Page 18 of Marrying a Marquess (Widows of Mayfair #3)

He patted her hand, the one entwined through his arm.

“Not at all. I like getting you riled up. However, since the entrance to the park is up ahead, we must cease this talk and speak of nothing but the boring weather and who danced with whom at the latest society function. Otherwise, people will notice something stirring inside my breeches.”

Do not look at his breeches. Do not! Her eyes lowered, then widened at the noticeable bulge. She chose not to comment on his predicament. “What a silly, unaccomplished life most of the ton live if all they talk about is the weather and such stuff. ”

“Not you, my dear. You have your charity now. And I admire you for it. Thinking of those less fortunate is one thing, but to actively help is another. I hope you take all precautions when traveling into the slums.”

Was he worried for her safety? Her heart tingled at the thought. “I’ve hardly done anything besides attend one meeting. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”

His brows pinched as he turned his head down and looked at her. “What happens tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow will be my first time venturing into St. Giles. Please don’t let it slip around Mother or Father. If they knew, they would forbid me from going.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“Emmeline is picking me up in the morning. I’m excited and terrified.”

“As you should be.”

“Nick, don’t frighten me.”

“Sorry. Just please be cautious.”

“I will.”

“You were correct when you said the park would be crowded,” he remarked as they entered the gates. His body tensed, and he groaned. “Perhaps we should head back. I hate crowds.”

“Nick, what’s wrong?” Then she saw what caused his hackles to rise. A lovely pregnant woman walked toward them with an older gentleman.

“I fear it’s too late to turn around,” he said, his voice vibrating in panic, which puzzled her. Nick panicked?

The couple was upon them. The woman had a beautiful smile for Nick, which changed to a frown and a glare at her.

Priscilla had no idea who the woman was, but the stranger spewed venom at her.

When the gentleman noticed Nick, he looked ready to pounce like a lion on his prey.

Chills climbed up Priscilla’s spine. Nothing good could come from the expressions on these strangers’ faces or by Nick’s behavior.

“Well, if it isn’t the supposed gentleman who stole my daughter,” the man snarled, “set her up in a fine home and used her for nigh on three years, then left her with a baby in her belly. A bastard for a blackguard.”

“Sir—”

“Don’t sir me. You don’t get to address me after what you did to my Anne.

You ruined her. You saw an opportunity and took it without regard for my daughter and her reputation.

Not that you have a good reputation, either.

Although I heard it has been restored. She could have married a fine, upstanding shop owner, but no, you had to have her for your plaything. ”

Priscilla stood there, her body tense, her heart pounding.

As much as her jaw wanted to drop open, she kept her mouth shut as she listened and realized what this conversation was about.

This young lady was Nick’s previous mistress.

And the man with her was her father, whom Priscilla now recognized as her father’s tailor, Mr. Brooks.

What she couldn’t come to terms with was that she carried Nick’s child.

She’d always known they’d shared a bed. Wasn’t that what a mistress was for?

But seeing the proof of it had the sandwiches she’d eaten threatening to reappear.

“Come, dear,” Mr. Brooks said as he started walking, practically dragging Anne, who looked wide-eyed and apologetic to Nick as she mouthed, “Sorry.”

“I need to go,” Nick said in a weary voice she’d never heard from him. “I’ll escort you home.”

“Was that your ex-mistress?” For some reason, she needed verification; she needed to hear it from his lips. And how coincidental they had been just discussing her.

“Yes. She was my mistress. She showed up at my house the other day. I hadn’t seen her in six months.”

“She came to see you? ”

“Yes. Obviously, she had news to share.”

“Nick. What will you do?” She squeezed his arm. “Will you marry her and keep your child from being born a bastard?” Oh dear God, her knees almost buckled at the thought.

“I would be doing her an even more disservice if I married her. She would never be accepted into our world. One doesn’t marry one’s mistress, child or no child.”

Her insides fell. Not that she wanted Nick to marry his mistress, but for some reason, she expected him to be more emotional... more sensitive... more caring. “I see.”

He tugged her over to stand beneath a tree away from prying ears and eyes.

“I don’t think you do. Anne is a lovely woman.

And regardless of what her father said, I didn’t steal her away.

She begged me to become my mistress. She hated her father’s shop and all it entailed.

She didn’t want to marry a shop owner and work night and day.

She dreamed of a pampered life, and I agreed to give it to her.

She entered our relationship knowing what would happen then and in the future.

” He paused, took off his hat, and combed a hand through his hair.

“What I did do was promise her I would support her and the child.”

“Nick.” She touched his shoulder.

“Let me finish.” He exhaled. “I’m not a bloody blackguard. I’m doing everything I can to help her and the child. I’m not the monster her father made me out to be.”

She wanted so badly to hug him as he wiped away tears that escaped his eyes. She’d been wrong. He was emotional.

“I used a French letter every time we were together. I know they do not always protect against conception, but at least I tried to keep her safe.”

“Did you love her?” Oh dear, how hard it was to speak those words out loud. And it would devastate her to hear him say yes.

“No. I cared for her. But I never loved her, and she knew it. ”

“Does she love you?”

His fingers combed through his hair again, and he groaned.

“She told me she does. I told her not to fall in love with me, but she did anyway. And for that, my insides are in upheaval. The guilt eating at my stomach is excruciatingly painful. Nothing more than I deserve for not protecting her better. When I made her my mistress, I swore to her and myself I would never get her with child.”

He placed his hat back on his head, wrapped her arm through his, and began walking briskly.

“I must apologize for what you found yourself in the middle of. Mr. Brooks should have spoken with me privately. But I also understand that she is his only child, and he raised her alone after her mother died of a fever when Anne was young. Still, I’m sorry you had to hear what you did. ”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“Isn’t it, though?”

“Fine. It is your fault, but you are not to blame for Mr. Brook’s outburst. Thank goodness no one else was around to hear him.

Otherwise, you would find yourself entangled in yet another scandal.

Although I don’t understand why. Gentlemen of the ton have bastards with their mistresses quite often, and it is widely accepted. Gossiped about but not scandalous.”

“Which is sad. I hope her father will convince her to marry one of his assistants. My settlement on her will not change, and she can continue to live the life she wants while giving our child a name. When I return home, I will send a message to him immediately stating just that. Perhaps he will hate me a little less.”

“You are a good man, Nicholas Pierce, Marquess of Hollingsworth.”

He groaned, “You can think I am, but I’m not. You may want to remember that when you think otherwise. I’m less likely to hurt you that way.”

*

After returning home from the walk in the park that never happened, Nick sat in his library with a full bottle of whisky and thought about his troubles.

When he first recognized Anne and her father approaching him and Priscilla, he almost turned and ran.

However, he was no coward. He did have to fight not to cast up his accounts, though, because he had known what was coming.

Mr. Brooks was a good man, but Nick had done the worst thing imaginable to a parent: He had taken his daughter as his mistress.

Nick had already sent a footman to him with a message and hoped to hear back soon.

He would do all he could to make things right.

Anne deserved a husband, even if only to give the child a name and Anne respectability.

When Nick had asked Priscilla to walk in the park with him, he had hoped to pry her feelings for Latham out of her.

He needed to know how serious she was about him.

Because of running into Anne, he didn’t know any more about her feelings for Latham than he had before. It added another thing to worry about.

He poured a generous amount of whisky into a glass and was so thankful he had no plans for the evening. If he had, he would have had to cancel because he planned to get drunk.