“Mother how many times must I tell you that I have no interest in Lady Hannah?” Nicholas asked. “I don’t care what arrangements you made with her parents—I can’t marry her. I won’t. And it’s unlikeyouto wish to see someone like her as duchess. How many times did Father reinforce to me when I was growing up that the duke must be a beacon of perfection? Everything he does is examined, didn’t Father say that over and over?”
“He did,” Nicholas’ mother agreed. “Don’t you see that that’s the reason I wish you to marry well, Nicholas? Lady Hannah will be a fine and worthy duchess. I can’t understand what your problem is with her. Why do you think so badly of her?”
“She’s a social climber,” Nicholas explained.
“You must be aware of the fact that, because you are a duke, many young ladies and their families will have their eye on social advancement.”
“Oh, I know it. I know that’s the reason you chose to marry Father.”
“Yes, it is.” His mother was unashamed. “I wished to become a duchess. But it isn’t so shallow as you make it sound, Nicholas. I wanted the opportunities the role would provide for my children. If I hadn’t done what I did, my son would not be a duke today. I’m sure Lady Hannah wants the same for her own children. There’s nothing wrong with a young lady having such a desire. Of course she would want to see her children prosper! I would worry about any lady whodidn’twant to see her children do well for themselves!”
“That’s all well and good,” Nicholas said. “But I can’t concern myself with Lady Hannah’s children. My worry is for my own children. I have to think about who their mother will be, and I don’t want it to be someone like her—someone who’s concerned with appearances above anything else. How could I possibly raise my children the way I hope to if their mother is constantly causing them to worry about how they’re perceived in society?”
“People should worry about what society thinks of them,” his mother said. “You could do with a bit more of that.”
“I do plenty of that. All my thoughts, all my actions, are weighted by how it would appear if a duke did the thing I’m thinking of doing. My appearance at this party, for instance—can I appear here as a duke? What impression will I make upon people? Who should I dance with? How should I spend my time this week? Father made sure I knew that appearances were vital in my position in society. And most of the time, I am comfortable with that. But the most important part of being a duke is having the courage and strength to do what I know I must, not being obedient to my father’s wishes or the expectations of society. I’ll raise my children to understand that as well. And Lady Hannah doesn’t only go along with her duty to maintain a good image—I believe it’s her favorite thing. I’d say the only thing she cares about at all is what other people think of her. I certainly don’t wantthatfor my children.”
“Well, I think you’re judging her too harshly,” his mother said. “She’s just a young lady looking for a good circumstance for her future. I see nothing objectionable in that.”
“You aren’t the one who has to consider a marriage to her, so I don’t believe it matters what you see,” Nicholas said. “I’m afraid it’s my perspective that matters here, Mother, and Lady Hannah simply doesn’t meet the standards of what I’m looking for in a wife. No matter how many times you and I have this discussion, my answer will remain the same. I’m not going to marry her.”
“A fine position that puts me in,” his mother said. “How do you expect me to explain to Lord Codfield that you don’t intend to follow through on the agreement your father made?”
“I’m happy to explain it to him.”
“Oh, I can only guess at the kind of thing you’d say!”
“Don’t be silly, Mother. I won’t be rude to him. And I won’t be rude about Lady Hannah either. I’d simply tell them that my parents didn’t bother to consult with me before making that agreement, and if they had, it would never have been made. Lord Codfield is a reasonable gentleman, I’m sure—he’ll understand that a man wishes to select his wife for himself, and not to have his father choose for him.”
“Lord Codfield wants to see his daughter become a duchess. He’s not going to understand anything that doesn’t lead to the outcome he was promised. I have no doubt he’ll be angry if you tell him that.”
“Then he’s just going to have to be angry,” Nicholas said. “I’m certainly not going to marry Lady Hannah out of fear that her father might be angry with me. That’s no kind of reason to do anything.”
His mother sighed. “There’s no reasoning with you, Nicholas,” she said. “You’re going to sabotage your future and the future of the dukedom.”
“I’m not going to marry someone because you want me to,” Nicholas told his mother. “That’s the end of it. I think we’ll have a better time this week if you’re able to let go of your hopes about Lady Hannah. I thought you already had.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to give up on the idea of you and Lady Hannah,” his mother admitted. “I know it’s what your father wanted—how can you not want to honor his wishes?”
“I have nothing but regard for Father,” Nicholas said. “But in this, he was wrong.”
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of Crestley Manor and Nicholas quickly disembarked before his mother could say anything further about Lady Hannah. She and Lord Codfield would be here this week, and Nicholas was sure there would be no end of contrivances to force him together with Lady Hannah. But his hope was that, by the end of the week, he would have made it clear to her that there was no future for the two of them. It was the kindest thing he could do for her, he reminded himself, because it would enable her to begin looking for someone who did wish to marry her. It wasn’t good that she should hold out hope over him when that marriage was never going to happen. The sooner they both moved on from that idea, the better off they would be.
He waited for his mother to disembark, not wishing to disrespect her, and then walked alongside her up to the front door of Crestley Manor.
Lord Crestley and his family were waiting to greet their guests, and the introductions were made. Nicholas gave a quick glance at Lady Marina, who was to be married this week. She looked every bit the perfect picture of a bride, with a sweet smile on her face and a blush brightening her fair cheeks.
But it was the other sister who caught his eye.
She had been introduced as Lady Eleanor, and he found her positively captivating. Though she looked quite a bit like her elder sister, there was a lively sparkle in her eye that was entirely her own. He found his gaze lingering on her. To his surprise, he found himself wondering if any arrangements had yet been made forhermarriage.
What a question! I just met her. We haven’t even exchanged pleasantries yet. How could I be thinking about her in terms like that?
“Good day, Lady Eleanor,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers.
She smiled—but it wasn’t a sweet, demure smile like her sister’s. There was something mischievous about it, as if the two of them were somehow in on a private joke. Nicholas found it positively enchanting.
“Good day, Your Grace,” she said. “What an honor to have you here for my sister’s wedding.”
