Page 15 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
The night was bound to be a long one. Between stroking Mr. Sinclair’s ego every time he set up a compliment about himself and trying not to shut Miss Alice out completely, he was utterly exhausted—and he was yet to begin what he’d come here for in the first place.
Chapter Six
“My lord, why don’t we retire to the parlour? I have a glass of brandy that I think you would enjoy.”
Cedric would have fallen to the floor in dramatic thanksgiving for those words. That meant this terrible night of false niceties and forced conversations was coming to an end. After the dinner, the guests gathered in the oversized drawing room for more conversation, more wine, and entertainment. Miss Alice certainly showed her skill in both song and the pianoforte and perhaps Cedric would have been able to enjoy it if he hadn’t been too busy contemplating the consequences of throwing himself out the nearest window to escape.
The guests had dwindled down until there was only Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Sinclair—a withdrawn and pallid woman whom Cedric didn’t meet until well into the dinner—and Miss Alice. He had just considered announcing his leave before Mr. Sinclair’s invitation.
“We shall take our leave then,” Miss Alice said as she got to her feet. “Tonight was wonderful, Father. I bid you goodnight. My lord,” she turned to face Cedric and he tensed, “it was a pleasure spending this evening with you and I hope we will be able to do so again in the future.”
“Good night,” Mrs. Sinclair said softly as she stood and followed her daughter out of the room.
Mr. Sinclair waited until they were gone to stand and indicate that Cedric should follow him. They made their way to another door off to the side, which led to that parlor Mr. Sinclair had spoken of. It was a far smaller room with dark wallpaper and decorations, a large sideboard occupying the back wall. Cedric claimed a high-backed armchair and watched as Mr. Sinclair ambled over to the sideboard to retrieve the glass of brandy and two glasses.
He came over, sat in the chair across from Cedric, and poured a hearty amount into both cups.
“This is a sipping spirit, my lord,” Mr. Sinclair said. “But I must say, I enjoy it so much that I tend to drink it far faster than it was intended to be consumed. I hope you can handle your spirits, my lord.”
“I believe I’ll be able to hold my own,” Cedric murmured as he took a sip. It was indeed strong but smooth as it went down. He watched as Mr. Sinclair took a few gulps then struggled to hide his grimace.
Mr. Sinclair set his cup on the end table next to his chair. “After tonight, I believe I have earned the right to speak informally to you, Cedric. We are friends, are we not? Friends with mutual goals.”
Cedric didn’t like the insinuation behind his tone but something told him that it would be better to play along for now, even though the thought of doing so felt like a pistol was being pushed into his side.
“Mutual goals?” he queried.
Mr. Sinclair shrugged, nonchalantly, his gaze razor-sharp. “Well, we are both large figures in the shipping business. And I must say that I do hold my own against a man who was born into a legacy, wouldn’t you say? I grew my business from the ground up, but I doubt you know anything about that.”
Cedric sipped his brandy to hide his sneer. “It is quite commendable, Ambrose.”
Ambrose nodded as if he had expected nothing else. “Yes and our alliance would be rather beneficial to us both. You have connections in the House of Commons and prestige attached to both your name and your business. And of course, my growth in this cutthroat industry has earned me quite a number of allies that I’m sure would aid you.”
“Such an alliance could prove helpful, I agree.”
“Marvellous. I am delighted that we are of one accord. Joining our families will certainly ensure that our businesses become a force to be reckoned with.”
Cedric clenched his glass to keep the scowl off his face. “Joining our families?”
Ambrose looked at him as if what he was saying should be obvious. “You should know that I am hoping to get my daughtermarried before the end of the year. You would be a perfect match for her and I suppose it doesn’t hurt that she seems to like you as well. You two could court for a short while as the wedding is being planned but my hope is that by the end of the year, she becomes the Countess of Colenhurst.”
“Your ambitions are rather grand, Ambrose.”
“It is what has brought me this far.” He leaned closer, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. “Do you not agree that our alliance could make us formidable, Cedric?”
The dominance in his posture irritated Cedric. Clearly this man thought that Cedric could be intimidated. Cedric wanted to show him just who he was trying to play with. His body nearly vibrated with the urge. But, seeing the bigger picture, he calmed himself and said, “You are correct. However, you must appreciate why a momentous occasion such as marriage might cause me to hesitate, particularly for one as youthful as I.”
“Ah, I know,” Ambrose said, leaning back. “I was not very thrilled to marry my wife either but she was from a wealthy family and I needed the funds. I do not expect you to give up your life. Though I am certain a gentleman as dashing as yourself has scattered his wild oats throughout London, matrimony need not preclude you from indulging in a mistress or two.” As long as my daughter produces a child, I will be satisfied.”
The disgust Cedric felt upon hearing those words was choking him. Every ounce of his strength went into keeping Ambrose from seeing it.
“Wise words, my lord.” Unable to stay a moment longer, he stood. “We should talk about this another day. I’m afraid my exhausting day is beginning to catch up to me.”
Ambrose stood. Cedric realized he was a rather short man yet from the way he spoke, one would think he stood at eight feet tall. “The butler shall see you out. Next we speak, Cedric, I hope we can straighten out the details of this arrangement.”
Cedric declined to answer that with anything other than a curt nod before he left the room. As he’d promised, the butler was indeed waiting outside the door, the tired-looking man pulling himself off the wall where he’d clearly been resting. Cedric felt a smidgen of pity as he followed the butler to the front door.
The fresh midnight air chased away some of the upsetting emotions, but it wasn’t enough to rid him of that uncomfortable sense of dread. Ambrose was right. That was the most difficult part to swallow. He was a formidable character in the shipping industry and gaining an alliance would only prove beneficial for them both. But to think that alliance came on heels of an arranged marriage felt like a noose around Cedric’s neck.
