Her sister blinked away tears. “Of course I will be. My goodness, Amelia, are you quite certain that this is what you want? There must be a way to prevent Lord Wilcox from achieving what he has stated – a way other than marrying the Duke!”
“There is not.” Amelia spread her hands wide. “And if I am to be truthful, my dear sister, Iwantto marry the Duke of Ashbourne.”
Charlotte’s shoulders dropped just a little. “Then that is good.” Her eyes searched Amelia’s face. “You care for the gentleman, I know. But is there something more within you?”
Amelia flushed instantly, wondering if her sister had seen this in her expression. “There may be.”
“You love the Duke?”
Letting out a slow breath, Amelia shook her head. “I do not know. I have not felt love before so I do not know if what I feel is love.”
Charlotte smiled gently. “My dear sister, if it is a tenderness of heart, a sweetness that fills you whenever he comes into a room then yes, that is the beginning of love. That is a wonderful thing, my dear.”
“Though I have not told him how I feel nor has he said anything other than he cares for me.”
“But even that is marvelous!” Charlotte exclaimed. “To know that the Duke of Ashbourne cares for you is a wonderful delight!”
Amelia’s lips tugged to the right. “I am not sure it is. It is certainly better than feeling nothing for me whatsoever but it is not the same as the love which is within my own heart.”
Her sister lifted her shoulders and then let them fall. “That may still come. Though if I were you, I would do your level best to tell the Duke how you feel before you marry.”
A twist in Amelia’s stomach had her shaking her head. “I do not think I can do such a thing as that.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because there is no time!” Amelia exclaimed, catching the flicker of doubt in her sister’s eye. “And because I am afraid that if I do so, he will tell me that though he greatly appreciates what it is that I feel for him, he does not return such a great depth of affection.”
Charlotte leaned forward and took Amelia’s hand. “You will gain nothing from hiding this from him,” she said, softly. “All it will give you is greater torment and I am certain you do not want such a thing as that.”
“No, I do not,” Amelia admitted, quietly, “But for the moment, I think I must keep my feelings to myself. There is too much to do, too much to consider and all within two short days!It must be kept as quiet as we can, however, so that Lord Wilcox does not hear of it and attempts to put an end to the marriage ceremony by objecting or some such thing.”
A line pulled at Charlotte’s brows. “Do you truly think he would do such a thing as that?”
“Yes, I do. Given how much he stands to lose if he does not win the bet he placed upon himself, I am afraid that he will do exactly that.” A rumble of nervousness ran through her and she shuddered lightly. “As I have said, there is much still to do but it must be kept as quiet as possible. I will say the same to Abby, my maid, for she will have a great deal of preparation.”
Charlotte nodded slowly and then pressed Amelia’s hand. “I am very happy for you, Amelia. I am sure that this marriage will bring you a great deal of happiness.”
“Thank you, Charlotte.” Amelia took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly as her lips curved into a smile. “I think it shall too.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nathanial cleared his throat. “Mother, I have something I must tell you. Highcroft, you also.”
His mother looked up from where she had been embroidering. “Yes, Ashbourne?”
Seeing the look of concern in his brother’s eyes, Nathanial spread out his hands. “I am to be married.”
The shock reverberated around the room and Nathanial looked from his mother to his brother and then back again. No-one spoke. The silence grew heavy and Nathanial cleared his throat simply to break the quiet.
“You… you are to be married?” His mother’s voice was almost a squeak and Nathanial nodded, seeing how her eyes rounded as she looked to William as though somehow, he had known of this already and had not told her though William himself only smiled, clearly glad that Nathanial had found a solution to this difficulty.
“I am, Mother. I do hope that you will be pleased for me.”
“Pleased? I am thrilled!” Lady Ashbourne immediately began to laugh, her eyes bright as she got up out of her chair, her face now wreathed in smiles as she came to embrace him. “I did not think such a thing would ever happen!”
“No?” Nathanial held his mother lightly by the shoulders, tilting his head to smile at her. “Even though I have been courting Lady Amelia?”
Lady Ashbourne shrugged lightly. “I do not know what to say to that. I was glad that you were courting the lady but I must admit, I did think you both so different from one another that it would not last.”
