Lord Codfield gritted his teeth. “My daughter has a passing fancy for this gentleman, it’s true,” he admitted. “But a young ladycan’t possibly be relied upon to know what is best for her, can she, Your Grace? I admit that your financial circumstances are a part of my thinking when it comes to who my daughter ought to marry, but what father wouldn’t think about that? What father wouldn’t want his daughter to marry a gentleman of means? Young ladies are incapable of thinking about anything but their emotions. She needs her father to help her make wise decisions.”
“Phineas has more than enough means to keep Lady Hannah well,” Nicholas countered. “What he doesn’t have is the money to pay down her father’s debts.”
Lord Codfield stared. “How can you know all this?”
“Never mind how I know.” He didn’t want to reveal that he had heard Lady Hannah and Phineas talking—he didn’t want to make trouble for either one of them. “You’re right about one thing, Lord Codfield. I do have the money you need. I can spare it. And you’re also right that my father made an agreement with you, and as a gentleman, I’d like to do the honorable thing.”
“Then you will marry my daughter.”
“No, I won’t. Give your permission for her to marry Phineas, if that’s what they both desire. In exchange, I’ll pay off your debts. That’s all you really want from me, after all, and by doing so, I’ll keep the spirit of the agreement you and my father made,” Nicholas said.
“You’ll pay all of my debts?”
“One time,” Nicholas said. “If you incur more debt tomorrow, I won’t help you again. You and I will meet with a solicitor and get all this in writing. I don’t want you bothering me again in five years. In fact, I don’t want you bothering me again as long as we live. I never want to see your face again. You’ve tormented me more than enough with all this. I forgive Lady Hannah, because she was coerced and did the best she could with the hand she was dealt. I want to see her happy. But you, Lord Codfield, I don’t wish to see at all. If you and I make this agreement, we will have no more interactions—there will be no future dealings between us, either business or social. Are we agreed on that?”
“Oh, certainly,” Lord Codfield said, grinning as though he had gotten away with something. “I have no desire to maintain a friendship with you, Your Grace. A business arrangement is all I require.”
“If I pay your debts, then, you’ll consider the arrangement you made with my father to have been satisfied in full?” Nicholas asked, raising an eyebrow.”
“I will,” Lord Codfield agreed. “I need nothing more from you.”
“And you’ll permit the marriage between Lady Hannah and Phineas?”
“If that’s what they want,” Lord Codfield said dismissively. “There’s nothing wrong with this gentleman as a person. He simply isn’t Abel to give me what I need. But if I can get my needs met through someone else, such as yourself, I won’t require it of him.”
Nicholas shook his head. “You’re not a particularly admirable fellow, you know, Lord Codfield.”
Lord Codfield laughed. “I’ve never needed or wanted your admiration, Your Grace. What you think of me matters not at all. All I needed was your money.”
“At least now you’re telling the truth,” Nicholas said. “This is the most I’ve ever respected you.”
“That’s your business,” Lord Codfield said. He turned to Phineas. “So you wish to marry my daughter?”
“Very much, Lord Codfield.” Phineas’ voice was full of wonder. None of the animosity of the exchange seemed to have affected him. All he had heard, all he had absorbed, was that he was going to be allowed to marry the lady he had always wanted. And Nicholas was overcome with happiness for his friend.
“I’ll have to discuss the matter with her,” Lord Codfield said, giving a convincing impression of a gentleman who had ever bothered to care what his daughter wanted when it came to affairs of the heart.
“By all means,” Phineas said quickly. “I don’t want anything that she doesn’t want. I believe she feels the same way I do, but I would want to be sure of that.”
“Well, perhaps we can arrange a meeting once that’s all been established, and the two of you can speak about it,” Lord Codfield said. “You’ll have to be chaperoned, of course.”
“Naturally,” Phineas said. “I look forward to it, Lord Codfield—I’ll be in touch.”
Lord Codfield gave an imperious nod. “Can I expect to hear from you and your solicitor as well, then, Your Grace?”
“I’d say you can count on it,” Nicholas said dryly.
Finally, mercifully, Lord Codfield turned and walked away. His chin was held high, and Nicholas had the distinct impression that he felt he’d gotten the upper hand in their negotiations.
That was fine. Let him think it. Nicholas didn’t care about Lord Codfield’s perception of anything. What he cared about was his friend. He turned toward Phineas.
Phineas looked stunned. “I can’t believe that just happened,” he said. “Do you think he meant it? Is he really going to allow me to marry Hannah?”
“Oh, I’d say he will,” Nicholas said. “What he wants is money. He’ll have that now, so he has no reason not to give his daughter what she wants. He doesn’t strike me as a gentleman who wishes to make his daughter unhappy. He’s not evil. He’s just selfish.”
“But I can’t let you pay his debts just to help me secure this marriage,” Phineas said. “It’s not right. You must let me pay you back.”
“No,” Nicholas said firmly. “There’s really no need for that. This has nothing to do with you, Phineas. Or rather, itdoes, of course, because how you feel and what you get out of it does matter to me. But I would pay his debts anyway. My father got me into these dealings with him, and I need to get myself out of that situation. I need to free myself of him. By paying him off, I can finally do that, and he’ll never have any excuse to trouble me again. I’m glad you’re benefitting from what I’m doing, but I would have to do it regardless because of my father’s actions.”
