Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “You know how I feel about London.” He came to sit in the chair that Frobisher vacated. “Besides, I needed to escape a society matron who is desperate to have her three daughters wed by the season’s end.” His expression turned outraged. “Can you believe she made me dance with all three of them just after introducing them to me at the ball?”
Colin was finding some solace in Nathaniel’s complaints. “I thought you loved to dance.”
“Not with young ladies who cannot decide whether to flutter their lashes or pout their lips. I had to have my valet rub a salve on my feet for how much they were trodden upon.”
Colin laughed now. “You should marry. It will solve all your problems. You could dance all evening with your wife at a ball and reject others without remorse.”
“Has marriage solved your problems?” Nathaniel tossed back with a grin.
Colin held the sigh rising in his chest. His marriage was supposed to be easy. He had planned everything very carefully. Anna had an odd charm that drew him to her. She made certain things more difficult for him, such as his restraint on his desire, but she also made him smile and laugh, which was quite unusual. He shook his head and glanced away. Anna was a puzzle.
His friend caught his discomfort because his expression grew somber, and he said, “I know you married out of the duty you feel toward your title, but Anna appears to be very charming. I think you can be happy with her.”
“You think,” Colin echoed.
“You deserve to live for yourself, to be happy, Colin.”
“Fulfilling my final duty which will ensure the title lives on will make me happy. I will find contentment in it.”
Nathaniel shook his head. “One of the gravest mistakes one would make is to see their child only as a duty, and not a creature worthy of love and respect.”
Those words hit Colin like a blow to his gut. He would respect his children, but they would never be safe near him. He could become his father, and then what? Have them resent and fear him? Or rejoice at his death? No, he could not bear that. Ever.
Nathaniel’s voice broke into his thoughts when he said, “I have brought you a business proposition.”
“What is it?” Colin asked, grateful for the change of subject.
“I want to establish a steel factory in London.”
“Steel, hmm?” Colin was already interested. “Go on.”
“I want to put my family’s old mines in Sussex to good use, and instead of selling the ore to factories, I can refine it myself and do better. Now, I already have an investor—it is the reason I traveled to London—and need one more.”
“You wish for me to be that investor.”
“And an engineer. Your inventions are genius, and I hope we can work together to find a place for them both in the factory and mines.”
“I might consider your proposition,” Colin said, feeling his spirits improve greatly. He had done business with his friend in the past and it had seen a great measure of success.
“Excellent!” Nathaniel leaned forward and clapped his hands. “I knew I could count on you. We shall go over the complex particulars later.”
“I am yet to accept,” Colin chuckled at Nathaniel’s excitement. “Who is the other investor? Anyone I am acquainted with?”
“Yes, I believe you are already well-acquainted with him. The Earl of Darpley.”
His body tensed immediately. “Have you joined ventures with Darpley in the past?”
“Yes. He has a keen eye for making a fortune. He ranks as one of the wealthiest men in England, and all of that fortune was made before he inherited the earldom from his late brother.” Nathaniel did not know the manner of man Darpley was. How could he? It was just the sort of thing he would conceal from society.
Colin decided just then that he would not be investing in the factory, and because he had no wish to tarnish his friend’s ambitions, he would also not discourage him from doing business with Darpley.
“How interesting,” he murmured.
“So, you will invest?” Nathaniel looked so hopeful that Colin winced inwardly.
“I shall give it some thought. I hope you can understand that I require some time to decide.”
“Oh, I understand, and I am in complete agreement with you.” He leaned back in his chair. “How is Anna faring? I hope she is growing fond of Dawnton.”
