regularly.”
“It’s a bloody large estate and you know it, and not nearly put to its full potential,” Nicholas retorted.
“I didn’t think you had such a fondness for land,” Edward remarked shrewdly. “After all, you don’t oversee Silverley.”
A muscle jerked in Nicholas’ jaw. Hell and fire! He stood a better chance against his old enemy Captain Hawke without a weapon than he did against these Malorys.
“Am I to understand I will never get my hands on that land if I don’t marry your niece?”
“You might phrase it more delicately, but that’s the gist, yes.”
“Refuse, Montieth,” Anthony tempted in a soft voice. “Meet me in the morning instead. I won’t kill you. I’ll aim a ways below your heart, so that the next girl you abscond with in themiddle of the night will be believed when she says you’ve left her untouched.”
Nicholas had to laugh. Gelding was the threat now? These were his options? He had no doubt that his grandmother could arrange jail, as she threatened. He’d be estranged from her, doubtless, and the truth was, he loved the old witch. Then there was death or grievous wounding if Anthony had his way. Those were the choices.
Or he could marry the loveliest creature he had ever set eyes on. He could probably have the land he wanted. Aunt Ellie was for this marriage. His grandmother and all the Malorys were for it.
Nicholas closed his eyes for a moment, apparently deep in thought. Then he opened them and stood up.
“My lords,” he said evenly, “when is the wedding to be?”
Chapter 11
“S O you’ve come to escort your fiancée to Vauxhall Gardens? To a concert? Never thought I’d see you attending a bloody concert, and in the daytime, at that!”
Derek Malory was enjoying himself immensely, and the look of pure disgust on Nicholas Eden’s face was perfect. They were in the drawing room at Edward’s house, in the very room where the infamous meeting had taken place the night before, and Nicholas had just arrived.
“This is apparently the only way I’ll get to see her,” Nicholas told Derek. “They wouldn’t let me near her last night.”
“Well, of course not. Wouldn’t have been proper. She was told to go to bed.”
“You mean she actually takes orders?” Nicholas said in mock astonishment. “I thought everyone followed hers.”
“Oh, I say. You really are put out about this. I don’t understand why. She’s first rate, you know, a real gem. Couldn’t do better.”
“I would have preferred to pick my own wife,you understand, as opposed to having one forced on me.”
Derek grinned. “Heard you put up quite a fuss. Couldn’t believe any of this when they told me, especially that you’d given in. Know how you don’t like to be told what to do, not one bit.”
“Stop rambling, Derek,” Nicholas demanded. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I’m to come along, don’t you know. Cousin Clare and I are coming with you. Orders from Uncle Edward. Didn’t think you’d get her alone, did you? Can’t have any hanky-panky before the wedding.”
Nicholas scowled. “What the hell difference would it make? I’m already supposed to have bedded her.”
“No one believes that, Nick, at least no one in the family.”
“Except your Uncle Anthony?”
“Don’t know what he thinks,” Derek said more soberly. “But you’d best watch out for him. They’re especially close, you know, he and your intended.”
“She’s his favorite niece?”
“It’s more than that. He was only three years younger than Aunt Melissa, you see, and they were always inseparable. When she died, he was only seventeen. Her daughter kind of took Melissa’s place in his affections. All my uncles felt that way, including my father. But Uncle Anthony, being the youngest, was more like a brother to Regina. You wouldn’t believe the fights he had with my father once he came ofage and moved to London, because the old man wouldn’t let him have her part of each
“It’s a bloody large estate and you know it, and not nearly put to its full potential,” Nicholas retorted.
“I didn’t think you had such a fondness for land,” Edward remarked shrewdly. “After all, you don’t oversee Silverley.”
A muscle jerked in Nicholas’ jaw. Hell and fire! He stood a better chance against his old enemy Captain Hawke without a weapon than he did against these Malorys.
“Am I to understand I will never get my hands on that land if I don’t marry your niece?”
“You might phrase it more delicately, but that’s the gist, yes.”
“Refuse, Montieth,” Anthony tempted in a soft voice. “Meet me in the morning instead. I won’t kill you. I’ll aim a ways below your heart, so that the next girl you abscond with in themiddle of the night will be believed when she says you’ve left her untouched.”
Nicholas had to laugh. Gelding was the threat now? These were his options? He had no doubt that his grandmother could arrange jail, as she threatened. He’d be estranged from her, doubtless, and the truth was, he loved the old witch. Then there was death or grievous wounding if Anthony had his way. Those were the choices.
Or he could marry the loveliest creature he had ever set eyes on. He could probably have the land he wanted. Aunt Ellie was for this marriage. His grandmother and all the Malorys were for it.
Nicholas closed his eyes for a moment, apparently deep in thought. Then he opened them and stood up.
“My lords,” he said evenly, “when is the wedding to be?”
Chapter 11
“S O you’ve come to escort your fiancée to Vauxhall Gardens? To a concert? Never thought I’d see you attending a bloody concert, and in the daytime, at that!”
Derek Malory was enjoying himself immensely, and the look of pure disgust on Nicholas Eden’s face was perfect. They were in the drawing room at Edward’s house, in the very room where the infamous meeting had taken place the night before, and Nicholas had just arrived.
“This is apparently the only way I’ll get to see her,” Nicholas told Derek. “They wouldn’t let me near her last night.”
“Well, of course not. Wouldn’t have been proper. She was told to go to bed.”
“You mean she actually takes orders?” Nicholas said in mock astonishment. “I thought everyone followed hers.”
“Oh, I say. You really are put out about this. I don’t understand why. She’s first rate, you know, a real gem. Couldn’t do better.”
“I would have preferred to pick my own wife,you understand, as opposed to having one forced on me.”
Derek grinned. “Heard you put up quite a fuss. Couldn’t believe any of this when they told me, especially that you’d given in. Know how you don’t like to be told what to do, not one bit.”
“Stop rambling, Derek,” Nicholas demanded. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I’m to come along, don’t you know. Cousin Clare and I are coming with you. Orders from Uncle Edward. Didn’t think you’d get her alone, did you? Can’t have any hanky-panky before the wedding.”
Nicholas scowled. “What the hell difference would it make? I’m already supposed to have bedded her.”
“No one believes that, Nick, at least no one in the family.”
“Except your Uncle Anthony?”
“Don’t know what he thinks,” Derek said more soberly. “But you’d best watch out for him. They’re especially close, you know, he and your intended.”
“She’s his favorite niece?”
“It’s more than that. He was only three years younger than Aunt Melissa, you see, and they were always inseparable. When she died, he was only seventeen. Her daughter kind of took Melissa’s place in his affections. All my uncles felt that way, including my father. But Uncle Anthony, being the youngest, was more like a brother to Regina. You wouldn’t believe the fights he had with my father once he came ofage and moved to London, because the old man wouldn’t let him have her part of each
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