Page 87 of The Duke's Indecent Match
Nathanial glanced over his shoulder.
“No engagement on your front?”
“Not yet.”Zachary grimaced.“But my mother has recruited my uncle, and now both of them are encouraging the match.Likely, I’ll be married to Lady Annabelle by the end of the Season.Or at least engaged.”He said it with all the cheer of a man walking to the gallows.
Nathanial shook his head.It was one thing to marry a lady when forced to by honor or even finances, but he could not imagine having a true choice and ceding it to someone else.No matter how Zachary’s mother was grieving, making such an important decision for her son seemed like a step too far to help her recover.
But it was not his place to say.
If Zachary was willing to let his mother choose his bride… well, he was the one who was going to have to live with that.For the rest of his life.
Nathanial wanted to ask after Delilah, but doing so would only pain Zachary more.He’d ask Gregory or Matthew for the gossip later when Zachary was out of earshot.
They rambled on to the club, securing a private room upon their arrival.Thankfully, it was a quiet day at White’s with very few gentlemen about.They were quickly ushered into the room, and drinks were served, along with some food to nibble on.
“So,” Nathanial said once the server had exited, closing the door behind him.He settled back into his chair, crystal glass in hand.“What have I missed?”
“It’s whatwe’vemissed,” Drake replied rather grimly.“Namely, our chance at catching Montblanc in England.We’re fairly certain he made it onto a ship to America.”
“Well… damn.”Nathanial leaned back and took a long sip of his drink as Drake repeated the report he’d gotten from the investigator who had picked up Montblanc’s trail.
“We’ve given the man money to follow Montblanc to America,” Sebastian put in.“But whether he’ll be able to find him over there…” His voice trailed off, and he shrugged.
“Which leaves us empty-handed for clues again, other than we knowsomeoneplanned the whole thing.”Matthew made a face.“But we do not know who they were aiming at, much less who was the mastermind.”
“Other than Montblanc was very much aiming at my father,” Gregory murmured.Montblanc’s niece had been a victim of the old Duke of Clarence’s depredations, and Gregory had the half-sister to prove it.According to Gregory, she had begged for clemency for her uncle, but Gregory could hardly promise her anything when they did not know the extent of Montblanc’s involvement, only that he had fled.
“But was he the person behind it, or did they just use Montblanc’s anger to their own ends?”Drake shook his head.“I would not assume anything.Especially as both you and your mother agree that Montblanc had no reason to take up against any of our fathers, and he was not the type to sacrifice the innocent for his revenge.”
“No, if anything, he was defending the innocent.”Gregory grimaced.He had no illusions about the kind of man his father had been.Even worse than Nathanial’s father, who had been neglectful and selfish but had not been physically violent and never abused the maids.
“Which leaves us back where we began.”Nathanial sighed.
“Actually, I want to have another look at the notes your father received,” Sebastian said.He was the one who had first noticed that several of the notes Gregory’s father had gotten were done by the same hand, though efforts had been taken to disguise the fact.“We never looked very closely at the notes that were not by Montblanc.Now that we suspect he may have been used by the mastermind behind it all, it’s possible others may have been recruited to the same cause.”
Nathanial blinked and took in what Sebastian was saying.A conspiracy was what he was describing.One that had ended with eight dead dukes.
“Bloody hell.”He took another large quaff of his drink, appreciating the burn as it slid down his throat.
And here he’d thought his marriage was the largest of his problems.
Kalina
“I told you they would realize,” Mei said, smiling warmly when she greeted Kalina, who had to laugh in response.She was wearing another outfit of dark green and ivory and gold, though slightly less elaborate in decoration than the one she’d donned for the house party.
Surrounded by her friends, all of who believed her innocence, had lightened her heart considerably.
“You did.If only you could induce my husband to do the same.”Kalina sighed as she sank onto the chair at the table.They were in Lady Astrid’s salon, a bright room decorated in the shades of a countryside sunset with creamy oranges dominating the color scheme.It could have been overwhelming, but she’d offset all the brighter hues with rust, copper, and cream, as well as delicately carved dark wooden furniture.
With the curtains open and sunlight streaming in, it was a relentlessly cheerful room, which felt exactly like what she needed right now.
“You have not told him?”Lady Astrid frowned as she began to pour the tea for all of them.
It was not a surprising response.Lady Astrid was a direct kind of person.Kalina admired the trait, but found herself unable to emulate it.
“There has not really been an opportunity to bring it up in conversation,” she replied truthfully.“His sisters are normally around when we are together.”
“Surely at night...”Tiffany let her voice trail off.
