Page 24 of The Wise Daughter

Both Mr. and Mrs. Hansley focused on their food, eating without much conversation until Mr. Hansley asked, “Your Grace, I am not sure whether you are aware, but the chapel has been in need of repairs for some time. Your father promised help, but that was before his illness.”

Aaron answered as readily as if this matter had been on his mind. “Yes, I am aware. My steward and I have been discussing such needs. I’d value your input if you would provide more details. Once we’ve determined what should be done, I’ll arrange it all with my steward.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Mr. Hansley sounded genuinely pleased.

“You’re most welcome. We just have to be sure to arrange everything before Miss Lacy and I leave on our wedding tour.”

Nora’s bite of roasted potato stuck in her throat, and she started coughing. Aaron hadn’t mentioned the idea of a wedding tour to her. She wasn’t ready to plan the wedding. How could she even think of a wedding tour?

When she finally stopped coughing, everyone was watching her.

“Excuse me,” she said, demurely patting the corners of her lips with her serviette.

Aaron gave her a quick wink and turned the attention away from her. “Mr. and Mrs. Hansley, did you know Mr. Lacy will soon be taking over Raven Manor?”

“Really? Someone in Raven Manor after all these years?” Mrs. Hansley asked. “How very pleasant. And is Raven Manor to your liking, Mr. Lacy?”

Her father straightened in his seat like a boy being caught daydreaming. “What? Raven Manor? Oh, yes. Delightful.”

Nora inwardly groaned. She was probably the only one who could detect his sarcasm, but she did not miss his exaggerated tone or the way he was scratching his cheek.

He only scratched his cheek when he was lying.

Why can he not be satisfied or the least bit grateful?

Aaron was giving them everything they had asked for and more.

Her father continued speaking a little too loudly.

“It does my heart a great deal of good to see the duke with my little Nora.” The sickeningly sweet smell of alcohol carried on his breath, confirming Nora’s suspicions that he had been to the tavern.

“Never again will I chide you for rejecting Lord Newberry.”

“Lord Newberry?” Mrs. Hansley raised an innocent brow. “Of West Riding?”

“An old family friend,” Nora delicately explained before lifting another bite of roasted potato to her lips, which she chewed more carefully this time.

“A family friend who offered Nora his hand several times,” her father smirked.

“How interesting,” Mrs. Hansley tittered. “We heard he was rather put out after losing a fair bit of money to the family of a woman who broke her engagement to him.”

Nora’s fork fell to her plate in a clatter. So the rumors had finally caught up to her. The room grew uncomfortably hot.

Mr. Lacy apparently had not noticed the implications of Mrs. Hansley's comment. “I thought my daughter was foolish for telling him no, but look at her now.”

Oh, please don’t!

“Soon, she’ll be a duchess. Such a smart match. Don’t I have a clever daughter?”

No one seemed to know what to say to that. Nora closed her eyes, fully aware that no matter how much she wished it, the scene before her would not disappear. She opened her eyes to Aaron watching her.

“I for one,” Aaron said smoothly, “consider myself very fortunate that I was more successful in my suit. Now, Mr. Hansley, why don’t you explain to me more about the chapel’s needs.”

Like that, Nora could breathe again. So it’s true, she thought.

He doesn't care about rumors. The rest of dinner carried on easily enough. Her father settled into a quiet contemplativeness and said nothing else too mortifying. When the Hansleys thanked Aaron for hosting them and drove away in their carriage, Mr. Lacy excused himself as well, claiming to be exhausted from the day’s labors, scratching his cheek as he gave his explanation.

With Aaron and Nora standing alone in the castle’s drafty entrance, he took her hand and kissed it as naturally as if he had done it a hundred times.

“I apologize for my father, Aaron.”

“Not your fault, Nora.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Before you escape to your room for the night, I find myself eager to be enlightened on a particular subject.”

Her stomach tightened. “Oh?”

“Lord Newberry.”

Nora smirked past her mortification. He doesn’t care about the gossip! She could simply make another jest. “If you want to know more about him, I suggest you ask Locket. She knows all about Lord Newberry.”

A playful glint sparked in Aaron’s eyes, one she was coming to know well.

“Well, that first night, she did describe to me in great detail Lord Newberry’s wealth and prominence in West Riding. She even told me about a time when he tried to ensnare you for a third dance.”

Nora glared. “Locket would never say such things. My father has been talking more than I realized.”

Aaron laughed. “Well, I hope you find me an improvement on Lord Newberry.”

“Oh, quite, I assure you. If I had to make the decision to marry you on that point alone, it would be no contest.” When his smile widened, she cleared her throat and quickly added, “Of course, that is no reason to boast. Nor is it my only criteria for a husband.”

The look he gave her plucked at her heart like a grape being picked from a vine.

“Besides not wanting to share you with other dance partners, what were your objections to the man? As your future husband, I am quite motivated to ensure I do not make the same mistakes.”

One more laugh and the jesting was gone.

Aaron’s eye still held playfulness, but a deeper earnestness settled into his gaze and glowed even in the dim light.

Nora fought against all the discomfort of her flaring cheeks and tried to ignore the footing his words were gaining in her mind.

Future husband… wedding tour… future husband.

How could he be so sure of a future together?

“It won’t be difficult. Lord Newberry’s first offense, which wasn’t even his fault, was that he was old enough to be my father.”

“What? The old rake! Anything else I should be aware of?”

Nora hadn’t intended to name any other flaw, but one more thing did come to mind. “Yes actually. Lord Newberry liked to make wagers on occasion.”

“Also like your father.”

“Exactly. I know it’s common enough, but I detest even the smallest gamble. It is the one habit I cannot abide.”

“I’ve gathered that much. Is that the reason why no man has yet captured your heart?”

Nora stopped and stared at him, feeling as if she had tripped, though she remained perfectly still. His question seemed to echo throughout the great hall and rang in her ears.

“What do you mean?”

“You are the sort of woman I imagine would have been snatched up by marriage long ago, unless you had good reason to avoid being captured.” He arched a brow.

For a moment Nora wasn’t sure he expected an answer, but when he said nothing more, she gathered her thoughts.

“It’s true I’ve avoided a fair number of marriage opportunities over the years. To love and be loved are all I ever desired. I never received any offer that truly tempted me until…”

She trailed off. The terms of their engagement tumbled to her mind, and she was suddenly ashamed.

He cleared his throat. “Is gambling a matter you would break our engagement over?”

A rush of wind outside made a low howl and rose against the window, sending an unwelcome draft her way. Nora pulled her hand from Aaron’s grasp and rubbed her arms.

“Did you know that while I was pulling you from the river, my father was gambling away his horse in a game of cards?”

She turned away from his look of pity and stared through the window, its pane darkened with night. Was it foolish to hope Aaron would declare right then that he would never gamble, that he never indulged in the horrible habit? His silence chilled the warmth that had flooded her moments earlier.

“Aaron, who did Mr. and Mrs. Hansley think you were going to marry?”

“Don’t let their speculations worry you. It really doesn’t matter. People have been playing matchmaker for me since the day I was born.”

“I’d still like to know.”

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

“No!” She realized she had answered too quickly. “I’m only thinking of our current predicament. If there is a young woman who feels slighted by you, she or her family might feel you owe them something.”

“So this has everything to do with the thieves? Nothing to do with how you feel about me?”

He stepped closer, wrapping a gentle hand around her arm. She inhaled deeply before answering him.

“Aaron, you can’t ignore anyone who might feel wronged by you or your father. Someone might feel justified in stealing from you to reclaim what they feel you owe them.”

“And just to be clear, it has nothing to do with your feelings?” He placed his other hand on her other arm and faced her. “You’re not the only one who understands the small, unspoken communications we all display.”

She glanced up at his green eyes, steady and searching. “I am not displaying any unspoken communications.”

“You are. You most certainly are.”

She felt like a skittish rabbit in an open field. There was nowhere to hide, not even from herself.

“Well,” she huffed, “why is it you are so capable of–” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Of making my limbs go slack, or sending me into a flush from head to toe?

“You know what I’m referring to. You have this effect.

You must have practiced on other innocent females. ” Oh, how her cheeks burned!

“What?” His eyes widened, and he pulled back slightly.

She bit her lip, wishing she could make herself stop, but it was too late.

“You reach for me and take my hand with much too much confidence. You seem to know exactly what you are doing when you look at me in just the right way.” She stopped, unsettled by the ridiculous grin that rose to his lips, spreading first from the right corner to the left.

She crossed her arms, and his hands dropped though his warmth lingered on her skin. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

He shrugged. “Only that I’m flattered.”

“Oh, good heavens!” Nora covered her face and turned away.

“I had no idea, Nora. I never know what you think when I… when I make an effort.” His touch returned.

Gently, he turned her around. “I studied abroad at schools for boys. I traveled around the continent by myself with hired servants and aging tutors. I visited museums and vineyards. I lazed about in libraries and met with scholars who sometimes hosted me, not a one younger than sixty. I’ve been to few balls and few parties.

I don’t know how to court a woman, Nora, not really.

Everything I do is a guess, a shot in the dark based off life’s observations, silly notions, and–” He spoke emphatically.

“A deep desire to please you.” His hand rose to her cheek.

“And by some miraculous twist of fate, my blundering guesses have not all been for nothing, it would seem.”

His fingers curled to the back of her neck, his thumb tracing her jaw. Her heart stumbled with awareness as her own desires fought her pride.

She could not kiss him when she felt like an idiot.

“Well, you can remove that foolish grin off your face. I haven’t forgotten that there might be a young lady roaming the countryside who feels wronged by you. I need to know more about her in case it is relevant–”

“Nora.”

“Aaron.” She folded her arms, refusing to be drawn in by him.

He dropped his hand from the back of her neck. “Must we talk of that now?”

“Yes, we must. I need to know as much as I can, especially if there is another lady.”

“I don’t think this line of thought is helpful. Do you know how many ladies set their caps at a single duke?”

Nora stiffened. “I’m sure I have no idea.” Oh dear. Perhaps I am jealous.

“I realize it might not be as many as the men who have attempted to court you. Let’s see, other than Lord Newbery, your father mentioned Mr. Darby who you tricked into flirting with your neighbor instead.

Then were was Mr. Murton who couldn’t stand that you always beat him at chess, and I could go on.

But I assume you do not wish to discuss them. ”

Confound her father’s gossiping tongue! She could feel her face reddening by the second. Aaron had her, and she could tell he knew it. While some ladies boasted of the many suitors they had, Nora had only ever been embarrassed by them and their presumptuous manners.

“Very well, Aaron. We may talk other things.” Ignoring his smug smile, she changed the subject as an idea struck her. “I know! Why don’t we ride to the bridge tomorrow? You can tell me exactly what happened there when you were attacked. We might discover something we missed before.”

“Yes, all right. We’ll go to the bridge tomorrow. Right after I meet with my solicitor.”

“Your solicitor? I suppose you have business matters to attend to. Or is anything the matter?”

“Not at all. He’s coming to draw up our marriage settlement.”

Nora’s heart must have stopped beating. “Marriage settlement?” She couldn’t remember anything he said after that.