“Careful. If Father hears you talking that way, you’ll fall out of his favor just as I have.”
Paul snorted and shook his head. “Wil was always too stodgy for his own good, even as a lad. Come now … I’m too old for such excitement, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be young and too handsome for your own good.”
Nick could hardly argue with that, so he spent the next few minutes thinking up the most entertaining bits to occur over the past year—though he steered clear of any mention of the Gentleman Courtesans. Paul was one of the few people who didn’t chastise him for his exploits, but he wasn’t likely to laugh upon hearing that his nephew had earned his funds by contracting himself out as a highly-paid whore. And there was no mistaking it, he was a whore. Some of the other courtesans were known for their courtly manners and romantic sensibilities, but Nick was in a league of his own. Women came to him for only two things—a hard, thorough tupping, and an earful of filth.
Paul seemed amused enough to hear of the raucous parties he’d attended, the women he’d wooed when he wasn’t in an arrangement, and the exorbitant bets he had won at the card tables and the occasional boxing match. He chose not to mention that he’d lost more than he’d won. Paul was as aware of his proclivities as everyone else.
“I’ve always admired your zeal for life, Nicky,” his uncle said with a wistful smile. “You remind me very much of myself as a young buck. Those of us who will never inherit are free to pursue our whims. Though, I often think it a waste that Wil hasn’t seen fit to entrust any of the family holdings into your care. Julius will inherit the title and country seat, and Jasper—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Nick interjected, though he wasn’t certain his words held conviction. He didn’t need Paul to remind him that each of his brothers had been entrusted with some piece of the family’s assets. He’d been the only one left out, and while he understood his father’s reasoning, the reminder still left a bitter taste in his mouth. “I’d probably ruin anything I got my hands on, so it is for the best.”
Paul inclined his head and frowned. “Men with a purpose to help fill their idle hours often find they don’t have time to get themselves into trouble. I’ve always thought your gambling was a symptom of a larger problem.”
“And what problem is that?”
“You’ve nothing better to do, and no one has ever gone out of their way to change that.”
Nick shrugged and picked at a loose thread on the rug. “Father offered to purchase a commission for me years ago, but I declined. I am not well-suited for military service, and I think even he knew that. Then there was his suggestion that I become a clergyman … I don’t think I stopped laughing for days after that conversation.”
Paul chuckled. “No, I don’t suppose you’d make a very good clergyman. But, you know … you’ve a good head for numbers and inspired ideas. Your suggestions regarding crop rotation and resting the fallow lands for half the year have increased my profits exponentially. Planting turnips every third rotation miraculously rejuvenates the soil, and it’s cheap fodder for the livestock.”
“A useful crop, the turnip,” Nick remarked, uncertain how to handle his uncle’s praise. He was so unused to being applauded for anything.
“Newburn has never been so well off.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
Honestly, Nick hadn’t given much thought to the offhand remarks he’d made years ago when Paul had first acquired Newburn. The estate included a manor house, as well as thousands of acres of farmlands and plots leased to tenants. His uncle had complained of poor crop yields and land that seemed to have been worked to death. Nick had merely remembered reading something about crop rotation practices and the uses of turnips and made mention of it.
“I was surprised to even remember what I had studied because it had been so long since … well, Father didn’t seem inclined to offer me what he’d so readily given to my brothers, so …”
Paul leaned closer, his expression becoming serious as he looked Nick in the eye. “Now, imagine what you could do if you actually tried.”
Nick furrowed his brow, uncertain he liked the feeling that welled up in him at those words. He wasn’t a little