breath. "I believe
I'm close to striking a deal. My man should be back in a day or two. I'll
inform you as soon as I find out myself."
Neville stood. "Thank you, Nick."
Nicholas shook his head and rose as well. 'Thank me when the deal's
done."
11
K atherine
awoke to the scent of roses. After a dreamy moment she started, then sat up to
see Emmie placing a large vase filled with several dozen red and white blooms
on her dressing table. "What's this?" she queried.
"Oh, Miss Kate, these come for you first thing this morning. I
wanted them to be here when you woke up," her maid gushed. "Ain't
they grand?"
''They are." Katherine smiled as she spied the note settled among
the buds.
"Shall I bring you up your morning tea, miss?" Emmie went over
to the window and drew back the curtains, letting in the morning sunlight.
"Yes, please."
As soon as Emmie had shut the door behind her, Katherine dashed over to
the flowers. She leaned forward and breathed deeply of their fresh scent, then
pulled out the envelope. Her name was written boldly across the front, and she
smiled. The typically brief missive made her laugh. It said, ''To a fine whip.
Nicholas."
She was still smiling when she came down to breakfast, to find that her
godparents had just sat down as well. "Good morning," she greeted
them, going around the table to kiss each of them on the cheek.
"Good morning; m'dear," Lord Neville responded, though he
seemed a little subdued.
"Have you sent someone to Crestley?" she asked, abruptly
remembering that he had promised to do so.
He nodded and finished spreading jam on his toast. "We should hear
in a few days how things stand there," he informed her, then cleared his
throat. "Kate―"
She could guess what he was going to say, and didn't want to end up
explaining that she had gone behind his back. Not when she was in such a good
mood that morning. "I appreciate your assistance, but I do mean to handle
this myself. If anything has happened at Crestley, I will deal with it."
There was a moment of silence. "Kate, there's something―"
She raised a hand. "Please, Lord Neville. I am serious." Lady
Alison cleared her throat. "You received more roses this morning."
"Yes, I did," she responded, her smile returning.
"Were they from Nick?"
She nodded, accepting the jar of marmalade from her godfather. ''Thank
you. Yes, they were."
Lady Alison leaned across the table, her face serious.
"Kate, Nick is a dear friend, but he does have a certain
reputation. We don't wish to see you hurt."
Katherine was touched by their concern, though she felt it to be
unnecessary. "He has made no declaration to me," she said,
"other than to invite the three of us to the opera next week."
Alison nudged her husband. "He's been chased by so many mothers and
their eligible daughters that he has informed me on several occasions that he
has sworn off marriage entirely," Lord Neville said with a forced smile.
"How do you feel about him, child?" her godmother asked.
"I think he is very provoking," Katherine answered truthfully.
Her godparents seemed unsatisfied with her answer, but she couldn't give
them a better one. She thought she was beginning to like him more than she was
comfortable admitting even to herself, but then he had been going out of his
way to be charming. She knew as well as anyone that at any time the Black Duke
could become bored with her, or find someone else to engage his rather jaded
attention.
That evening she and the Hamptons had been asked to dinner at the
Hillary mansion, and Reg had mentioned that Nicholas had been invited as well.
Katherine hoped he would attend, so that she could thank him for the roses, and
for the moment of memories they had brought.
The Marquis of Belning was a large, jolly man, as one would have to he
in a household with seven lively offspring. His wife, Jane, was equally
rotund, but the task of finding husbands for her three daughters had left her
with considerably less humor. When
I'm close to striking a deal. My man should be back in a day or two. I'll
inform you as soon as I find out myself."
Neville stood. "Thank you, Nick."
Nicholas shook his head and rose as well. 'Thank me when the deal's
done."
11
K atherine
awoke to the scent of roses. After a dreamy moment she started, then sat up to
see Emmie placing a large vase filled with several dozen red and white blooms
on her dressing table. "What's this?" she queried.
"Oh, Miss Kate, these come for you first thing this morning. I
wanted them to be here when you woke up," her maid gushed. "Ain't
they grand?"
''They are." Katherine smiled as she spied the note settled among
the buds.
"Shall I bring you up your morning tea, miss?" Emmie went over
to the window and drew back the curtains, letting in the morning sunlight.
"Yes, please."
As soon as Emmie had shut the door behind her, Katherine dashed over to
the flowers. She leaned forward and breathed deeply of their fresh scent, then
pulled out the envelope. Her name was written boldly across the front, and she
smiled. The typically brief missive made her laugh. It said, ''To a fine whip.
Nicholas."
She was still smiling when she came down to breakfast, to find that her
godparents had just sat down as well. "Good morning," she greeted
them, going around the table to kiss each of them on the cheek.
"Good morning; m'dear," Lord Neville responded, though he
seemed a little subdued.
"Have you sent someone to Crestley?" she asked, abruptly
remembering that he had promised to do so.
He nodded and finished spreading jam on his toast. "We should hear
in a few days how things stand there," he informed her, then cleared his
throat. "Kate―"
She could guess what he was going to say, and didn't want to end up
explaining that she had gone behind his back. Not when she was in such a good
mood that morning. "I appreciate your assistance, but I do mean to handle
this myself. If anything has happened at Crestley, I will deal with it."
There was a moment of silence. "Kate, there's something―"
She raised a hand. "Please, Lord Neville. I am serious." Lady
Alison cleared her throat. "You received more roses this morning."
"Yes, I did," she responded, her smile returning.
"Were they from Nick?"
She nodded, accepting the jar of marmalade from her godfather. ''Thank
you. Yes, they were."
Lady Alison leaned across the table, her face serious.
"Kate, Nick is a dear friend, but he does have a certain
reputation. We don't wish to see you hurt."
Katherine was touched by their concern, though she felt it to be
unnecessary. "He has made no declaration to me," she said,
"other than to invite the three of us to the opera next week."
Alison nudged her husband. "He's been chased by so many mothers and
their eligible daughters that he has informed me on several occasions that he
has sworn off marriage entirely," Lord Neville said with a forced smile.
"How do you feel about him, child?" her godmother asked.
"I think he is very provoking," Katherine answered truthfully.
Her godparents seemed unsatisfied with her answer, but she couldn't give
them a better one. She thought she was beginning to like him more than she was
comfortable admitting even to herself, but then he had been going out of his
way to be charming. She knew as well as anyone that at any time the Black Duke
could become bored with her, or find someone else to engage his rather jaded
attention.
That evening she and the Hamptons had been asked to dinner at the
Hillary mansion, and Reg had mentioned that Nicholas had been invited as well.
Katherine hoped he would attend, so that she could thank him for the roses, and
for the moment of memories they had brought.
The Marquis of Belning was a large, jolly man, as one would have to he
in a household with seven lively offspring. His wife, Jane, was equally
rotund, but the task of finding husbands for her three daughters had left her
with considerably less humor. When
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