir Nathaniel. I only meant to say that since the scandal none of my friends will have anything to do with me… or their mothers forbid them from visiting. Doubtless too afraid I will have a bad influence on their daughters.”
She exhaled and with it her posture deflated.
He’d not even thought of that. How callous of him. Here he’d been assuming she was pouting or avoiding him, only to realize she had not expected to see anyone… not even him.
Had she really so little opinion of him? He’d kept his distance from her these last few years, but now, with their upcoming nuptials, she should have at least anticipated speaking with him once before their marriage. There were many things that needed to be discussed.
Then again, he’d not gone out of his way to make certain such a discussion happened, mostly because he was a coward. Not that he feared Melior. She was not prone to fits of rage like her mother. But with their change in circumstances her opinion had suddenly begun to matter.
He’d avoided pondering on her view of him in the past, but now it was more important than ever. Did she have any gentle feelings toward him, or was he only an annoyance to her? Could she ever come to care for him, to build a life with him, share a bed with him? He swallowed hard. The thought pushed him back into motion.
When he reached the window he stopped and stared at the people making their way along the busy street outside.
“I am making the best of the situation,” Melior said from behind him.
He turned, his forehead scrunching in confusion.
“You asked how I was holding up. I suppose you were asking Eddie, but I am answering.”
She returned to a more proper posture, her attention on the chair across from her. He understood the hint and crossed to sit with her.
“I am glad of it.” He threaded his fingers together to keep his hands from fidgeting. “I am sorry I did not send for you sooner. As we are to be married tomorrow, I felt there were things to be discussed.”
She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him but remained silent. That one expression carried with it a world of meaning. She might as well have given him an entire lecture. One that called into question the amount of time that had elapsed from the day of the scandal until today. There was also hurt behind the look.
“Melior… may I call you Melior?”
She let out a slow breath. “I suppose you can call me whatever you wish.”
Her lack of enthusiasm stung. “And you must call me Nathaniel, or Nate. Whichever you prefer.”
“Nathaniel will do fine.”
He nodded and glanced down at his hands. “I know this is not what either of us expected or wanted. It will be a hard adjustment. I had not expected to take a wife for some time yet, so my home is not prepared, but you are welcome to change whatever you would like in order to suit your needs. I only ask that you consult with my mother about the drawing room and west parlor. Those rooms have been her particular favorites. And of course she will have control over her set of rooms.”
Melior stared straight ahead, her face devoid of emotion. He waited in case she had any questions, but when she did not move he went on.
