He turned to her for her judgment.
His aunt had not put down her embroidery throughout his speech, but now she did. Her eyes held her usual cold, steely gaze, but it was calculating. She stood up, coming to stand before him. Before she said a word, she straightened his collar and brushed down his shoulders.
Having done so, she took his hand and levelled him with a firm stare.
“My dear Nicholas,” she squeezed his fingers. “I have noticed the change in you these last few days, and I have been happy to see it. Miss Crompton has had a great effect on you; I noticed it from the start, even at the ball.” Nicholas could only stare at her in astonishment. “She has brought out a side of you I have not seen in years. A side of you that was a cherished thing to me before you were so poorly used by that woman.”
Eleanor never said Victoria’s name. She had been incensed by her conduct at the time and her ire had never wavered, not even all these years later.
“I had, in truth, feared that that side of you was lost. You are right; your reputation is not favourable,” Nicholas’s heart clenched at her words. “A lady would have every reason to be wary of you. But nothing in this world says a man may not change if he chooses to. The influence of a good woman has donegreater things than that to many men of my acquaintance. My advice, my dear boy, is to show her who you truly are through action. She will have heard the rumours and they alone might deter her, but your choices in life and the actions you take will trump them all.”
She gripped both his hands and brought them up between them, her gaze narrowing as she looked at him.
“You must show Miss Crompton your true self through consistent, honourable behaviour. That is the only way she will ever believe you to have changed. Your father was a gentleman, and I have always seen his potential in you. You are a good man who was slighted by a cruel woman. But that does not mean she should define you for the remainder of your life. You are better than the man you were becoming—that you have recognized that is my greatest joy. You deserve happiness, Nicholas. You will find it; you merely have to be yourself. Dispense with any mask that you believed you might have needed. You are enough as you are.”
Nicholas was deeply moved by her faith in him. It was not often that they spoke like this together. She often scolded him or grew angry with him for neglecting his duties, but she rarely spoke of what she admired in him.
It became clear as his aunt spoke that he was not pursuing Clarissa for her affection anymore. He was pursuing her, hoping to uncover the parts of himself that had been buried for too long. His aunt’s words gave him a sense of purpose he had not felt before.
“Now,” Eleanor continued, letting him go and walking to a small side table in her room. It was made of deep red wood with gold edging around the drawers, exactly the exquisite taste that the rest of the house possessed. Eleanor opened the drawer and drew out a small box, which she brought back to him.
He looked down at it with a frown.
As Eleanor opened it, he recognized the contents instantly. Inside was a small silver locker, no larger than a shilling, intricately decorated with filigree engraving. It had been his mother's, and he had not seen it since her death.
“When the time is right,” Eleanor said, her voice catching with emotion. “I believe you should show Miss Crompton the depth of your feelings with this. If you are serious about forming this attachment—”
“I am.”
“—then your mother would wish for her to have it. Take it and do with it as you must. But do not act unless you are certain.”
“You would approve the match?”
Eleanor smiled fondly. “I have known the Cromptons a long time. Clarissa Crompton has done nothing to warrant the behaviour with which society has treated her. Her sister was a foolish girl who followed her heart, but she ruined their family as a consequence. It was part of the reason I invited them here. I have always liked them, her mother in particular. Clarissa does not deserve to be tainted by scandal forever.” Her eyes grew sharp as she looked up at him. “Clarissa is a sensible, beautiful and intelligent woman. I believe she would be the making of you. Ensure you deserve her.”
Nicholas left his aunt’s room with a lightness in his heart and the same sense of fierce determination in his soul.
As he walked back to his rooms, he began to form a plan of how he could show Miss Crompton and everyone around him his reformed character. He clutched the box in his hand, his fingers smoothing over the rim incessantly.
I will prove to her I am worthy—I will become the man my aunt believes me capable of being.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Clarissa descended to dinner, her nerves on edge.
The dining room was bustling with guests and servants as she entered. Emily gave her a pretty smile as Clarissa took her seat beside Lord Wilde and Rosemary.
Across from her, Lord Bolton was speaking with his aunt, their expressions solemn and grave. Again, she noticed the change in him. He seemed thoughtful and attentive, something more genuine in the faint smile she could see touching the corners of his mouth.
Henry was also across the table from her. He sat beside Emily and spoke to her in low, gentle tones as she answered his questions politely.
Once again, Clarissa felt a pang of jealousy at their simpler relationship. When she looked at Henry, it did not seem just polite interest in his gaze. He was leaning into Emily slightly, listening to her with rapt attention, and Clarissa felt a burst of joy for her cousin. Henry was a good man.
“I do hope he stays in England,” Rosemary murmured beside her.
Clarissa turned and raised her eyebrows at her. “Your brother?”
Rosemary nodded. “It was always such a short time for him to be here. I am amazed that my aunt allowed it. Two weeks is barely any time at all for an estate of this size, and half of his time has been spent at this house party. I cannot imagine he will be able to go so soon. I know a list a mile long that his steward needs to speak with him about.”
