by Carrie Brock
She squirmed uncomfortably in the chair and chanced to look in the earl's direction. His silver gaze pierced her calm facade. Nicki looked away swiftly. The brief contact left her trembling inside. He had an uncanny ability to touch her without moving a muscle.
These two made her feel like a mare caught between two stallions—a deucedly unpleasant sensation that promised to get worse. She folded her hands primly in her lap and returned her attention to Teddy.
How charming he was, just as she remembered. Color rose in his cheeks as he regaled the group with tales of the exploits he had shared with Nicki in their younger days. His current story was of his antagonistic relationship with Angelica's terrier, Patriece. How he had tormented that poor animal. The dog would simply run beneath a piece of furniture at the first hint of Teddy's arrival. Then Teddy would prod at it with a cane or fireplace poker, or some other instrument of torture, sending the dog into frenzied barking and snarling until Angelica would come put a stop to the teasing.
Nicki looked at Angelica. The smile froze on her face. Was that pain in her stepmother's eyes? She tried to remember back and recalled the small terrier had been a birthday gift from her father. Even as a puppy, Patriece had never been playful or fun, much like her mistress. Nicki had liked Patriece well enough because she loved animals, but the dog had definitely preferred Angelica to anyone else in the house. Teddy had taken a singular pleasure in tormenting Patriece merely because the dog disliked him so intensely.
Tears of amusement slipped from Teddy's eyes as he told about the dog charging from the house and leaping into Lord Blackthorn's carriage just as the man was about to climb inside. “Lord Blackthorn recovered his balance and reached in to remove the dog from beneath the seat. The dog's teeth clamped onto his lordship's hand. You should've seen him trying to shake the thing off!”
The others laughed politely, but Nicki could not look away from her stepmother's face. Angelica lifted her lace kerchief to her mouth in an attempt to hide her expression. Nicki suddenly remembered the incident and she snapped her mouth shut to keep from shouting at Teddy to stop.
Lord Blackthorn had gone to the magistrate over the dog bite. The next day Patriece was gone, and Angelica had never gotten another pet.
Teddy launched into another tale of their villainous escapades. Somehow the pranks did not seem quite as harmless as they had before. Nicki watched Teddy, feeling as though he had suddenly become a stranger. He certainly seemed like the same Teddy. His mannerisms were precisely executed to perfectly enhance his words. When he laughed, his straight nose crinkled just enough to lend his face a consummate boyishness. From the top of his curly blond head to the tips of his polished Wellingtons, Teddy cut a dashing figure. He truly was the prince of her dreams, but . . .
Had his chin always run into his neck to the point that he seemed to have none at all? When he smiled, his face was not transformed by the act. No, it seemed his smile was just too ready, too easy. She had always thought Teddy a large man, but he was actually quite slender. His breeches of tan emphasized his slim hips and the cut of his tailored jacket of powder blue spoke of the finest tailor in London. The corners of his starched cravat nearly poked him in the ears when he turned his head. Yes, Teddy cut a dashing figure. So why did her heart not flutter at one glance from his bright amber eyes?
Why did just the thought that Blake might be watching her send heat rushing to her cheeks?
“Nicki? Nick, stop gatherin . . . wool, girl. I say, remember the time we . . . ”
She murmured what must have been an appropriate response, for Teddy laughed and embarked on another tangent. Nicki wished someone would take over the conversation. Why did Teddy insist on monopolizing their attention and embarrassing her in order to do so?
Nicki shook herself mentally. What was she about? This was Teddy, her best friend since childhood. Yet as each story unfolded, she distinctly recalled the unpleasant repercussions . . . which had only affected her because of her desire to protect her friend. Just as Mina said.
Then Nicki remembered the first time Teddy, then eleven years old, crawled into her bedroom window, his dirty face streaked with tears, one eye swelling so that he could not see and a horrid split in his lower lip. His father had punished him over one of their adventures. From that moment, Nicki knew she would do anything necessary to keep Teddy safe. She regretted not one moment.
Still, it would be nice to remember one time that Teddy, older and wiser, had cautioned Nicki as to the repercussions sure to occur as a result of their actions.
No matter. Teddy had come, and it could not have been an easy feat for him. That was something.
“Nicole, the earl wishes to take his leave. Perhaps you could escort him to the door.”
Nicki jumped like a cat with its tail stuck in a slammed door. All eyes were trained on her. She looked at Blake, a slow burn crawling up her neck. The man was practically snickering.
Forcing a smile to crease the stiffness of her face, Nicki moved to take his arm. “Of course. I am so sorry you must leave, my lord . . . ” As soon as the parlor door snapped shut behind them, Nicki jerked her hand from his arm. “You might be a little more agreeable, sir!”
Blake watched her, his expression one of exaggerated alarm. “Oh? I thought I was extremely well behaved—considering the situation.”
She slanted him a glance, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm once again. “I would think you could be a little generous. After all, you have taken Teddy's inheritance away from him, and . . . ”
“Pray continue. I would like to hear what else I have stripped from Theodore.”
What had she gotten herself in for now? She led him toward the door, but could stall no longer. “Me.”
His arm tensed beneath her hand. “I had not realized you belonged to him. How is it he left you here alone for all these years?”
Nicki's throat tightened. These damnable tears. Blake certainly had an uncanny talent for bringing them about. “That is none of your business!”
“Perhaps. But remember one fact, Nicole.” She looked up at him, fighting the strange rush of blood through her body that sent her equilibrium spinning. “You belong to me now and I will not let you go. You are a prize worth fighting for, my dear.”
The intensity of his gaze held her spellbound. Nicki snapped her open mouth shut, realizing she must have been gawking like a halfwit. “I think you are a man who enjoys a challenge, my Earl of Diamond. What will you do if the prize that awaits your victory is a disappointment?”
That dazzling smile broke free from the harshness of his features. “Oh, I never go after anything unless it has great value. I do not fear disappointment, Nicole. I am an observant man and I like what I have seen. Good day.”
Nicki watched as he took his cloak from one of the hooks on the wall nearby and swung it across his wide shoulders. As he placed his hat on his raven hair she rushed to open the door for him. Blake offered her a cheerful wink that set her heart to fluttering as he passed her and strode across the threshold. Her fingers bit into the cool wood as she watched him stalk down the path to the gate where a boy waited with his horse. She continued watching until he rode out of sight amidst the stately trees lining the drive.
Unbidden, unwanted joy squeezed her heart—inappropriate, unruly, hopeless joy. He liked what he had seen. After closing the door Nicki pressed her forehead against the wood, struggling to bring her wayward emotions under control. A smile broke free just the same.
. . .
A lightness in her step, Nicki returned to the parlor. She opened the door, certain she could have easily danced on the clouds.
“Nicole, I have invited Theodore to stay with us while he is in England.” Angelica certainly did not seem pleased to make the announcement, but Teddy positively beamed.
Nicki glanced around the room, surprised to find her father and Mina absent. “How wonderful! We have much to catch up on, Teddy.”
Angelica rose from the settee, graceful as a deer.
“That can wait. I am certain Theodore would like to rest. Mina has gone to inform Em we shall have another for supper, and your father is arranging for Theodore's belongings to be transported here from the hostelry. Nicole, perhaps you would show our guest to the Hunter's Suite.”
“Come along, Teddy. I am sure your things will arrive soon. They shall most likely be waiting for you when you awaken from your nap.”
Teddy moved from the fireplace to pause before Nicki. When he took her hand she noted the smoothness of his skin, immediately comparing it to Blake's rougher, stronger touch.
“As long as you await me, I shall need nothing else,” Teddy said, a sparkle in his amber eyes.
“You say that now, but I will not hold you to it when you would like a clean shirt!”
A warm chuckle gurgled from low in his throat. “You are like a breath of fresh air, Nick. I feared you would have grown up and left behind that delightful originality.”
“Have no fear, Theodore.” Angelica cleared her throat, eyeing Teddy and Nicki's entwined hands. “Nicole's individuality transcends any amount of preaching, teaching, or cajoling.”
Teddy brought Nicki's hand toward his mouth. “She is priceless just as she is.”
Before he could brush her fingers with his lips, Nicki withdrew her hand and clutched her skirts. “You embarrass me, Teddy! There is not enough sun to cause your delirium so it must be exhaustion. We had best get you to your room at once.”
Angelica held out her hand to Teddy, who took it and bent over her fingers, though Nicki noted he did not hold Angelica's so close as he had hers.
“Your hospitality is greatly appreciated, Angelica.”
“You are welcome here for as long it pleases you to stay. Though I must warn you things will be extremely hectic during the next few weeks with all the preparations for the wedding.”
“Wedding?” Teddy looked from Angelica to Nicki and back again, confused.
Nicki stiffened. “I am to be married . . . ”
“In two weeks time. So you see, we have many preparations to complete,” Angelica interrupted.
A whiteness touched the skin about Teddy's mouth. “I assume Blake Dylan to be the lucky groom.”
The ultimate betrayal. She had not waited for him. “He is,” Nicki said, her voice scarcely above a whisper.
“I saw Diamond only a few months ago in America. Surely you cannot have known him very long, Nick?”
What could she say? “I . . . he . . . ”
“What Nicole is too shy to express is that she has only known the earl for a short time, but they have quite been swept off their feet—so to speak. He learned only this morning that business matters require his attention in America. The earl does not wish to wait until his return to England for the wedding to take place.”
Teddy glanced from Angelica to Nicki, who opened and closed her mouth, much like the poor trout Shelby hoisted from the stream. The pain in Teddy's eyes became hers. She would gladly give all she was to save him this hurt, but she had not one inkling where to start.
He drew himself up stiffly. “It seems we have a good deal more to catch up on than I first realized. Diamond has managed to surprise even me. I had not thought you would be so susceptible to his—charms. And certainly not so quickly.”
His tone rent her heart, laying it bare. Nicki summoned a strength from deep within her and released her breath slowly. “A girl could turn into a dried up old crone waiting for some men to come around. Blake is willing to help Papa in arranging for Mina to have a Season, and—”
“Help your father?” Teddy practically sneered. “I had thought him more prone to leap at Jonathon's throat like a rabid dog.”
“We have found the earl to be a gentleman, and I am certain Nicole would prefer you desist in maligning him.” Angelica's voice could have frozen a red-hot coal.
Nicki touched Teddy's arm gently, but he flinched away, leaving her looking the fool with her hand hovering in the space between them. Embarrassed and wounded, she clenched her fist to hide the trembling of her fingers and dropped her hand to her side.
“Please, Teddy. We can talk later, after you have rested.”
Angelica nodded curtly. “I think that is an excellent idea. I am certain you would not want to say something you might regret, Theodore.”
He squared his shoulders as he stared at Nicki. Something he saw in her face seemed to penetrate the heat of his anger and he managed a slight smile. “I beg your forgiveness, Nick. What has happened between Blake Dylan and myself doesn't concern you. I had only hoped . . . ” He sighed and forced a brightness into his features. “No matter. What's done is done.”
The words sliced through her, rubbing the salty sting of guilt into her fresh wounds. Rosewood. Because of Blake, Teddy had no home. She tried to speak, but emotion rose in her throat to cut off her voice. As she looked up at him, she struggled to maintain some control, but tears slipped from her eyes to rush down her cheeks.
“This has gone far enough. Nicole, you have had an exhausting day and I want you to go straight upstairs and lie down. Theodore, I shall show you to your room. When we all gather tonight for dinner, I expect there will be no recurrence of what has just happened. You, sir, are a man and I am certain it cannot have eluded your notice that Nicole is a woman full grown. She reached marriageable age four years ago, but you choose now to arrive on the scene and play the injured suitor. I think it is entirely inappropriate. Normally, I would not be so forthright, but I have known you a very long time. I had thought you would show better regard for Nicole's feelings.”
Stunned by Angelica's display, Nicki glanced to Teddy. His face showed the same surprise she was certain hers revealed. “Angelica, I . . . There is no need to roast Teddy. He is understandably upset. I only hope our friendship is not lost forever.”
The old Teddy returned in the flash of a boyish smile. “We shall always have a special relationship, Nick, no matter what happens. Angelica's right. I was behaving like a—well, like a jealous suitor. Forgive me?”
Eagerly, Nicki returned his smile and wiped away her tears. Perhaps all would work out after all. “There is nothing to forgive.”
“Upstairs at once, Nicole.” Angelica slipped her arm through Teddy's. “I do not want you tiring yourself further.”
Looking from Angelica to Teddy, Nicki's heart lifted. “Later, then,” she whispered, and hurried from the room.
At the foot of the staircase, Nicki glanced back. Angelica appeared to have begun another tirade without her stepdaughter's audience. Nicki turned and continued up the stairs to the landing. A tightness filled her chest.
In all the years of living with her father's wife, she could not remember the woman leaping to her defense. In the parlor just now, Angelica had behaved . . . like a mother.
. . .
Blake hooked the entry door with one booted foot and kicked it shut. Silver rattled as Chester cut off a cry of surprise and with amazing presence, shifted the tray he held slightly to keep the contents from splattering across the gleaming marble floor.
“My lord! Good afternoon. If you will pardon me for just one moment I shall dispense with this and retrieve your supper from the kitchen.”
Blake tugged his gloves off and tossed them onto the narrow entry table with his hat. The multi-caped cloak was draped over a nearby side chair. “Do not trouble yourself, Chester. I stuffed myself on tea and cakes at the Billingtons and as a result I am feeling quite out of sorts.”
“Cook has a wonderful potion for indigestion, sir. I shall have her prepare one for you.”
“That would be good, Chester.”
Blake moved toward the entrance to the library. Obviously unsettled, Chester continued to hover in the doorway. “Sir . . . ?”
“Yes?”
The butler turned to set the tray on a chair, the lapse in decorum testimony to the extent of his discomfit. Blake eyed the abandoned tray, then returned his gaze to the older man.
“As you know, I have been
employed by the Bartholomews since I was seventeen years of age. I watched Master Theodore grow to manhood.” Chester swallowed with his entire body. “I am deeply in your debt for keeping me on, with my family, when you could have tossed us all out and brought in your own staff.”
“That was not entirely unselfish of me, Chester, but I accept your gratitude. Let nothing more be said on the subject.”
“I . . . I must confess that Master Theodore was here—this morning.”
Blake's attention sharpened. “Oh? And did he give reason for such an honor?”
“He wanted to see you, but you were at the Duke of Billington's residence, of course.”
“Of course.”
“He asked after my welfare, and the wife, and my girls—you know, that sort of thing.”
Blake refrained from calling Chester's attention to the fact that Master Theodore had left Chester and his family to care for Rosewood without pay for more than six years, and that Blake had made up their lost wages as well as increasing their meager salaries upon his arrival.
“Very noble.”
Chester nodded. “Master Theodore always had a soft heart.”
“Is there some point you wish to make, Chester?”
“He asked me about you. I said you were a generous employer and not prone to odd habits—until Lady Nicki.”
Blake scowled at that pronouncement. “You told him about Lady Langley?”
“Of course not, sir! That was merely an afterthought just now.”
“I do not wish Theodore Bartholomew to know anything about what has transpired between Lady Nicole and myself.”
Color stained Chester's pale face and his body went rigid. “I would not presume to . . . to gossip, my lord!”
“I should have known that, Chester. Excuse my interruption, I believe you were coming to a point.”
The butler sniffed, straightening the immaculate lapels of his dark jacket. “He asked to see you and I said you were not at home. He then asked me where you were, and I informed him you had gone to Langley Hall. I had barely spoken the words before he rushed out the door. It was wrong of me to reveal your whereabouts. I hope my indiscretion did not cause you any distress. Master Theodore has ever been one for theatrics and the moment I told him, I knew I had done the wrong thing. If you wish me to leave your employ at once, I shall not blame you, sir.”
