this piece of news. Nicholas was glad he didn’t offer trite words
of sympathy. With this latest episode he could no longer deny that he had
inherited the condition that had led to the deaths of both his father and his
brother.
“Were you on the road at the time?”
Nicholas nodded. “Fortunately, I saw a cottage as my
light-headedness worsened and was able to seek shelter before losing
consciousness.”
“You might have lain on the road for hours.”
“Yes, that would have been most inconvenient. And you’ll
appreciate the poetry of the situation. I ended up on the doorstep of the woman
I’m about to marry.”
“I’m having a very difficult time picturing you falling
prostrate at the feet of a woman, then turning around and asking her to marry
you.” Kerrick shook his head at the image. His demeanor became somber, though,
as he continued. “I know you don’t want me to speak of it, but surely you can
find someone who can help you with this illness.”
Nicholas shook his head. This was a subject he hated to
think about.
“Both my father and my brother consulted all the leading
physicians and no one knows what this illness is. Apparently they’ve never seen
anything like it. The only thing they do know, and even that was a guess after
my brother fell ill, is that the condition is inherited.”
“What do you need me to do?” Kerrick asked after a moment of
silence.
“Before I continue, I need you to promise you’ll hear me
out.”
“You’re beginning to make me nervous. Just tell me what you
need.”
Nicholas nodded and pushed away from the desk. He walked
around it, pulled out his chair, and sank into it heavily. “Overlea needs an
heir.”
“I presume that is why you are marrying.”
“In part. My recent bout of illness, however, did make me
realize one thing. I cannot risk having a child of my own.”
Kerrick was clearly confused by his words.
“If you are not intending to father children, why are you
marrying? You already have an heir.”
“No,” he said, his tone emphatic. “Edward cannot inherit.”
Kerrick leaned forward. “You’re not making sense. I can see
why you don’t want Manning to become the next marquess, but the only way to
avoid that is to have a male child of your own.”
Nicholas shook his head.
“Not quite. It is my wife who will produce the heir.
Everyone need only assume that the child is mine.”
Kerrick sat back, stunned. “You would do that?”
“I have no other choice.”
“Yes, Nicholas, you do. You are speaking nonsense. You
actually want your wife to pass off someone else’s child as your own? When it
is not even certain that you would pass on your illness to your children?”
Nicholas laughed, the sound bitter. “That is not a chance I
am willing to take. And the father wouldn’t be just anyone. It would be someone
of my choosing. Someone with impeccable bloodlines himself.”
Nicholas knew the moment Kerrick understood what he was
saying. His expression changed from confusion to incredulity, then anger. He
stood abruptly, moved to the desk and leaned over it, his face mere inches from
Nicholas’s own.
“You are insane. Does your wife-to-be know you plan to whore
her out to some other man? To me?”
The words were calculated to make him cringe and they hit
their mark. He’d been careful not to think about what Louisa Evans’s reaction
would be. Unlike Kerrick, however, she would have no choice in the matter after
she signed the marriage contract and promised to provide him with an heir.
“Have a care what you say.”
“The hell I will,” Kerrick said, pushing himself away from
the desk.
Nicholas had been expecting the disbelief. He’d even known
Kerrick would be angry. What he hadn’t expected was the flash of disgust he’d
seen on his friend’s face. He said nothing as Kerrick paced across the room.
For a moment Nicholas thought he was going to storm out the door, but instead
he turned abruptly and stalked back to the
of sympathy. With this latest episode he could no longer deny that he had
inherited the condition that had led to the deaths of both his father and his
brother.
“Were you on the road at the time?”
Nicholas nodded. “Fortunately, I saw a cottage as my
light-headedness worsened and was able to seek shelter before losing
consciousness.”
“You might have lain on the road for hours.”
“Yes, that would have been most inconvenient. And you’ll
appreciate the poetry of the situation. I ended up on the doorstep of the woman
I’m about to marry.”
“I’m having a very difficult time picturing you falling
prostrate at the feet of a woman, then turning around and asking her to marry
you.” Kerrick shook his head at the image. His demeanor became somber, though,
as he continued. “I know you don’t want me to speak of it, but surely you can
find someone who can help you with this illness.”
Nicholas shook his head. This was a subject he hated to
think about.
“Both my father and my brother consulted all the leading
physicians and no one knows what this illness is. Apparently they’ve never seen
anything like it. The only thing they do know, and even that was a guess after
my brother fell ill, is that the condition is inherited.”
“What do you need me to do?” Kerrick asked after a moment of
silence.
“Before I continue, I need you to promise you’ll hear me
out.”
“You’re beginning to make me nervous. Just tell me what you
need.”
Nicholas nodded and pushed away from the desk. He walked
around it, pulled out his chair, and sank into it heavily. “Overlea needs an
heir.”
“I presume that is why you are marrying.”
“In part. My recent bout of illness, however, did make me
realize one thing. I cannot risk having a child of my own.”
Kerrick was clearly confused by his words.
“If you are not intending to father children, why are you
marrying? You already have an heir.”
“No,” he said, his tone emphatic. “Edward cannot inherit.”
Kerrick leaned forward. “You’re not making sense. I can see
why you don’t want Manning to become the next marquess, but the only way to
avoid that is to have a male child of your own.”
Nicholas shook his head.
“Not quite. It is my wife who will produce the heir.
Everyone need only assume that the child is mine.”
Kerrick sat back, stunned. “You would do that?”
“I have no other choice.”
“Yes, Nicholas, you do. You are speaking nonsense. You
actually want your wife to pass off someone else’s child as your own? When it
is not even certain that you would pass on your illness to your children?”
Nicholas laughed, the sound bitter. “That is not a chance I
am willing to take. And the father wouldn’t be just anyone. It would be someone
of my choosing. Someone with impeccable bloodlines himself.”
Nicholas knew the moment Kerrick understood what he was
saying. His expression changed from confusion to incredulity, then anger. He
stood abruptly, moved to the desk and leaned over it, his face mere inches from
Nicholas’s own.
“You are insane. Does your wife-to-be know you plan to whore
her out to some other man? To me?”
The words were calculated to make him cringe and they hit
their mark. He’d been careful not to think about what Louisa Evans’s reaction
would be. Unlike Kerrick, however, she would have no choice in the matter after
she signed the marriage contract and promised to provide him with an heir.
“Have a care what you say.”
“The hell I will,” Kerrick said, pushing himself away from
the desk.
Nicholas had been expecting the disbelief. He’d even known
Kerrick would be angry. What he hadn’t expected was the flash of disgust he’d
seen on his friend’s face. He said nothing as Kerrick paced across the room.
For a moment Nicholas thought he was going to storm out the door, but instead
he turned abruptly and stalked back to the
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