Cole had received yesterday might not mean anything. It had implied vague threats to the Cole family if Mr. Cole didn’t back out of a particular railroad deal he was negotiating. Even if the threats were empty and had no connection to Arch’s attack, Tom was trained to stay on high alert regardless.
“Delmonico’s isn’t that far away.” Victoria proceeded to tug Nathaniel toward the door. “I daresay a little ride won’t compromise my safety.”
“Maybe a little ride in Central Park after lunch.” Tom had learned to always be strict first. If he said “no” right away, then his charge was usually more open to his subsequent suggestion.
Victoria paused as though considering what she believed to be his compromise but was actually his plan all along. “Very well.” She sniffed in her attempt to be arrogant toward him. “But I shall take the ride with Nathaniel alone.”
He’d suspected as much. “We’ll see how busy the park is.”
She hesitated, nodded curtly, and turned to Theresa, who was trailing after the couple. “Theresa, will you ride with Nathaniel to Delmonico’s? I hate for him to be alone with his fun new toy.”
Nathaniel smiled down at Victoria. “You’re so sweet, darling. But I’ll be all right.”
“I don’t mind,” Theresa said. She stepped forward and slipped her arm through Nathaniel’s boldly. “We can’t let you have all the pleasure to yourself. You need to share some with the rest of us.”
Nathaniel’s eyes took on an excited glimmer again, but he attempted to dampen his enthusiasm as he looked at Victoria. “If you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. I want you to have fun.”
Nathaniel grinned, showing off his carefree charm, which Tom guessed appealed to young women. “Are you ready for the ride of your life?” Nathaniel said to Theresa.
Her eyes reflected eagerness. But Tom gave her credit for responding sarcastically and hiding her enthusiasm. “Just try not to kill me.”
It was Victoria’s turn now to trail behind the couple. As Nathaniel joked with Theresa, Victoria beamed at the two. Apparently Victoria didn’t think she had anything to worry about between her fiancé and her best friend. Tom hoped she was right.
A few minutes later, Tom was settled across from Victoria in the carriage. They followed the phaeton where Nathaniel and Theresa perched on the high open bench and were laughing and talking. Victoria hadn’t seemed to notice that Theresa’s arm was still linked with Nathaniel’s. Or if she did, she wasn’t bothered by it.
As a matter of fact, Victoria wasn’t bothered by too much when it came to Nathaniel. She had none of the passionate emotions one would expect from a woman on the cusp of her wedding.
The crazy spinning in his mind came to standstill. “You don’t love him.”
“What?” Victoria’s eyes jerked to his. She appeared startled, much like a cornered doe.
“You’ll run away and leave him standing at the altar just like you did your last fiancé.”
The golden brown flickered with confusion. “How do you know about that?”
“Who doesn’t? Both of your previous broken engagements made the newspaper. Jacob Anthony Ratcliff in December of ’73 after your debutante party. And Samuel Hildebrandt in ’74.”
She didn’t contradict him. In fact, her expression told him she was indeed guilty.
“At least with Jacob you had the decency to break it off well before the wedding day. But poor Samuel.”
She started to speak but clamped her lips closed.
“Don’t you think you owe it to Nathaniel to end your relationship before it’s too late?” Especially, to avoid complications. Samuel, fiancé number two, had stalked Victoria for months after the called-off wedding until she’d gone to Europe. Even if Samuel wasn’t stalking her anymore, the ex-fiancé had been at two parties that she had attended. And it was clear the man was still in love with her.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she finally said. “Please refrain from saying anything else.”
“So you’re planning to go through with a loveless marriage?”
“Of course I am.”
He quirked his brow. He’d caught her.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m going through with the marriage. What I meant to say is that it’s not loveless.”
“Then you love him?”
She started to nod.
“Be honest.”
“I feel a great deal of affection for Nathaniel,” she said slowly, as though weighing each word. “He’s good and sweet and generous.”
“So is my mother, but I’m not marrying her.”
“He loves me,” she rushed, her voice rising a notch to make her point.
“And my mother loves me.”
She released an exasperated breath, forming her lips into a pout that he’d found strangely