Page 43 of The Duke's Last Dance
“I did. I thought that would be helpful, but she was nowhere to be found. I even asked a couple of footmen if they had seen her,” Nicolas said. He had hoped that would have worked, but Miss Amelia had disappeared. She had either been incredibly busy, or she had got a task and gone out to town to finish it. He wasn’t sure what the reason was, but he knew she had not been there. “I thought Catherine would have appreciated that.”
“Did you tell her that you tried to find Miss Amelia and that you could not find her?” Lord Radcliff raised an eyebrow now.
Nicolas only shook his head.
In truth, he had not thought he could tell her because he thought it would make her want to wait until Miss Amelia could chaperone them.
“Perhaps you should have. She may have been willing to hear you out,” Lord Radcliff continued. “I do not know what else to tell you, Lord Lockhart. However, I do believe you have to think of something soon.”
“Why is that?” Nicolas looked at his friend.
Lord Radcliff’s face had turned grave, as if he had news that he knew that Nicolas would not like to hear.
“I believe the Duke of Hestina plans to ask my sister for her hand in courtship soon, Lord Lockhart. Sooner rather than later, at least,” Lord Radcliff said. “He seems set on a courtship with her, and he has been pursuing her since they met at Hyde Park at the beginning of the Season. It seems he plans to have her in a courtship by the end of the Season, if not much sooner.”
“Would your father allow her to court him so soon after meeting?” Nicolas was at a loss. How could she?
“I believe so. My mother and father both agree that he is a charming young man, and they both approve of him. I worry that she is going to take that as a chance to get away and see what her heart wants. If she does that, then you have no way to hold Miss Alexia off and please your father at the same time.”
“I cannot marry her, Lord Radcliff,” he said, putting his head in his hands. “I cannot. I cannot do it. She is so self-centered. What kind of woman makes the remark of finding the best dress in all the town upon learning that she has been invited to be someone’s partner at a wedding? A wedding, Lord Radcliff! A wedding.”
“I know.” Lord Radcliff nodded slowly. “She is not the kind of woman any respectable man would marry. I fear that your father does not realize this, or he knows and does not care.”
“I would believe that he knows and does not care, so long as I do what he wants,” Nicolas said, sighing. “Thank you for trying to give me hope.”
“Do you have a better idea of what you’re going to do?” Lord Radcliff pursed his lips. “I hope you do, for your own sake.”
“I believe so.”
Nicolas thanked his friend once again for listening to his rant, and then got himself a drink. They continued to talk about other things, mainly Lord Radcliff’s upcoming wedding, as a way to distract Nicolas from what he was going through.
However, it only made one thing more apparent to Nicolas. He no longer cared about his father’s ultimatum or the chance that he would lose his inheritance if he were not to marry Miss Alexia. He needed Lady Catherine to know how he felt about her, about his situation, and just about everything in general. He needed her to know that he had not given up on her when he went away to the Navy.
He had to confess his true feelings for her before it was too late.
“Lord Radcliff, do you know what Lady Catherine’s plans are for your wedding breakfast?” Nicolas looked up at his friend.
“I do not, but I know she intends on attending.” Lord Radcliff pursed his lips. “Why do you ask?”
“Do you believe she would go with the Duke of Hestina if she had the chance?”
“I do believe so. Lord Lockhart… what are you thinking?” Lord Radcliff smirked a little, as if he already knew what he wanted to do.
“I want you to keep her from accepting an invitation from any of the other guests on the list to attend with them. Especially from the Duke of Hestina. I have heard things about him, and served with him for a time. He is not the kind of man that Catherine would want to be with in the end, and I think she ought to know this,” Nicolas said. “If she does not go with anyone to your wedding breakfast, I will have a better chance at catching her in a position where I can talk to her.”
“I know Miss Amelia plans to attend to chaperone Catherine, whether she goes with a partner or not,” Lord Radcliff mused. “I believe this should be easily done. May I tell Miss Amelia what you wish of me?”
“No. I think she will figure it out on her own and keep the secret. I do not believe she would do the same if you told her outright what we want to do; she is very loyal to Catherine, if I remember correctly,” Nicolas said, shaking his head.
“That she is,” Lord Radcliff responded. “That she is. All right, I will not tell her what you have asked of me.”
“Good.” Nicolas smiled. “Thank you, Lord Radcliff, for helping me to do this.”
“Of course, Lord Lockhart. Anything for a friend of mine, and anything to see Catherine with a man that I believe will take good care of her in a marriage.” Lord Radcliff lifted his drink to toast Nicolas. “To making sure Catherine marries for the right reasons and the right man.”
“To making sure Catherine is happy,” Nicolas said.
They laughed a little and then toasted. As Nicolas took a sip of his brandy, he could not help but wonder if he was doing the right thing. There was nothing he would have hated more than to find out he was not doing the right thing, and that Catherine was set on going with the Duke of Hestina.
