He plopped onto a chair facing her. “She has too many damn secrets for me to answer that question with any certainty.”
“Timmons mentioned you had been asking about her arrival. I hope you haven’t been pestering her about that, Nicky.”
Of course his butler had reported to his mother. Nicholas expected nothing less. “I’m not talking about who she really is, or why you invited a villager from Lamsdel to pretend to be gentry. She has bigger secrets, Mother. I wish she’d trust me to help.”
He wouldn’t spill even the little he knew, but he could tell his mother that much without fear she’d press for more.
“Give her time. She’s known you for what, ten days?”
“How long has she known Pippa Leander?” he prodded, wondering just how much of her background his mother even knew.
“Did you know Pippa wants to open her own shop? She told Maisie about it the other day. I plan to give her a nice bonus at the end of the month, since she is saving money to get started.”
And that was as much of an answer as Nicholas could expect from his mother. Not that he’d stop asking questions. “Speaking of secrets, what were you doing in here when we were all waiting for you in the foyer?”
“Waiting to see what everyone would do when I was late, of course.”
He thought back. Yes, the door had been cracked open before Sadie stumbled through it. He clucked his tongue. “Spying, Mother?”
“Researching my potential daughters-in-law. I told you I don’t want you to be miserable in marriage. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t test your prospective brides’ characters? We need to know who would make an excellent Baroness of Marstede. Knowing how your wife will react to delays and the unexpected is important.”
Nicholas leaned back in his seat. “And what did you learn this morning?”
“That you, Nicky, have already made up your mind.”
“I told you that months ago. I’m not marrying for years.”
“Nonsense. You were in here moments after Sadie, despite having Abigail hanging all over you.”
“I was concerned for a guest under my care.”
“You were less worried when that bat attacked Lenora. Lie to yourself if you must, Nicky, but don’t try to lie to me.”
“Sadie is a mystery, that’s all.” Nicholas would continue lying to his mother for as long as he could. Because he wasn’t lying to himself, Sadie intrigued him, but until she trusted him, he couldn’t—wouldn’t—let himself ponder what he wanted. Not an answer he’d dare give his mother. She was already convinced he wanted to marry Sadie.
“Abigail is a mystery, too, and you aren’t interested in figuring her out.”
He snorted. “Abigail is not a mystery. She wants a title. I am a means to that end.”
His mother gave him one of her looks. This one called him a fool who should know better. “As much as I love you, Nicky, you know better than to think a girl like Abigail would deem you and Marstede good enough. Her interest in marrying you took me by surprise.”
“Then why did you inv—” he cut himself off. He should have realized it immediately. “She’s here to make the others more palatable. You invited Jane to give her time away from her family in an environment where she can explore her magic. You didn’t invite Sadie at all. Tell me, which woman was I supposed to choose, since you seem to have it all worked out already? If it was Helen, I’m sorry to inform you that she is only here because it is expected of her and she has no desire to marry me whatsoever.”
“How do you know that?”
His mother didn’t sound surprised. She’d probably figured it out within the first hour of Helen’s arrival. “She asked Sadie to tell me. Or more likely, she confided in Sadie, who offered to tell me.”
The door creaked open, and Nicholas turned, hoping it was a servant rather than a guest. The head of honey-brown hair poking through the gap belonged to a guest, but not one he wanted to see less of. He surged to his feet.
“Madeleine, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Sadie said to his mother, ignoring him completely.
“Come in and sit. You are supposed to be resting, dear.”
“I feel much better.”
“Still, you should sit, if only to put my son at ease. He’ll be hovering, afraid you’ll faint otherwise.”
Sadie finally looked at him, though she addressed his mother. “Putting Nicholas at ease is not a priority for me.” She turned away once more. “And he knows I’m not about to faint.”
