Page 37 of Defying the Earl
Adelaide laughed once more. “You couldn’t have seriously thought that wouldn’t happen, did you? It is always the way. Even with my very brief courtship of Lady Adelaide, if you could even call it a courtship under our circumstances, but still there were entries in the betting books about us.”
“Was her ladyship angry?”
“She never knew. And I doubt at this point, anyone will think to tell her.”
Nathan grinned at his old friend. “You’d better hope not, at least.”
To his shock, Adelaide shrugged. “To be honest, she might actually feel flattered, so it might not be the disaster you think it to be.”
Nathan was sceptical but didn’t bother to press the matter. This was not why he had asked his friend to meet with him. The viscount clearly understood this.
“You didn’t ask me here to get advice on ladies, did you, Braxton?”
Nathan snorted with amusement, as was expected, but part of him, in that moment, actually considered the possibility. He wouldn’t mind someone telling him what he ought to do in this case, he mused. Adelaide had found himself wed quite suddenly when he hadn’t been planning on it. It was entirely possible he would have something useful to share. But Adelaide was right, Nathan had other things on his mind.
“I need to find someone trustworthy to take over an important matter,” Nathan said without actually telling the viscount anything.
Adelaide’s gaze sharpened even as amusement lit his face. “That was the vaguest statement I’ve heard in a se’en-night.” He leaned closer to Nathan slightly and lowered his voice, being careful not to appear as though they were sharing secrets or that would draw too much attention. “Is it for Chamberlain?” he asked, barely moving his lips and not even looking directly at Nathan.
Nathan had trouble suppressing his mirth. He had never been involved in any assignments for the Home Office that were of any particular degree of confidentiality so he was unused to subterfuge of any sort.
“Mayhap” he finally said when he could be confident that he wouldn’t burst into raucous laughter.
“One of my brothers could help,” Adelaide assured him so quietly that Nathan could barely hear him without leaning closer. “Give me a couple hours and I’ll have someone for you.”
Nate stared at the other man, sure that surprise was written all over his face.
“What?” Adelaide demanded. “Just because I couldn’t be a ‘real’ agent like you fellows doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it.”
Nathan wondered if perhaps Adelaide was a far more ‘real’ agent than he himself had ever been. The man’s mind was complex and deep. But that didn’t matter at this point. He could now leave the matter in capable hands and get back to sorting out the other complication in his life.
Chapter Nineteen
Beatrice was circling the dancefloor with Lord Henley. He was a pleasant gentleman with whom she had danced a few days prior. He had also sent flowers and called on her during the Ladies’ at home visiting time. Nerves tightened her midsection. It would seem he might be courting her.
She ought to be delighted. And a part of her was. He was pleasant. She had thought that already, she admonished herself, trying to remain attentive to the goings on around her. Pleasant was good, though, she argued back to herself while trying to keep a smile in place. He wasn’t the most talkative gentleman. But then, she wasn’t being chatty either.
The dance separated them for a moment, which felt like a reprieve. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the gentleman, she just was having second thoughts about accepting a proposal, if one were to be forthcoming, that is.
Her gaze was snagged by Nathan across the crowded room. She didn’t wish to be so very aware of him. Since the opera, all she could think about, despite every best effort, was that brief but delicious kiss. And the fact that he had dropped them off and not another word was heard from him. He had forgotten about his promise to take her and the Ladies to see Parliament,it would seem, and had lost interest in her already. Did that mean he had won his wager or lost it? She could see that he was in conversation with the same gentlemen she had seen him with that first fateful night. Nathan had called them louts and admonished her to have nothing to do with them, especially after Mr. Robertson had arranged an introduction and a dance.
Why would he continue such an association? Had the entire farce been a setup of sorts?
The dance brought her back to Lord Henley and it was almost a relief even though it had been a reprieve earlier when they parted – such are her circuitous thoughts and emotion. Bea tried to be pleasant and interested. She was interested, she insisted to herself. The crops on his estate were actually of interest to her since she had read all those books on crops and such, especially ones that could grow close to the sea.
“Might I take you for a drive tomorrow, Lady Beatrice?”
Her cheeks warmed. “That would be delightful, my lord, thank you,” she replied gently as he escorted her to the edge of the dancefloor just as the orchestra brought the music to a close. She repeated it more firmly in her head, it would be a delight, she insisted.
Nathan, Lord Braxton, was not for her, obviously. But she had found herself enjoying certain aspects of being part of thetonfar more than she would have expected. Even if Nathan’s courtship had been fake, it had afforded her the opportunity to possibly have a real one. That was to be rejoiced over, wasn’t it?
Of course it was, she repeated firmly in her thoughts.
“You were mighty popular again tonight, my dear,” Lady Charlotte complimented once they were settled in the carriage to go home.
“Thank you,” Bea replied, unsure if that was the proper answer for such a statement.
“I don’t know what has gotten into that wretch of a nephew of ours. He only danced with you once, and it was a silly country dance.”
