Page 1 of The Marquess and the Earl (The Unlikely Betrothal #3)
Chapter 1
Norfolk, England - September 1814
N athaniel Baring, Marquess of Demming, watched the fields and trees pass outside of his carriage window. He still wasn’t certain that he wished to attend the upcoming house party hosted by Viscount and Viscountess Ockham, but given that he was on the road to join the very event, it seemed the decision was made. His dear friend Juliana, a close friend of Viscountess Ockham, had him included on the guest list, even though she wouldn’t be in attendance.
Juliana meant well, hoping that being with others might help him get over his lost love and not hide out in his country estate. Though the man who had captured his heart died over a year ago, he still wasn’t certain if he could love anyone else with the same intensity. A carriage accident cost Nate a future that included love, and he’d spent the last year and a half grieving and coming to terms with the realization.
Nate hadn’t been intimate with anyone since either, and a house party trapped with men who were vastly different from him would not help him remedy that desire even if he had it. He might not believe that love would come around again, but he didn’t believe he wished to seek only his hand to meet his need for the rest of his days.
But it wouldn’t be in the cards for the coming fortnight. He would be surrounded by ladies seeking marriage and widows seeking trysts, as well as the gentlemen who would look to partake in whichever of those selections were most appealing to them. It was the way of the world for men like him, living in a society where he could be sentenced to hang if anyone caught him in bed with a man. Yet, even with the risk, it had seemed inconsequential when he had the man he loved at his side.
There had only been one man since whom he thought might be intriguing, but he had misread the man’s reaction to him. Fortunately, he figured it out before he made any intentions known towards the man, as that would have been disastrous. One couldn’t simply walk into the room and ask the men which of them also enjoyed the other company of other men. Even if he could, it wouldn’t mean that he would be attracted to them.
It made the entire business of finding someone that much harder. Which only made him wish he could bring his love back from the grave and continue the life they were building together.
Reducing the numbers to the size of a typical house party would only make his plight next to impossible, so he mentally prepared himself to flirt with a few of the ladies and listen to the men discuss all manner of inappropriate topics over their port. Surely he could survive a fortnight enjoying the same company. He liked the Ockhams when he met them at Juliana’s wedding, so leaving with a few more close friendships would be worthwhile.
He sighed, almost convinced that he would enjoy his time at the house party and then retire to his country home again for a long while. Lonely and alone. Juliana was right. He needed to be around people more. Spending so much time on his own would eliminate any chance of love, or even someone to warm his bed, given he doubted that love was possible and a tryst was more probable.
The carriage pulled up into the circle drive of the large, opulent country home of Viscount Ockham. It wasn’t as large as his own primary estate, but there was something charming about the light brick manor and beds of roses that lined the entire front of the home.
Once the carriage rolled to a stop, he emerged, not waiting for a footman to open the door for him. He was eager to stretch and move about on solid ground. Brushing the dust from the road off his coat and breeches, he started towards the stairs to greet his hosts.
“Lord Demming, how good of you to join us,” Lady Ockham said, appearing at the top of the stairs with her husband by her side. They were a striking couple, and from what he knew of her ladyship, she was a force to be reckoned with.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he took her hand in his and bowed over it. “Thank you for the invitation, my lady.”
Lord Ockham extended his hand to him, and Nate gave it a firm shake.
“Any friend of Juliana’s is a friend of ours, of course,” the lady said. “Perhaps you might even find the one who captures your heart while you are here.” Her eyes twinkled at the notion. He wouldn’t be surprised if she believed herself a bit of a matchmaker with her guest list, as most hostesses were rife to do.
“One can only hope,” he lied. Juliana was the only one who knew of his secret, and she would never tell another soul, aside from her husband, who was surprisingly accepting of their friendship. The couple was a rare breed among the ton ,for certain.
Lady Ockham looped her arm in Nate’s and escorted him towards the entrance. Nate glanced back over his shoulder at her husband, who followed behind them, Lord Ockham’s shoulders shaking from biting back his laughter.
“Is he laughing at me?” she asked.
Nate looked between them, unsure who was the most important to keep on his side.
Thankfully, Lord Ockham took it upon himself to respond. “You are just in your element, darling.”
She waved him off and continued over the threshold of their home on Nate’s arm. “I like you, Lord Demming.”
“I like you, too, my lady,” Nate replied, almost afraid to say anything otherwise. Although, he found he did like her very much. He also knew she was fiercely protective of her friends, which was admirable in their society.
“Demming, you will find it is best to succumb to whatever my wife has planned for you for the next fortnight,” Ockham said, smirking at his wife. “She means well.”
Nate was suddenly concerned about what matchmaking attempts she would execute and how he would avoid them.
“Don’t worry, my lord,” Lady Ockham said as if she read his thoughts. “I won’t be forcing anyone on you. Whom you spend the rest of your life with should be your own choice.” She patted his arm. “I was selective in my guest list, seeking the most spirited, intriguing members of society. With maybe a few others sprinkled in to keep everyone on their toes. If love should bloom, all the better.”
He smiled at her, relieved that she wouldn’t attempt to see him leg shackled by the end of the party. A notion that, in his case, wouldn’t be feasible. He wasn’t certain he would ever wed, since he wouldn’t do so without the woman knowing what she was getting herself into. And it would take an understanding woman to agree to such a match and keep his secrets.
“Baxter,” Lady Ockham said, catching the man who appeared to be their butler. “Would you show Lord Demming to his chamber and ensure his trunks and valet are shown there as well?”
“Of course, my lady.” The man motioned for Nate to follow him.
“Meet in the downstairs salon after you have refreshed yourself,” Lady Ockham said before he departed. “I would like everyone downstairs by six, sharp. Dinner will be served shortly after.”
Nate nodded and bowed to his hosts, then followed their butler up the stairs. A smile of satisfaction spread across his face as he entered his chamber, delighted with the room that would be his sanctuary for the next two weeks. He had an enormous four-poster bed, with a set of chairs and a settee before a fireplace. The fire hadn’t been started yet, but he was certain his hosts would ensure it would be by the evening, given that they were approaching the season of cool fall evenings.
He dropped himself onto the settee and lay back, reminding himself he would have a pleasant time at the party and worry about the state of his love life, or lack thereof, at a later time.
Nate’s trunks had arrived in his room, and his valet, Thompson, helped him to change into suitable dinner attire. Once he was freshly dressed and cologned, he departed his chamber. He was interested to see who from society would make the formidable Lady Ockham’s guest list.
He spotted his hosts as soon as he entered the salon where the other guests had begun to gather .
“Good evening.”
“Thank you for being prompt,” Lady Ockham said, grinning at him. “Do mingle with the other guests. If you require introductions, just let me know.”
“I see Onslow over there,” Nate replied. “I believe I shall greet him next.”
He at least knew most of the gentlemen in attendance from his days at Cambridge, and if not there, he had seen them at various events.
“Onslow, good to see you,” Nate said, approaching him at the sideboard.
“You as well, Demming. Was it Ockham or his wife who talked you into attending?”
Nate laughed and poured himself a tumbler of brandy. “Neither. It was a mutual friend of ours, Juliana.”
Onslow eyed him curiously, so Nate continued. “She seems to believe I need to get out of the house more, even though she is currently settled at home with her husband.”
“These women are quite meddlesome,” Onslow said, rolling his eyes.
“So which of our hosts roped you into attending?”
The man scoffed. “The viscountess, of course. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Although, I supposed I could think of worse ways to spend a fortnight. ”
“Does that mean you are looking at the young ladies in attendance in consideration of being the next Countess of Onslow?”
Onslow scoffed. “Not in the slightest. I’m going to continue enjoying bachelorhood as long as I can. What about you?”
“Same,” Nate replied. “I hope to avoid the eager misses seeking the leg shackle.”
Onslow held up his glass to him. “I’ll toast to that.”
Nate held up his glass in return. He knew Onslow from school well enough to know that the man didn’t share Nate’s interests. Onslow was attracted only to women, but for whatever reason, he fought the inevitable taking of a wife. It wasn’t any of Nate’s business, since he had no inclination to disclose his own reasons for doing the same.
“I promised our host I would mingle and meet the other guests,” Nate said, “and she scares me.”
“You had better do as she asked, that’s for certain. I am sure we will hide together much of this fortnight.”
Nate patted the man on the back and moved about the room with his drink in hand. A pretty blond woman moved out of his way and his breath caught when his gaze landed on the man in his line of sight. He had never seen the man and did not know who he was .
He appeared shorter than him by a couple of inches, which Nate liked. The man was broad-shouldered, with a trim waist. His hair was brown but with golden strands throughout, which were accentuated in the candlelit room. Nate couldn’t see the man’s eyes since he was glimpsing his profile, but he imagined they must be some kind of blue. At least that was what he hoped.
Nate noticed that the man spoke with a petite redhead. He would consider her quite pretty, with her red hair, adorable freckles, and heart-shaped face, but Nate imagined some of the haute ton considered her unfashionable. She smiled up at the man who took Nate’s breath away, although her expression wasn’t one of attraction. He wasn’t certain that she was attached to the man, which was all the better for Nate.
Watching and observing people was something Nate had become very good at. It was a necessity in order to determine if a gentleman might return his interest. So far, he found nothing in the enticing man that might indicate he would return Nate’s attraction, and he had every reason to believe the man was courting the redhead. What a lucky chit.
Before Nate could look away, the gentleman glanced in his direction and caught his gaze. He had been right about the eyes, as they were a deep sapphire blue. Something about them made him unable to look away. The man offered him a small grin and gave him a polite nod. He returned the gesture and then forced himself to turn away. He took a sip of his drink, attempting to appear nonchalant, even though his entire body had responded.
Hopefully, the man didn’t find him strange after catching Nate watching him. Perhaps the gentleman would think he was curious about the lady in his presence. He wasn’t fool enough to hope the man responded to him in the same way. Pining after a man who was only attracted to women was the definition of foolish for someone like him. It would lead nowhere. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t look and admire the man with no one else being the wiser.
“Are you having a pleasant time?” Lady Ockham asked, appearing next to him again.
“Indeed,” he replied, taking another fortifying sip of his drink.
“Have you found anyone you weren’t acquainted with?”
He pretended to look about the room before landing on the gentleman with the redhead, unable to stop himself from asking about the man who would haunt his dreams. “That gentleman over there and his lady friend. I haven’t met them before.”
She looked in the direction he indicated. “Oh, that is the Earl of Knox and Lady Lily Fairfax.” She leaned closer as if she were about to tell him a secret. “Her father is hoping he will propose by the end of the house party. Lady Lily is a bit bookish and quiet in public, and her father wants her to wed a peer.”
Nate’s heart sank further with each of her words. He knew better than to allow himself even a small bit of hope.
“Come with me,” Lady Ockham said. “I shall introduce you.”