Nathaniel smiled. “I do, though it has little to do with me being a duke and everything to do with your daughter being so enchanting. I knew from the moment I met her that she and I were destined to be bound together in a sincere promise, but it is vital that a lady and gentleman are permitted to be properly acquainted. That is all I ask.”
“Why, of course you may!” Ezra blurted out, stretching his mouth downward with his fingers as if he could not believe what was happening. Indeed, Nathaniel was surprised that the older man had not yet pinched himself or slapped his cheek to ensure it was not a dream. “Goodness, this is… something.”
Nathaniel nodded. “Yes, she is.”
“I thought she was a lost cause!” Ezra burst out laughing, his eyes wide and wild as he lounged back against the settee. “Your Grace… I mean, Nathaniel, you have no notion of how you have just improved my day. Nay, my year. Maybe even my decade!”
Nathaniel tilted his head to one side, frowning at the man. “A lost cause?”
“Oh, it is that Spinsters’ Club she has been associated with. I thought that would be the end of her prospects, but… here you are.” Ezra continued to laugh, shaking his head in a joyful sort of disbelief.
Curiosity piqued, Nathaniel leaned forward. “Do tell me more about this club. It sounds fascinating, and she has not mentioned it to me.”
“Uh… it is nothing,” Ezra said, his laughter halting abruptly, his eyes flickering with panic once more. “It is not really a Spinsters’ Club. You know what young ladies in society are like—they can be ever-so cruel, and I believe the name stemmed from a competitive kind of jealousy.”
Nathaniel nodded though his curiosity had not been sated. “Of course. As you say, young ladies can be so cruel when they are yet to be married. Everyone becomes a threat to them, especially a lady as beautiful as your daughter. If her friends are anything like her, it is no wonder others have been unkind.”
“Yes, precisely!” Ezra seized upon the reprieve like a ravenous dog, sweat dripping down the side of his face though it was not exactly toasty in the beautiful study.
Nathaniel smiled. “So, you approve of a courtship?”
“With all my heart, yes.” Ezra nodded with such vigor that Nathaniel feared for the fellow’s neck. “Why, it is very timely with the London season about to begin. Will you be residing in London for the season? We have apartments in Marylebone, and it is our intention to winter there. As you can imagine, the Abbey is bitterly cold in the winter.”
Nathanielcouldimagine it if it was anything like Bergfield Manor.
“I have a townhouse in Mayfair,” he said. “My mother cannot stand the cold either, so we shall be residing in London for the winter.”
Ezra seemed delighted. “Excellent. This is truly excellent.”
“Would you mind if I walked awhile with Lady Leah? It is one thing for us gentlemen to discuss a courtship, but I imagine she would like to hear of the happy occasion from me,” Nathaniel suggested, forgetting the tea that had been ordered. “It is a lovely afternoon, and who knows how many more of these we shall have. Perhaps, we could walk in the gardens?”
In truth, he had been desperate to see the famed gardens, ever since he had heard where Leah resided. They were supposed to be some of the most majestic in all of England with rare blooms growing in the greenhouses. Although, he did not want to see them purely for his own benefit; he wanted to have something to tell his younger brother, Colin, when he returned from Eton for the winter adjournment. There was nothing Colin loved more than nature.
“Certainly. At once,” Ezra enthused, jumping up. “I shall summon my daughter immediately, and you may walk for as long as you please. The winter gardens are just beginning to show their true beauty though I am certain that Leah will guide you well.”
Nathaniel got up. “I hope she will.”
Just as I hope she will not kill me for moving forward with our plan…
CHAPTEREIGHT
“Idid not think you were serious,” Leah mumbled in a low voice, as she walked with Nathaniel through the winter gardens where hardy blooms were just starting to flower: pretty blue and white ‘Glory of the Snow,’ reddish-hued heather, purple cyclamen, yellow winter aconites, and a row of winter-flowering cherry trees that had not yet blossomed. There were also pots of green shrubs that would explode into the dark red and white petals of the Helleborus when winter finally came. They were Leah’s favorites though she was rarely there when the time arrived for them to bloom.
“Ah… but I thought you were entirely serious,” Nathaniel replied. “Have I made a grave mistake?”
She peered up at him, annoyed by the sweet anxiety in his eyes; they made him appear even more handsome, which was rather unfair when she was trying to make a very important decision about the next few months. “Not a mistake, but I assumed you would write to me first, so we could decide together.”
“I did not want any rumors circulating,” he told her gently. “It is my understanding, drawn from your very lips, that you have had quite enough of unkind rumors.”
She could not argue with that though the mention of her lips made her feel suddenly defensive, as if she should be telling him not to take any notice of her lips.
“Although, I have also been hearing about a ‘Spinsters’ Club,’ and I must say, I am intrigued,” he continued, startling her. “You must tell me everything. Who are these bold and glorious spinsters, so dedicated to their pursuit of freedom that they would take pride in the title? Is your leader the venerable Countess of Grayling? I might request to join myself.”
Leah laughed despite herself. “I wish she was our leader!” She clasped a hand to her chest, her heart overflowing with admiration for the mysterious and awe-inspiring Countess of Grayling—a woman who had petitioned the Royal Court and won the right to keep her title without a husband—a living one, at least—in sight. “Why, I have often said so to my friends though none of us can decide if a widow is the same as a spinster. Then again, one of us is now married, so all rules are somewhat changeable.”
“I have privileged knowledge that the Countess is planning to host the most extravagant ball of the season. A winter spectacular,” Nathaniel mentioned, smiling. “You shall have to join me as my guest. Your friends, too.”
Leah gasped. “Do you know her?”
