ceiling, feeling only slightly better. If nothing else, it was difficult to tell if his chest ached from a broken heart or a bruised rib.
Benedict appeared above him a moment later, extending one hand to reveal he had removed his gloves. Nick accepted assistance getting to his feet, and he grunted when Benedict clapped him on the back.
“Now that’s out of the way, do you want to talk about it?”
Nick minced toward a chair and sank down with a groan, certain if he looked down, he’d find a hole in his torso where his spleen was supposed to be—the organ now lodged somewhere against his spine.
“No,” he sighed, dropping his head back and closing his eyes. “And I’d rather not suffer through a lecture just now, thank you.”
“You deserve one. If the rumors are true, you ruined Miss Barrington, which could have had disastrous consequences for the rest of us.”
“This sounds an awful lot like a lecture to me.”
“I’ll say nothing else. Just inform me when you feel you are ready to get back to work.”
Nick clenched his teeth, annoyed with Benedict though he’d known to expect this.
“Ben—”
“You cannot let your life fall apart over a woman. I could castigate you all day, but it wouldn’t change the fact that you felt something for her. However, she has made a very clear choice. You must move on with your life.”
“I intend to. Uncle Paul has named me his heir.”
He opened his eyes to find Benedict staring at him, mouth agape.
“His heir? As in …”
“Everything he owns will become mine once he is gone. The money, the land. So you see, I’d no longer have a need to continue as a courtesan. Do you think you could find it in yourself not to hate me if my leaving had nothing to do with her?”
Benedict sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. “I don’t hate you, Nick. I don’t hate Hugh either, and … well, we won’t talk about Edward.”
Nick chuckled. “No, let’s not.”
“I don’t want to congratulate you on your good fortune when I know the cause. But, I am glad you have some form of security. That was all I wanted … for myself and for the rest of you. Are you certain you wish to quit for good? I’ve got three women waiting in the wings and I’d wager they’d start a bidding war if they knew you were available.”
Before Calliope, he might have joked that he could juggle all three and not break a sweat. Now, he couldn’t even muster the interest in a single woman who wasn’t his goddess, let alone three.
“I’m certain. I’m sorry, Ben.”
Benedict didn’t answer, looking at him as if waiting for something more. But, there was literally nothing else. The expectation of his inheritance was all there was for him now, along with the hope that he could make something of the gift his uncle was giving him. He could give no thought to any other aspect of the future, such as a wife or children—not when he could still so easily close his eyes and picture Calliope filling the empty place at his side.
Chapter 14
“Invitations for the nuptials of The Hon. Miss C and the Hon. Mr. L have gone out, and it seems anyone who matters has been invited to attend. Yes, dear reader, that includes myself! Together, we shall all bear witness to the union born of this year’s biggest scandal—one that didn’t even include the groom! One can only hope that Mr. L isn’t making a terrible mistake by taking such a wanton creature as his bride.”
The London Gossip, October 25, 1819
Weeks passed with Calliope feeling as if she walked about half-dead. The announcement of her engagement and return to London had preceded a whirlwind of preparations and morning callers. She had only been able to shun the visitors for the first week, after which she was determined to stop hiding. People would only talk more, and that was the last thing she wanted. So, with Diana at her side, she spent her mornings entertaining the busybodies who had come to have a look at the future Viscountess Lewes. When she wasn’t doing that, she was in the company of her betrothed.
Martin’s iciness toward her had begun to thaw, and as the events of the house party fell behind them, he became his old self again. Only, Calliope couldn’t bring herself to feel anything toward him other than cordial friendship, and even that had been tainted by the