brush toward the opposite end of the tub. “This time, she’ll play by my rules.”
He would ignore the tears in her lovely eyes. He wouldn’t listen to the pain accompanying her gentle voice. No matter what she said, no matter how much she begged, he had no more room for forgiveness.
Nicolas stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around his torso. After shaving, he combed his hair and dressed. Standing in front of the long mirror reminded him of something his grandfather once said.
When asked casually why he employed no manservant, Bart had spouted, “If a man cannot dress and groom himself, what good is he?”
Nicolas sighed. “How did you ever put up with him, Gran?”
Halfway down the stairs, the housekeeper stopped him.
“ I was just coming up to find you, your Grace.”
“ Is something wrong?”
“ No, not at all. Lady Chase asked me to inform you that she’s taking afternoon tea at Greyson Manor.”
###
“ More tea?” Leah inquired.
“ No, thank you, dear,” Lady Chase replied. “Nicolas tells me he spoke to you at the Harvest Ball. I must apologize. News of Adrian’s death caused quite a shock. Whatever he said, I hope you will not take it to heart.”
“ He wished to know more regarding the accident.” Leah sat on the sofa beside her. “I’m afraid I was rude.”
Her ladyship placed her hand over Leah’s. “I am grateful you were with Adrian at the end. Your presence no doubt was a comfort.”
“ My lady, I’ve a matter to discuss that concerns Adrian.”
“ Oh?”
“ You see, before he died, I swore a promise to him. One I’ve come to regret, but at the time--”
The drawing room doors burst open, and the Duke of Chase entered in such a manner that his presence demanded full attention. His gaze narrowed on Leah, and a fierce storm brewed in his dark eyes.
The butler followed on the duke’s heels. “I’m sorry, miss.” He favored the duke with a slight glare. “But he insisted.”
“ That’s quite all right, Mister Pratt.” Leah stood, her legs wobbly. “Would you ask one of the maids to bring us some fresh tea?”
“ Save yourself the trouble, Pratt,” Chase declared. “I had more than enough last evening.”
Leah’s stomach twisted. “You drank the tea?”
“ I did.”
“ Oh, no. But I thought...I mean, I expected...”
Lady Chase stood. “Nicky, what goes on here? Where are your manners?”
“ Perhaps you should ask Miss Sheridan. You see, she came to my room last night at the Imperial Inn and…”
Her ladyship’s face paled considerably.
“ No, Grandmother. It’s not what you think. The purpose of her visit was not for pleasure.” His heated gaze snapped back to Leah. “She came there to drug me.”
“ You were not supposed to drink the tea.”
“ What the devil did you think I’d do with it?”
“ Leave it.” Leah calmed her ragged emotions. “I admit I’d planned to drop the laudanum into your brandy, but I changed my mind. The pot of tea was merely sitting there, and it had grown cold.”
“ Cold is the way I prefer my tea.”
“ Oh.” Her head pounded, and she felt faint.
“ If you changed your mind, as you claim, why not hide the laudanum in a pocket of your gown instead of dumping it in the tea?”
“ I dropped the stopper.”
“ And you couldn’t toss the vial out the window?”
“ It was closed, and there was no time. Please, you do not understand.”
“ What I’ve come to understand, Miss Sheridan, is that you are a deceitful, selfish--”
“ Nicolas Bartholomew Drake!” Lady Chase snapped. “I will not allow you to speak to a lady in such a manner. Apologize this instant.”
“ No, Grandmother. I will not.”
“ Then you are indeed an arrogant fool,” Anne stated from the doorway of the drawing room. “And just so we are clear about the laudanum...” She crossed the room and walked straight up to her cousin. “That was my idea.”
“ Do not cover for your friend’s misdeeds,
He would ignore the tears in her lovely eyes. He wouldn’t listen to the pain accompanying her gentle voice. No matter what she said, no matter how much she begged, he had no more room for forgiveness.
Nicolas stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around his torso. After shaving, he combed his hair and dressed. Standing in front of the long mirror reminded him of something his grandfather once said.
When asked casually why he employed no manservant, Bart had spouted, “If a man cannot dress and groom himself, what good is he?”
Nicolas sighed. “How did you ever put up with him, Gran?”
Halfway down the stairs, the housekeeper stopped him.
“ I was just coming up to find you, your Grace.”
“ Is something wrong?”
“ No, not at all. Lady Chase asked me to inform you that she’s taking afternoon tea at Greyson Manor.”
###
“ More tea?” Leah inquired.
“ No, thank you, dear,” Lady Chase replied. “Nicolas tells me he spoke to you at the Harvest Ball. I must apologize. News of Adrian’s death caused quite a shock. Whatever he said, I hope you will not take it to heart.”
“ He wished to know more regarding the accident.” Leah sat on the sofa beside her. “I’m afraid I was rude.”
Her ladyship placed her hand over Leah’s. “I am grateful you were with Adrian at the end. Your presence no doubt was a comfort.”
“ My lady, I’ve a matter to discuss that concerns Adrian.”
“ Oh?”
“ You see, before he died, I swore a promise to him. One I’ve come to regret, but at the time--”
The drawing room doors burst open, and the Duke of Chase entered in such a manner that his presence demanded full attention. His gaze narrowed on Leah, and a fierce storm brewed in his dark eyes.
The butler followed on the duke’s heels. “I’m sorry, miss.” He favored the duke with a slight glare. “But he insisted.”
“ That’s quite all right, Mister Pratt.” Leah stood, her legs wobbly. “Would you ask one of the maids to bring us some fresh tea?”
“ Save yourself the trouble, Pratt,” Chase declared. “I had more than enough last evening.”
Leah’s stomach twisted. “You drank the tea?”
“ I did.”
“ Oh, no. But I thought...I mean, I expected...”
Lady Chase stood. “Nicky, what goes on here? Where are your manners?”
“ Perhaps you should ask Miss Sheridan. You see, she came to my room last night at the Imperial Inn and…”
Her ladyship’s face paled considerably.
“ No, Grandmother. It’s not what you think. The purpose of her visit was not for pleasure.” His heated gaze snapped back to Leah. “She came there to drug me.”
“ You were not supposed to drink the tea.”
“ What the devil did you think I’d do with it?”
“ Leave it.” Leah calmed her ragged emotions. “I admit I’d planned to drop the laudanum into your brandy, but I changed my mind. The pot of tea was merely sitting there, and it had grown cold.”
“ Cold is the way I prefer my tea.”
“ Oh.” Her head pounded, and she felt faint.
“ If you changed your mind, as you claim, why not hide the laudanum in a pocket of your gown instead of dumping it in the tea?”
“ I dropped the stopper.”
“ And you couldn’t toss the vial out the window?”
“ It was closed, and there was no time. Please, you do not understand.”
“ What I’ve come to understand, Miss Sheridan, is that you are a deceitful, selfish--”
“ Nicolas Bartholomew Drake!” Lady Chase snapped. “I will not allow you to speak to a lady in such a manner. Apologize this instant.”
“ No, Grandmother. I will not.”
“ Then you are indeed an arrogant fool,” Anne stated from the doorway of the drawing room. “And just so we are clear about the laudanum...” She crossed the room and walked straight up to her cousin. “That was my idea.”
“ Do not cover for your friend’s misdeeds,
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