Page 13 of The Duke's Last Dance
Nicolas nodded slowly.
He had left a letter for Catherine, telling her exactly what had happened and that he would be back to see her as soon as he could. He wanted to write her letters, but he had never been able to see them get to her because he had never written hem. He couldn’t find the courage to do it without seeing a letter from her first.
“I will take that into consideration, Lord Radcliff. Thank you. Now, I thought we were heading to the club to play some cards,” Nicolas teased his friend.
“Yes, yes. You are right. It seems my sister’s welfare has hijacked our conversation and our plans. I apologize.” Lord Radcliff laughed.
“Do not apologize for looking out for your sister, Lord Radcliff. ‘Tis what I would do if I had a sister, and I can believe that Lady Catherine appreciates it, even if she doesn’t know what you are doing,” Nicolas replied.
They were silent on the walk to the gentleman’s club, Lockebel. It had been too long since he had been able to sincerely enjoy an evening out on the town, and he was looking forward to it. The only thing that would have made it better was if he had been able to start courting Lady Catherine and have her on his arm as they went to an opera tonight.
Perhaps later on this Season, he would be able to attend an opera in that manner. He could imagine that she would be dressed in the finest of laces, colors, and fabrics, and he would have no issue paying for such a beautiful dress. He wanted her to look her best on his arm…
“What has you all aflutter tonight, Lord Lockhart? Thinking about wooing my sister?” Lord Radcliff’s voice startled him out of the thoughts he was having about Lady Catherine attending an opera with him.
“Yes, I am. Is there a problem with that? You are the one that just told me you had thought that we would get married, after all,” Nicolas teased. If Lord Radcliff was going to tease him about thinking about wooing Lady Catherine, he was going to tease Lord Radcliff about that little fact.
Lord Radcliff’s cheeks turned bright red.
“I did not mean to embarrass you, Lord Radcliff.” Nicolas laughed a little. “Did I embarrass you?”
“Only a little bit. I did not realize you would take it seriously after last night and how she half-ignored you,” Lord Radcliff confessed. “Do you believe there is still a chance?”
“If there is, then I will take it. If not, then I will try one last time to find out.” Nicolas was not sure what he thought about his best friend telling him to court his sister, but if that was any kind of permission, then he would take it.
He still got nervously excited around her, and after three years of being away from Town and Lady Catherine, then he was willing to take that as a sign that he was still in love with her, and still felt much the same way he had when he gave her the brooch.
“Good to hear.” The conversation dropped entirely as they entered the club.
Nicolas could not pay attention to the games as they played. His mind was consumed with the thought of having one final chance to win Catherine’s heart, and what his father would think of that. With such a controlling attitude that was sure to only tighten as he was losing grip on everything else, his father would want to see him married off to a woman that was closer to his own status.
He shuddered to think of the ways his father could control his life now that he was home from deployment, and no longer in the Navy service for the moment.
While he had been abroad, his father had no chance to control his life.
Nicolas decided to leave the club before Lord Radcliff. He bade his friend good night and walked home. Wooing Lady Catherine was now his goal for while he was home. He hoped that, somewhere, the same spark of love they had had as children was still alive in her heart. If it was, then he had a shot at winning her over again and convincing her that leaving without word was a fluke.
If it was not, then he had no chance with her. Breaking a lady’s heart was an unforgiveable offense, and he would understand if his childhood sweetheart no longer wanted anything to do with the promise that he had made her.
Then again, she had been wearing the brooch at dinner last night. That alone would not have happened if she believed that he would never give her another chance to court him. So, as Nicolas went to bed that night, he carried that hope in his heart. His father would not – could not – destroy his hope if he was unaware of the hope in the first place.
When he woke up the next morning, he had good spirits. If he could at least go see Lady Catherine today, then perhaps he would get something from her more than what he had gotten at the dinner at Camberton.
He did lie in bed for a little while, trying to decide what the best approach would be. He did not know where she was going today nor what her plans for the Season were. He hoped that she was not planning to debut and see other suitors, but given what she had felt when he left for the Navy, that would not have surprised him.
He would just have to make sure that she saw what he was, and who he was.
He got out of bed, and Nicolas knew that he would have to at least go see her. Though it was not that far to Camberton Manor, he had a feeling that he was more likely to see her at the park or in Town than at her home. It would be better manners to seek her out there instead of at home now that they were adults, anyway.
He got dressed, and once he was satisfied with that, he went to eat. His father did not show up for breakfast, which he had expected, but his mother was there.
“I am glad to see you are settling into the Town Season well, Nicolas,” his mother said. “How was dinner at Camberton Manor?”
“Camberton was just as I remembered it, and I do believe that Lady Catherine has grown to be a beautiful young woman.” He smiled. “I met Lord Radcliff’s fiancée, a beautiful young woman named Miss Andrews. I believe they will have a happy marriage.”
“I am glad to hear that he is to be married soon. They will be getting married in the spring, and I hope you are still here for that, as I am sure Lord Radcliff would love to see you take part in his wedding.” His mother smiled, and then she continued to eat as if the conversation had not happened.
Nicolas ate slowly, not wanting to give his mother the impression that he wanted to go elsewhere. It would have been rude.
