Page 48 of The Duke's Last Dance
Though he could understand that she was not happy to see that he had found her and insisted on talking to her alone – again – he could not understand the level of animosity that seemed to be coming from her right now.
Was he doing the right thing? Would she even give him the time of day, or even believe that he was truly not interested in Miss Alexia?
Then, he realized that she could have seen him escort Miss Alexia into the wedding breakfast. She had been facing the line of guests as they came into the dining room when he sat down. Had it been possible that she had seen him bring Miss Alexia in, and that was why she was giving him such animosity?
“I can sense that you have a lot of animosity towards me right now, and I can understand that,” he started. “But I promise you that I have something important to tell you, and I hope it will clear up any misunderstandings that you have had about my intentions and me over the last few weeks.”
“Make it quick, Nicolas. As I told you the last time you tried to corner me and talk to me alone, I have a reputation to uphold. ‘Twould not look good to be found alone with an unmarried man,” Catherine stated.
Her tone turned colder as she spoke, and he worried that he was losing the only chance he would have to do this.
“Do you remember when we would throw shillings into this fountain?” He knew this was probably a lame start, but he could not think of anything else. “Do you remember how angry the maids were every time they had to fetch the shillings and bring them back to us, but we would continue to throw the shillings in anyway because we liked the noise they made as they hit the bottom of the fountain?”
“I do. Where is this going, Lord Lockhart?” She snapped at him, and the use of his title made her feel as though she were going to really tell him something nasty when they got to the end of the conversation.
He attempted to say something more, but found himself unable to speak. His tongue seemed to have dried out, and all he could think about was the chance that perhaps she was hurt by something he could not even control.
If that was the case, then he had to find something to say, and soon.
Chapter Twenty-One
Catherine felt foolish. Of course she did not have a chance with Nicolas now. She had spurned him earlier, and now he had brought Miss Alexia to the wedding breakfast. If she had been smart, she would have brushed her realization off.
She looked up at him, jealous of how he had brought Miss Alexia. Until he had danced with her at Almack House, Catherine had never heard of Miss Alexia Balfour, and she wished it had stayed that way. She wanted to tell him to go jump in a river, go leave with Miss Alexia, or do whatever it was that he wished to do.
She just didn’t want to see his face.
He walked closer without another word, and she wondered what he planned to do. She watched carefully as he took a seat beside her on the fountain, despite the fact that they were both teetering on the edge of the fountain and could have easily fallen into the water with the slightest breeze.
“Lady Catherine,” he started, taking her hand. “What I am about to tell you is the truth. Do you understand that?”
She did not have the courage to say anything. Instead, she only nodded, not sure what else she could do. He took in a deep breath before saying anything else.
In that moment, she realized her heart skipped a beat when he took her hand in his. He stared down into her eyes with a passion that she could not understand, and it only made her heart skip again.
She wanted to believe, more than anything else in the world, that she had a chance with Lord Lockhart, but that did not seem to be possibly anymore. If he was to tell her that, then she was sure her heart would shatter into a million pieces as an icicle falling from the roof tended to do.
“My father has laid down an ultimatum. If I am to inherit his Dukedom, lands, and money, then I must marry Miss Alexia Balfour. If I fail to go through with it, I lose my inheritance,” he said. “I never wanted to be with Miss Alexia; not at Almack House and not here. Certainly not here at Lord Radcliff’s wedding breakfast.”
He was not winning any points with her with that statement. One could easily believe that he had meant to make her feel this way before telling her that it was hopeless to believe that he would be with her because he wanted to inherit the money.
“And why ought that matter to me, Lord Lockhart?” Catherine frowned, but she did not have the courage to pull her hand away or move away from him.
She wanted to believe so badly…
“Because I have decided that I do not want it.” His statement echoed softly in the empty gardens. “I do not want it, because none of that has you in it. I want a life with you. Lady Catherine, I love you, and I always have. ‘Twas not my idea to go into the Navy, and I thought that a letter I had written to you had told you that. When Lord Radcliff told me how devastated you had been, I realized the letter never made it to you.”
Catherine swallowed hard. This was exactly what she wanted to hear, and her heart was beginning to melt. He had a reason for being with Miss Alexia, and she could not fault him for following his father’s wishes…
“But, you cannot throw away your inheritance just for me, Lord Lockhart,” she whispered. “I won’t let you.”
“Catherine, my father has meant to keep us apart for many years; that is why he sent me into the Navy and that is why he wants me to marry Miss Alexia, who is probably one of the most self-centered people I have ever met. It is not worth it to me, to inherit all that money but live a life that I would do anything to get out of,” Nicolas stated. “You are the woman I want to marry, with all my heart. I have loved you for many years, and I do not believe I could put a finger on when I first started to love you. That is how much I love you, and for how long I have loved you.”
Catherine’s heart fluttered.
“Besides, you are worth so much more to me than a title and wealth that would come with it. I will be a pauper if I need to so I may be with you.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
She felt her cheeks coloring, but she did not try to stop it.
