“She happened,” Nash said.
Guy looked her over as Russell barreled into the kitchen. “What happened?” Russell asked, breathlessly.
“She happened,” Guy repeated.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Russell muttered.
Grace smiled. Well, I’ll be damned. That sounded about right.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“You know, I was rather surprised you did not sweep Miss Beaumont off her feet.” Guy leaned back in the chair, propping his boots up on the table.
“For a nobleman, you have no manners.” Russell pushed Guy’s feet from the table, pulled out a chair from the other side of the table, and sat opposite.
Nash took a swig of ale, shaking his head. “I damn well tried.”
“I could have sworn she was in love with you,” Russell mused. “Perhaps she woke up to what an arrogant cad you are.” A slight smile curved Russell’s lips, taking the sting from the insult but Nash couldn’t help think it might be true. If she’d have been in love with him, she would have gone along with a pretend engagement, surely?
“She said she wanted to be in charge of her own future,” Nash muttered.
Whatever the hell that meant. He shouldn’t be mad, but he couldn’t help feeling a little peeved. Two weeks had passed since Grace returned home and there had been no word of how she was doing or any inkling that she might just miss him.
He certainly missed her.
“Maybe she’ll come around,” Guy suggested. “It was rather a stressful time for her, what with her uncle and fiancé showing up at the house.”
“Stressful is an understatement.” Russell gestured for more drink from the serving girl.
Nash shook his head and motioned for two drinks only. “I’ll be travelling most of the day. And I doubt Grace has changed her mind. Once set on a conclusion, she’s not likely to change it. Besides, if she wanted me, she could have said before she left.”
“She was an interesting woman, that one,” Russell said. “I wouldn’t be leaving her alone for too long. She’s a lot wealthier now. The men will be lining up outside her door.”
Nash tried not to think about that. Besides, she had been very firm on the whole thing. She needed time alone, time to be her own woman for once.
He understood, sort of, but he wished the time alone hadn’t included being away from him. Grace had made it clear—she did not want to marry anyone, including him.
“So if you make up with your father, will you be retiring from our club?” Guy asked.
Nash shrugged. “I hardly expect him to reinstate my allowance and who knows if he will even open his door to me. Besides, I broke the cardinal rule. I had rather thought you would be looking for someone else to take my role.”
Guy eyed him. “You are in love with her.”
“So?”
“You never touched a woman before Grace, and I suspect now you will never touch another again.”
Russell chuckled. “The man is certainly lovesick.”
He wasn’t wrong. The thought of even having to be charming to another woman stung. Now he understood why Guy was so bitter after his heartbreak. He shuddered. As painful as it was being without Grace, he didn’t want to become the grumpy old bastard that Guy was. Somehow, he’d have to figure out a way to get over her.
He grimaced. Easier said than done. Everywhere he turned he thought of her. Heck, he’d even caught himself petting a damned cat the other day thanks to her.
“Are you sure we should continue with the club?” Nash asked. “The lake house is compromised, as is mine.”
“We can find new places, and Worthington won’t say a word unless he wants to go down for shooting a lord,” Guy said. “And we know the uncle is too scared to reveal us.”
“That he is,” Russell agreed. “The man nearly pissed himself when he saw Worthington’s injury.”
“I hope it didn’t heal as well as mine did.” Nash tapped his leg. “Thankfully, it was just a graze or else I’d be going nowhere for many, many weeks.”
“Worthington deserved far worse,” Russell muttered.
“I’ll toast to that.” Nash lifted his glass and drained it.
“So once you are back from your father’s, you will continue with us?” Guy pressed.
“I don’t see why not.” He needed something to keep his mind off the conundrum that was Grace anyway. “Mary will want to continue to help. We’ll have to find some way of including her.”
Guy nodded. “I think we could install her as a permanent housekeeper somewhere.”
“She certainly wouldn’t miss the farm.”
“And what will happen to Tommy?” Russell asked. “The poor kid was terrified by Worthington.”
Guy’s jaw tightened. “I’m surprised you’re so forgiving, considering he nearly got us all killed.”
“People make mistakes, Guy,” Nash said. “Lord knows, I’ve made a ton of them. He got a little greedy, but I think he learned his lesson.”
“The fool kid thought he could get some coin without giving us away, but Worthington beat the rest of the information out of him.” Guy sighed. “I guess he probably paid for his greed.”
“The boy is too smart, figuring out you had the lake house rented under a different name. He must have read some of our previous letters.” Guy sighed. “I must admit, I want to do something with those smarts.”
“Well, I’ll be back soon,” Nash announced, pushing back the chair and retrieving his jacket form the back of it. “Even sooner if my father doesn’t even let me through the gate.”
“You’re not riding, are you?” Guy glanced at his slight limp.
“I’m a fool but I’m not that damned foolish.” He shoved his arms into the jacket. “I have a carriage to take me to Herefordshire.”
“Anyone would think you cared about his welfare, Guy,” Russell teased.
“I only care that he remains in one piece, so he continues to work his magic on the women we help,” Guy grumbled.
“I will return,” he vowed.
But first he had some amends to make.
THIS MIGHT HAVE been one huge mistake. Nash’s stomach turned when he climbed out of the carriage and looked up at the family home. The Palladian style house had hardly changed with the exception of a few new curtains in the drawing room windows. He only hoped one thing had changed—that his father would at least accept an audience with him. He swallowed hard as the front door eased open. Definitely a mistake. Why was he willing to put himself through a humiliating confrontation with his father again?
Oh yes, because of Grace. Damn it. Her forgiving ways, her strength had taught him at least one thing—and that was to cease being a stubborn coward. If his father still did not want to see him then at least he had tried.
“Nash!” A blur of pale muslin with ribbons streaming out at all angles dashed toward him. Henrietta flung her arms around his waist and he staggered back from the unexpected weight of her.
“Good God, you have grown.” He looked down at his youngest sister who offered a gappy smile in return. His heart gave a pang. He’d missed so much, especially in Henrietta’s life. And it had all been his damned fault, he knew that now. As much as he’d like to blame his father, it was his own stubbornness and stupidity that had kept him away. “When the devil did you get so big?”
“I’m tall for my age.” Henrietta stepped back, clasped her hands behind her, and rocked on her heels. “Mr. Joules says you are here to speak with Papa.” She bit down on her bottom lip. “You won’t argue like last time and go away for an age again, will you?”
Nash smiled. “I will be on my best behavior, I promise.”
“Good. I need to show you my new collection of thimbles. Papa just brought back the most beautiful one from Scotland. It has a thistle on it.”
“You can show them all off very soon.” But first he needed to face down his father. “Where is everyone else?”
“Mama and Nelly are visiting. I’m not allowed to go
because I fidget too much.”
“That’s not a bad thing, Hettie. You would find it incredibly dull, I’m sure.”
She grinned. “I do not care now that you are here. They shall be jealous I was the first to see you.” His sister pouted. “We all missed you terribly.”
“I missed you too.” He glanced at the study window. “Is Father expecting me?”
“Uh huh. He said for you to go to his study.”
Nash gave Hettie another quick embrace. “Go and get your thimbles out. I shall come and see them shortly.”
He hoped. That was, if his father didn’t send him on his way again.
Straightening his spine, he headed indoors. After handing his jacket, hat, and gloves over to the butler, he traipsed down the corridor toward the study. It all looked the same with the same pictures, the same carpet, the same ink splot that he’d been in huge trouble for when he was seven. But he had changed, and if his father could not see that, then there was nothing that could be done about it.
He knocked on the closed door and waited for permission to enter. Easing open the door, his father rose from his chair. The years had spread the gray from his temples to almost all his thick hair and his shoulders were a little more rounded than Nash remembered. His expression remained guarded but for a moment. Before Nash could shut the door, his father moved around the desk and threw his arms around Nash.
Nash stilled, his arms frozen at his side. “Uh...”
“My boy.” His father stepped back and rubbed a hand over his face. “Forgive me, but we’ve missed you.”
Nash blinked several times. “I, um, missed you too.”
His father blew out a breath. “There were too many times that I wanted to come to you but, well, after the way we left things...”
Nash nodded. “I was too proud to come to you.”
He clasped Nash’s arms and looked him up and down. “You look well, though.”
“I am well.” If one did not count utterly heartbroken over a woman.
“Good, good. Your mother shall be mightily happy to see you.”
“Forgive me, Father, but...well, I really did not think I would be welcome.”
“I know.” His father grimaced. “And for a while you would not have been. You have to understand how hard it was for me to make that decision but, my boy, you were so lost, and I could not see how else to make you see sense. It seemed the only way to teach you was to hit you where it truly hurt.”
Nash nodded. It had hurt. The money and the loss of his family, the loss of his dreams. It had been agonizing, but Nash could see his past self as his father had now. He couldn’t be certain he wouldn’t do the same thing if he had a son behaving similarly.
“I always thought you would return to us eventually,” his father admitted.
“I thought I would not be welcome.”
His father pursed his lips. “Why did you think that had changed?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t know if it had but I had to try.” He gave a slight smile. “I’m different now. I certainly do not gamble, but I...well, I met a woman and she taught me a lot.”
“Ah.” His gray brows rose. “Women do seem to have that sort of impact on us lowly men. Is this woman still in your life?”
“Not at present, no.”
“And there is nothing you can do about that?”
“I do not think so.” Grace had been firm in her farewell. She needed time by herself, she said. Then she’d kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for everything. That had seemed fairly final to him.
“Well, if things change, I am certain we would like to meet her.” His father clapped a hand to his shoulder. “You do seem rather a new man.”
He felt like one in many ways, but was that enough for Grace? He suspected he might just have to summon his courage once more and find out.
Chapter Thirty
Grace tapped her fingers on the breakfast room table and eyed her notes. At the head of the table, her uncle sat, his posture rigid but remaining quiet. He had barely uttered two words to her since they returned home.
She smiled to herself. She knew he was ashamed of his cowardice and maybe a little ashamed of trying to force her to marry Worthington. Even if he wasn’t, it didn’t matter. She and Aunt Elsie would be moving out as soon as she found a suitable home for them.
Then, she just had to decide what to do about Nash. She had told him she needed time and that was no lie. They had been swept up in some strange event, confined together, and forced into situations that were entirely strange. When he had talked of marrying her to her uncle, for a brief moment, she’d been elated, but she realized that if she were to marry anyone, she could not have it happen in such a way.
She glanced at her notes again. She had hoped that taking the time to just be her own master and, quite frankly, be away from the powerful pull between Nash and her would help her understand things a little bit better.
But it seemed there was nothing to understand. She loved him and no amount of notetaking would help her make sense of such an emotion. She ticked off the list. Nash was kind, loyal, brave, and loving. She also knew he cared for her. He had looked mightily disappointed when she bid him farewell.
But did he love her?
Nothing in her notes could tell her that for certain. She glanced at her aunt, who appeared younger and more relaxed than ever now that their future was settled. Or almost settled. There were plenty of cottages in England to let but Grace kept finding something wrong with them. The bedrooms were too small, or the drawing room didn’t get enough sun. There wasn’t enough garden for Claude to explore or the proportions of the rooms were not right. She had spent so long dreaming of that future but now it seemed bleak.
Without Nash in it.
The doorbell rang and she glanced up from her scribbles. The door clattered open. “I say there...” said the butler before his words were cut off by something.
Frowning, Grace eyed the entrance to the breakfast room. A little squeak escaped her when a masked man swept into the room, a black scarf covering the bottom half of his face. He pointed a black-gloved finger at her. “Miss Grace Beaumont, I am here to kidnap you.”
Her uncle rose to his feet. “What the devil are you playing at?”
Grace blinked a few times, moved her attention from the end of the fingertip, to where a green gaze met her own. She shook her head and smiled. “What are you doing here?”
The corners of Nash’s eyes crinkled. “I told you, I am here to kidnap you.”
“I am really quite tired of all this kidnapping business.” Uncle Charlie sank down onto his chair. “Do what you will with her. I certainly cannot tell her what to do.”
Aunt Elsie’s mouth hadn’t shut since Nash entered the room. She looked between Grace and their intruder. “What is going on, Grace?”
“Oh yes, I forgot.” He gestured to Aunt Elsie. “I’m kidnapping you too.”
Aunt Elsie put a hand to her chest. “Why would you want to kidnap me?”
“Grace loves you more than anything. I cannot very well have you two apart.”
Grace shook her head and smiled. “He is not wrong.”
“Good.” He gestured for them to both rise. “Consider yourselves kidnapped. Come on, ladies, we do not have all day.”
“But...but where are we going?” Aunt Elsie spluttered and looked to Grace. “Do you really want to go with him?”
Grace rose from her chair and looked into Nash’s gaze for a moment. She didn’t need to think or dwell or hesitate.
“Yes, yes, I do.”
“Goodness me, well, I suppose I had better come with you then.” Her aunt rose slowly from the chair.
Uncle Charlie poured himself a coffee and withdrew a hipflask from his jacket pocket, adding a healthy dose. “I do not understand what is wrong with women,” he muttered. “I really do not.”
“Come then, we do not have a moment to lose.” Nash took Grace’s hand and led her out into the hallway.
&nbs
p; “Wait!” She tugged him to a halt. “We cannot go without Claude.”
Nash paused. “Of course we cannot. Where is he?”
Grace dashed into her aunt’s parlor room and found him curled up on the armchair. He made a little sound of protest when she scooped him up. “Sorry, Claude, but we are going on another adventure.”
Outside, a carriage awaited, the livery indicating it belonged to a nobleman. She eyed the crest and glanced back at Nash. “This isn’t the crest of a kidnapper.”
“It is my father’s,” he explained. “We have come to an understanding.”
“Does that mean you are no longer cut off?”
“It does.” He aided Aunt Elsie into the carriage and took Claude from her to hand to her aunt. “And it means you can be assured I do not wish to marry you for money.”
She shook her head. “I would never think such a thing of you.” She paused. “Marry?”
“Did you really think I was going to take you away and not marry you?”
“If I am honest, you hardly gave me any time to think at all.”
“I have a marriage license prepared. All you need to do is say yes and we can be wed and off to Guildham. It’s a little worse for wear but I promise I will make it a beautiful home for you and your aunt.”
“I do not doubt that.”
“Marry?” echoed Aunt Elsie’s voice from inside the carriage. “Grace, this doesn’t sound very logical.”
Grace reached up to undo the black cloth from around Nash’s face and flung it to the floor, then put her arms around his neck. “None of this is logical,” she murmured. “That’s how I know it is right.”
“I tried to give you as much time as I could,” Nash admitted. “I wanted to give you more but being apart from you was driving me out of my wits. I just knew I had to see you again to be certain.”
“There were certainly less dramatic ways you could have done that.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“I did need that time to myself,” she said. “It was good for me, I think. And it made me realize just how much I love you, and I would happily put my fate in your hands.”
Capturing the Bride (The Kidnap Club Book 1) Page 19
