Page 44 of A Match of Misfortune (Bachelors of Blackstone’s #7)

Chapter Twenty-Five

S ince Nash’s chat with Adelaide, he’d truly done his best to enjoy himself.

Despite his tense exchange with Lord Walton.

Despite the occasional slights he received.

Despite how he wished to wallop any person who looked at Adelaide unkindly.

And despite how uncertain everything currently seemed.

He was at Vauxhall with Cecily. He meant to make the most of it, especially since he’d managed to convince her to stay for the fireworks with a little help from his mother, the Rothsburgs, and, most importantly, Adelaide.

“Can I at least walk you to the carriage?” Nash asked his mother.

She pinned him with a look of censure for his repeated question. “We can manage. Fredrick said he can help the coachman secure the chair if required.”

Fredrick gave him a nod of reassurance.

Nash felt better knowing his cousin would accompany his mother, Adelaide, and Jamison home. “Very well.”

Adelaide aimed a meaningful smile at Nash. “Enjoy yourself.”

“I am determined to.” He sent her a wink .

“Though perhaps not too much,” Mother said, sending him another look.

Nash lowered his brow, as though he did not understand. “Whatever do you mean?”

She swatted at him. “You well know what I mean.”

His gaze shifted to Cecily. “Did you hear that? You mustn’t try to steal a kiss from me tonight. It would not be proper.”

Cecily’s cheeks grew pink in the late afternoon light. “I assure you, I had no such intentions.”

The others laughed, and Nash gestured to Cecily, though his attention had returned to his mother. “Has she set your mind at ease?”

A blush colored Mother’s cheeks as well. “I am not so much worried about that as with the … sort of company that gathers at Vauxhall at night.”

“Wait. So what I’m hearing is that you are not opposed to us sneaking kisses?”

Mother huffed, her smile betraying her.

Rothsburg stepped up next to him. “I shall make certain he behaves himself.”

With one last pointed look at Nash, she sent Rothsburg a grateful smile. “That would be very much appreciated.”

Cecily gave Jamison, who was again seated on the chair with Adelaide, a hug, then leaned down to speak with her sister. “Nash said, once you are old enough, he will make certain you can see the fireworks.”

Adelaide sent Nash a grateful smile.

With one last kiss upon her sister’s cheek, Cecily allowed Fredrick to start the chair forward, and Mother stepped in next to him, lifting a parting hand toward the remaining four.

“So, what is the plan?” Rothsburg asked, looking between Lady Bridget, Cecily, and Nash.

“We have a supper-box reserved in an hour,” Lady Bridget said, “so we could return to the Rotunda Theater as it is very near there.”

“Or we could continue to enjoy the fresh air and walk about the Grove.” Rothsburg suggested, clearly not wishing to endure another musical performance.

“That could work. The glass lanterns about the Orchestra will soon be lit, and I’m eager for Cecily to see it.” She turned an excited smile on Cecily. “It is a magnificent sight. The whole thing is alight and glows with all different colors.”

“That sounds delightful.”

“What of the Cascade?” Nash asked. “She must see that as well.”

“The Cascade?” Cecily asked, glancing between the three of them.

Lady Bridget scrunched up her nose. “It is difficult to explain. It is sort of an artificial waterfall made through mechanics. Watching it, you will be stunned to remember it is not real. It runs once a night and only for ten or so minutes.”

“Might we head to the woodlands before they ring the bell to announce it?” Nash asked. “That way, Miss Bradshaw can have an unimpeded view of the waterworks.”

Lady Bridget nodded. “Yes, let’s do that.”

“Does the bell ring at nine?” Lord Rothsburg asked.

His wife shook her head. “Ten.”

“We shall have plenty of time to take dinner, then.” His gaze moved to his wife. “And it would probably be wise for you to rest awhile. Make certain you don’t overtire yourself.”

She took hold of his arm, smiling up at him. “I feel perfectly well, my love.”

Nash offered Cecily his escort, and with no hesitation, she took hold of his arm. That was certainly an improvement.

As they sauntered their way toward the Grove, Nash leaned in close to Cecily. “Just so you are aware, I am not opposed to you stealing a kiss from me tonight. ”

Cecily kept her gaze forward, but he could tell she was fighting a smile by the way the corner of her lip lifted slightly. “Still trying to get your luck back, I see.”

She could keep his luck for all he cared. He simply required an excuse to kiss her.

The Cascade was as mesmerizing as Nash remembered, though he had to admit it might have less to do with the improvements they had made since he’d last been to Vauxhall and more to do with watching Cecily experience it.

When the roar of the water had subsided and the thick curtain again covered the scene, Nash glanced over at her for the hundredth time since they’d entered the woodland.

Cecily’s smile remained where it had been the entirety of the display.

“What did you think?” he asked.

She blinked a few times, then her eyes met his. “It was incredible.”

Lady Bridget was clearly pleased by her declaration. “I’m certain they’ve repainted the scene behind the waterfall since I was last here. It was so realistic.”

Cecily nodded. “As you said, I truly had to keep reminding myself it was not real.”

“So, where shall we go to watch the fireworks?” Rothsburg asked. “I should like to find a bench where Bridget may sit.”

“The Dark Walk is nearby,” Lady Bridget said. “It has a few benches along the path and has far fewer lights, so we can better see the fireworks.”

Nash sent Cecily a teasing look. “I’m not opposed.”

“The Dark Walk?” Cecily appeared hesitant. “Surely that is the very sort of place that Mrs. Markham wished for us to avoid.”

“If we stay together, we should be fine,” Rothsburg said .

Cecily’s lips parted. “If you meant for your comment to be reassuring, it was not in the least.”

Rothsburg laughed.

“The Dark Walk truly is the best place to see the fireworks,” Nash said.

Cecily lowered her chin. “How many young ladies have you said those words to?”

Lady Bridget’s hand covered her laugh, and Rothsburg’s look was far from helpful.

Nash crossed his arms, attempting to appear irritated by the comment.

“I’ll have you know, you are the first.” He might be a bit of a flirt, but in all honesty, women had always terrified him.

Or more specifically, what terrified him was the influence a woman might have over him if he allowed it.

But it seemed he had no choice in the matter. He hadn’t for some time now.

“I do not doubt you for a moment.” Sarcasm infiltrated her every word, and even in the darkness, her big brown eyes held a sparkle of mischief.

“Good, because it is the truth.” He lifted his arm to her again. “Should we be on our way, then?”

She considered him for a moment. Then, hesitantly, she placed her hand on his arm.

They wandered down the serpentine path, attempting to find an unoccupied bench on which Lady Bridget could rest.

“The path is far less precarious than I’d imagined,” Cecily said, the two of them several paces behind the Rothsburgs now. “After your mother’s warning, I had thought we’d have encountered at least one miscreant attempting to cause us trouble by now.”

Nash smiled at her reasoning. “I do not believe the sort of people my mother made mention of are of the miscreant variety.”

Cecily’s gaze settled on his profile. “What other sort of disreputable company gathers at Vauxhall? ”

Nash lifted his shoulders, attempting to suppress his smile. “I could not tell you.”

“You could not or you will not?”

Nash only shook his head.

She gave an annoyed pout.

“It is vexing, isn’t it?” he asked.

“What?”

“Asking a question and not being answered.” They walked a few more steps in silence. “What if we were to reconsider our deal?”

Her gaze slid to him again. “What do you propose?”

“Since it’s clear you have no intention of holding up your end of the agreement to give me my luck back?—”

“You mean I have no intention of kissing you as one of the terms?”

Nash gave an aggrieved nod. “Precisely. What if you were to give me something else I wanted?”

She shot him a knowing glance. “The answer to why I will not marry?”

It didn’t surprise Nash that she knew exactly where he was going with his request. “That seems a fair exchange, does it not? Besides, you cannot, in good conscience, feel that I should not be given some sort of consolation for how devotedly I’ve upheld my end of the agreement.

Particularly when I’m receiving none of the supposed benefits of being betrothed, as Lady Bridget mentioned. ”

Cecily laughed. “You do have a point.”

“Does that mean you will tell me?”

She fixed her gaze on the curving pathway ahead of them. “You have likely already theorized it correctly, at least in part.”

“Is it because of Adelaide?”

“Yes.”

He thought she meant to stop there, to not tell him more, but then she released a slow breath.

“Before I was to go out into Society, just before you and I met, actually, Papa wished to get his affairs in order. Originally, he had intended to have my and Adelaide’s dowries equally divided—each of us receiving ten thousand pounds.

But both the solicitor and Papa’s man of business worried that if such a large dowry was given to Adelaide, it would only tempt fortune hunters who would deceive and use her ill.

So, to make certain that didn’t happen, they convinced Papa the entire sum should go to me.

The hope was that a dowry of that size would allow me to make a prosperous match.

A match that, when my father dies, will ensure that Adelaide is well taken care of. A sort of investment, I suppose.”

“You said no one was told the sum of your dowry.”