Page 101 of The Accidental Wedding
Nash grabbed his brother’s arm and pushed him toward the door. “I’ll just explain to my brother what’s going on,” he told Maddy. “Talk among yourselves.” He winked at Lizzie. “Cup of tea, Lizzie?” He thrust his brother outside and took him into the garden.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” he said. He took the boots from his brother’s grasp, sat on a bench, and began undoing the mourning ribbons from his ruined boot.
Marcus said stiffly, “You were in trouble.”
“I was, in a way—” He saw his brother staring at the sliced-open boot and explained, “She had to cut it off. My ankle was swollen and she thought it might be broken.”
“I will buy the jade off.”
“Jad—Oh, you mean Maddy, Miss Woodford? She’s no jade. I intend to marry her.” He pulled on the new boot and held his foot up for his brother to yank off the other one.
“There’s no need to. I’ll pay her off.” Marcus removed the boot and stood it neatly beside its ruined twin.
Nash stood up and stamped a few paces back and forth in the new boots. “Excellent, they fit perfectly. Thank you for bringing them. I don’t want you to buy her off.”
Marcus gave him a searching look. “But she has trapped you into marriage?”
“No.”
Marcus’s flinty gray eyes narrowed. “You can’t possibly be in love with her.”
“Of course not. Nevertheless, I will marry her.”
“Why?”
Nash hesitated, but there was no way around it. “I have compromised her so—”
“So she did entrap you.”
“She did not. It was wholly my own doing. There is no point arguing, Marcus, my mind is made up. I will marry Miss Woodford on Friday week. The arrangements are already in place.” Almost. A small matter of a license.
“The injury to your head must be worse than you think. Have you forgotten Aunt Maude is searching the length and breadth of three kingdoms—”
“Only three? Not Wales, then? Or is she avoiding Ireland?”
“Don’t be flippant. She’s been scouring the country, sifting through every blue-blooded family in search of a bride for you—at your instigation—and now you say you are going to marry this, this—”
“Lady,” said Nash in a hard voice.
Marcus stiffened. “You are in love with her,” he said in a shocked voice.
“Nonsense! But she is in my care and will become my wife.” He locked eyes with his brother, and after a moment, Marcus gave a noncommittal half shrug.
“You’d better tell me all about it, then. Aunt Maude will not be happy.”
Nash glanced at the sky. “I don’t have time. I have to get Maddy to Harry and Nell’s before dark.” He nodded toward Marcus’s chaise. “When I saw that chaise, I had no idea it was yours. New is it?”
“Yes, it’s the latest desi—”
“Why isn’t your crest on it? And why the plain livery?”
“I like to travel incognito myself, from time to time.”
“Those bays look magnificent. Fast, are they?”
“Yes, they’re splendid goers and on an open road—No. You can’t have them, Nash.”
“I need them, Marcus,” Nash said coaxingly. “Just for one night.”
