“No.” Mark dropped to his knee, grasped her hands, and looked up into her beautiful face. “Lady Nicole Huntington, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Her silence made his stomach drop. Had he misread her? He’d assumed she was falling in love with him as deeply as he was falling for her. She’d said a number of things that indicated she’d welcome a proposal and didn’t seem to give a toss that he was merely a corporal in the army. Had he been wrong? Did she truly care about such things more than she seemed to?
The silence seemed to drag on for minutes until Mark realized her eyes were slowly filling with… tears.
He leaped to his feet and pulled her into his arms again. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. If you don’t want to—”
“No!” She nearly shouted. “I mean, yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I’ve been waiting for you to ask for days.”
He smiled at her, kissed her, and several moments later when they were both able to talk again, he said, “I intend to make you the happiest woman in the world.”
He picked her up and swung her around while they both laughed.
“That’s good,” she replied when he set her down again, his hands lingering at her waist. “Because I intend to make you the happiest man in the world. Let’s go tell Mother.”
Mark’s stomach clenched at the memory. At least they hadn’tpromisedto make each other happy. They’d both be damned liars.
Surprisingly, Nicole’s mother and grandmother had agreed to the union. Mark had secretly thought they knew how stubborn Nicole was and didn’t want to go up against her when she’d set her mind to something. Or perhaps they’d realized he was on his way to greater things. Mark knew the countess’s solicitors had been asking questions about him to his colleagues. Had they discovered his relationship to the duke? He doubted it. Surely, they would have said something.
The banns were read the next three weeks in Nicole’s family’s church, St. George’s of Hanover Square. Exactly two months to the day after they met, they were married. Mark managed to secure an extension on his leave in order to remain in town the rest of the summer. He and Nicole spent the long hot days in bed and preparing their new flat. It had been one of the happiest times of Mark’s entire life. Before it had all been destroyed.
***
Mark blinked. He turned sharply away from the window and forced himself back to his desk, back to his work. No use remembering such things. The past was in the past, and that’s precisely where it belonged. He glanced around his study. There was just one thing left to do before he traveled to Surrey for his cousin’s memorial.
One hour later, he beat the knocker against Lord Tottenham’s door. When it opened, Mark was ushered into the study by a regal-looking butler.
He didn’t have long to wait before Lord Tottenham’s voice came booming into the room. “Grimaldi, so good to see you. Come by to reschedule our dinner party, did you? Allen told me you intended to.”
Mark stood to greet the large older man and held out his hand for a shake. “Unfortunately, no. Not yet. As you know, I’ve been helping with the investigation into the death of the Duke of Colchester’s son.”
Lord Tottenham gestured to Mark to take a seat before settling his girth into a large chair behind the desk. “Ah, yes. Bloody shame. John was a young man. I’m pleased you’re on the case. Any suspects yet?”
Mark took a seat and crossed his booted leg over the opposite knee. “We have a few, but part of our strategy is to gather everyone who was there that night at the duke’s country house. We want to see them interact. The duke has asked them all to Colchester Manor for a memorial. As a result, I’ll be away for a few days.”
Lord Tottenham lit a pipe and puffed a smoke ring before saying, “Yes, I know. I’ll be attending as well.”
Mark blinked. “My lord?”
Another smoke ring floated into the air. “Colchester intends to name his heir. Rumor has it the name may be a bit of a surprise. The duchy was not entailed normally, or so I’ve heard. It’s certain to be one of the biggest pieces of news thetonhas got in years. I asked the duke if I might attend. I’m a distant relative of his so he allowed it. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“You’ll be in Surrey?” Mark asked stupidly.
“Yes.” Lord Tottenham blew a third smoke ring. “And I do hope you’ll be bringing your lovely wife. I look forward to getting to know her better.”
Five minutes later, Mark grabbed his hat from the startled butler and nearly flew down Tottenham’s front stairs to his coach. Lord Tottenham was coming to Surrey too? Perfect. Not only did that mean Mark would have to admit the truth to him about his family sooner than later, it also meant he and Nicole would have to pretend to be a loving couple the entire time and convince none other than the man who held his entire future in his hands.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
They left for Surrey early the next morning. Nicole wore a dark blue traveling gown, matching pelisse, and a new bonnet that she’d gone shopping for on Bond Street. Mark and Nicole had agreed not to wear the customary black of mourning to maintain the façade of not being related to the Colchester family, but they still wore dark clothing as a sign of respect.
Nicole’s shopping outing had been a disappointment. She’d hoped to meet old friends, run into acquaintances. Instead, no one recognized her. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d been gone for ten years. The debutantes she’d known were married ladies… with children. Apparently they weren’t shopping at the same time she happened to be. Still, it had been bittersweet, strolling with Susanna and one of the footmen through London’s shopping district. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the teahouses and the good English milliners. Itwas lovely to speak in English and have no one turn up their nose.
Her outing was filled with memories and no one to share them with. She’d purchased a few items and come home to stare at the blank piece of vellum thatshouldcontain a letter to her mother. She’d almost hoped she’d run into her mother on Bond Street. At least that way she’d have been spared the need to write her. But Mother was in the countryside this time of year. The empty page had haunted Nicole until she finally tossed it into a drawer and slammed it shut. She would write her mother when she returned from Surrey.
Nicole glanced across the coach at Mark. She couldn’t read his emotions. He was the stone man today. Was he sad to have lost his cousin so early? Even though he barely knew the man, John had been family, after all. Did Mark regret not having known him before his death? Was he kicking himself for not having visited his uncle until after the news? Probably not. Mark wasn’t one to regret things. It begged the question, however. Did he haveanyregrets? If so, what were they?
She traced a finger along the coach’s windowpane. These were the sorts of questions she would have asked him if things were different between them, but she didn’t know where she stood with him. He’d made no attempt to touch her in all these days. She wasn’t about to press the issue. He was dealing with a lot and it hardly seemed right to demand sex from a man whose uncle was dying and cousin had just been murdered.
