Nicholas crumbled a piece of bread to nothing.“It’s no laughing matter, Francis.What am I to do about Eleanor?I made love to her this morning.”
It was not just the subject but something in his friend’s tone that made Lord Middlethorpe redden slightly.“Surely that is not remarkable?”
Nicholas looked directly at him.“Yes it is.I’d decided, since I’m obviously going to have to spend more time wooing Therese, damn it, that I should leave Eleanor strictly alone.There’s something repugnant in going from a mistress’s bed to a wife’s.But I simply found myself … I’m not used,” he said fiercely, “to being out of control.”
Francis knew that though Nicholas had a potent appetite for love, he never took women lightly and always treated them with respect.He could, after a fashion, understand his predicament.“Will you give up the business, then?”
Nicholas was destroying yet more bread and eating nothing.“How can I?Can I face the consequences if this damned plot should succeed?”
“Surely Melcham can find some other way of breaking it?”
Nicholas realized what he was doing to the bread and looked at the remains of the roll in exasperation.“I intend to go to him today to discuss it, but I fear there’s no other way.Therese is the only connection to the leaders we know of as yet.He’s tried a direct approach, and even some harassment, but nothing has worked.She’s making it clear that, for some reason, she will only deal with me.I’m likely to turn into a Bedlamite!”
Despite genuine concern, Lord Middlethorpe could not resist it.“Serves you right for being such a wonderful lover,” he said.
Nicholas Delaney threw the remains of a bread roll at his head.
Chapter 8
That afternoon, as Nicholas was once more engaged on business—Eleanor refused to believe the business could be Madame Bellaire after that morning—Eleanor was delighted to accept an invitation to drive with the marquess.She eyed his extremely high-perch phaeton with some misgiving, however.
“Is that vehicle safe?”she asked.“It looks as if a breeze would blow it over.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.Not only is it an excellent design, I am an excellent driver.”
It took all Eleanor’s nerve to climb the ladder up to the seat, but she managed it, and then they were off, looking down on most lesser equipages like lords of creation.
“I suppose,” she said, “the heir to a dukedom expects to roll through life at an elevation.”
He laughed and flashed her one of his twinkling, seductive looks.“I occasionally find mere mortals worth the trouble of descent.”
A part of Eleanor reacted to him.What woman could not?And yet she knew he did not have the power over her that Nicholas had, and she could dismiss the marquess of Arden from her life without a second thought.
Thought of life without Nicholas was utterly unbearable, and she missed a whole stream of Lord Arden’s witty conversation dreaming about the delights of the coming night.
Still, Lucien de Vaux could not help but charm, and Eleanor entered her house later that afternoon humming a tune and swinging her straw villager bonnet by its ribbons.She saw her husband just descending the stairs.
“Nicholas!”She knew she had no chance of concealing the joy she felt, and so let it shine forth.Surely it could do no harm for him to know she delighted in his company.
Perhaps she was mistaken in that.
He spoke pleasantly enough, but the shadows were back in his eyes.If anything, they intensified at her greeting.“Eleanor.You seem to be in spirits.Arden been turning you up sweet?”
She could not see her way, and so she kept her voice cheerful as she spoke.“Of course, and I have had a delightful time.I can only hope your day passed as pleasantly as mine.”
“I am afraid not,” he said as they moved into the library.
She noticed uneasily that he did not meet her eyes but turned instead to study one of a pile of letters awaiting him.
“This tangled business is still going to take quite a bit of my time, I’m afraid.”He turned the letter as if reading it, but clearly he was not.“A friend wishes me to acquire a property for him,” he said, and suddenly he was facing her honestly again.Was this then true?
“When I agreed to the task,” he continued, “it seemed a simple business, but the vendor is now being very demanding.I am having to pay almost constant attention to the matter.I feel committed, however.It is a matter of considerable importance to my friend.”
“How tiresome it must be for you,” she said lightly, wondering how this connected with Madame Bellaire.Perhaps he had not, in fact, spent all his time away with the woman.Perhaps he was using her place for the negotiations.
“Would it help your efforts,” she asked, “if we were to invite the gentleman here and woo him with good food and company?”
His eyes sparkled with humor, but there was a twist in it.“A kind notion, but I’m afraid not.I have to go to the mountain, if you see what I mean, and my powers of persuasion seem to be the only key.But thank you for the offer.”
