Louise Allen - Regency Pleasures and Sins Part 1

‘I owe her my life. I am honour bound to marry her. I am aware she has not a great name and brings nothing but a debt with her, but …’

‘But I entirely agree with you. The family can cope without the necessity for you to marry an heiress and the girl is obviously of respectable birth. The problem appears to lie in her quite understandable reluctance to marry you, a sentiment with which I can heartily sympathise. You are staring at me, Nicholas—do try for a little more decorum. Now I suggest you go and find her or you may discover that your brother has cut you out.’

Nicholas shut his mouth with a snap. ‘I believe that would be within the prohibited degrees of marriage, sir.’

‘Surely not, if your marriage is annulled?’ his father said gently. ‘Oh, and, Nicholas, if you intend to stay, I trust you intend to work. Witherspoon will be delighted to take you under his wing. He is always politely intimating that he wishes I would concern myself more about the estate.’

Nicholas bowed his head respectfully, managed a smile with tight lips and retreated. ‘Rolled up—cannon, cavalry and infantry too, the old devil.’ He laughed suddenly, unaware that the two footmen in the hall started nervously, believing the old Duke was about to appear. He let himself out on to the terrace and scanned the gardens for Kat and Robert. ‘Made me feel seventeen, never mind the twenty-two I was when I last saw him, damn him.’

He grinned. He had been braced for a rare scene; what he had experienced was his father’s remarkable ability to catch one wrong footed whatever the circumstances. But he liked Kat, that was a relief. Nicholas realised that a good part of his apprehension had been the expectation of having to protect Kat from his father’s opposition to the marriage.

He rounded the corner of the house into the rose garden, the grin still on his lips as he remembered his father’s neat attempt to make him jealous of Robert. Robert, for goodness’ sake! There they were, sitting in the far arbour, Kat with her hands in Robert’s, the pair of them gazing deep into each other’s eyes.

With a muffled oath Nick strode across the lawn.

‘I think you would make an excellent clergyman,’ Katherine said firmly, catching Robert’s hands in an effort to convince him of her sincerity. ‘Surely your father can have no objection now that he knows Nicholas is safe?’

Her brother-in-law returned the comforting pressure of her hands with an answering squeeze. ‘I suppose so. It is cowardly of me, I confess, but I have suppressed the very idea for so long that it is hard to talk of it now, let alone believe it would be possible.’

‘It is not so hard—you are telling me,’ Katherine said encouragingly.

‘And I hardly know you. I should be showing you around the house, not pouring my troubles out into your ears.’

‘Well, I am scared of the house and quite comfortable with you, so I would much rather hear about your ambitions. I have heard of many members of the nobility in the church. You will become an archbishop—I can tell you are destined for great things.’

‘And I can tell you are a darling,’ Robert said warmly, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Katherine laughed, quite at ease with him. ‘Thank you, but you flatter me. Oh, look, here is Nick.’

He must have had a difficult interview with his father, she realised, seeing the black fire flickering dangerously in his eyes. ‘Nick! I was a complete ninny and had to confess to being totally confused by the house within minutes, so Lord Robert brought me out here to enjoy the gardens.’

‘So that is what he is doing, is it?’ She saw Nick glance at his brother and felt a sudden qualm. Surely he did not think …?

It appeared that Robert also recognised danger when he saw it. ‘I was confessing my secret ambitions to Katherine and she has taken it upon herself to encourage me.’

One dark brow rose and Robert added hastily, ‘I wish to enter the church.’

‘Good God!’

‘Do not blaspheme, Nicholas,’ Katherine said sternly. ‘Your brother is perfectly serious. I am sure he would make an excellent clergyman. Now you are home safe, should he not speak to your father as soon as possible?’

The darkness had left Nick’s eyes as he regarded his brother with affectionate amusement. ‘Father should jump at the chance of elevating the moral tone of this family.’ Katherine sent him a reproving look and he added with the seriousness that always made her suspect he was teasing her, ‘However, he may not want you committed to this course of action until he sees me married and setting up my nursery.’

‘You are married,’ Robert pointed out.

‘And I have made it quite clear that is a temporary state of affairs!’ Katherine interjected hastily. Nick was teasing, the wretch. Katherine schooled her face and added, ‘But I am sure we can have everything tidied up before next Season and you can find yourself an eminently suitable bride.’ She turned to Robert. ‘I still think you should speak to his Grace sooner rather than later.’

‘Did I mention that I have an exceedingly managing wife?’ Nick enquired.

‘Er, no.’ Robert was watching her face with some amusement and Katherine suspected that she was betraying rather more of her emotions than she was prepared to. She stood up and brushed down her skirt.

‘Delightful as the garden is, I think I should not disregard his Grace’s wishes and should resume my tour of the house.’ She looked expectantly at Nick. The Long Gallery sounded an admirable place to have a private discussion and she very much wanted to speak to him alone.

‘I am so sorry, Kat,’ he replied with a charming smile. ‘But Father has asked that I speak to Witherspoon, our estate manager. I received a clear hint that I am expected to apply myself to learning all those things which I shirked in the past. I am sure Robert can continue to escort you—after all, I hardly feel it would be tactful to deliver a second shock to Father in one day.’

‘Grr.’ Katherine watched his retreating back, wishing that her attention was not drawn quite so forcibly to the breadth of his shoulders or the easy length of his stride.

‘I beg your pardon?’ Robert was also watching his brother. ‘Did you speak? I was just thinking that Nick really must get to a tailor before he goes out into society; we are much of a height, but he is definitely wider in the shoulders than I. It will have to be Newcastle, I suppose. I wonder why he did not stop to order some clothes while he was in town.’

‘Because he had no money and I had hardly any and we were outrunning the bailiffs.’ Katherine began to stroll with him across the grass back to the house. If she only looked at one wing at a time it was not too bad, it was when she looked at the entire extent of the place that she began to feel as though she had strayed into a fairy tale. ‘How much interest do moneylenders charge?’

‘I have no idea.’ Robert looked startled. ‘An extortionate amount, I imagine. But you do not have to worry about that, Nick will pay off the debt. Here, we can go in through this door.’

‘That would stop the interest, of course, but I am sure he will not let me repay him.’ Katherine allowed herself to be guided up a narrow staircase.

‘Why repay it at all? From what I understand, it is your brother’s debt.’

‘I know, but I signed the papers, so it is my responsibility. It will be a lesson to me to read everything first,’ she added ruefully as they stepped out through a jib door into what must be the Long Gallery.