The Truth About Dukes (Rogues to Riches #5) - Grace Burrowes Page 0,38
possessed—”
Nathaniel’s gaze became hooded. His word choice had been unfortunate, for demonic possession was the usual explanation for epilepsy among the less enlightened.
“Why propose marriage to a near stranger?” Nathaniel asked. “Lady Constance has no idea how your affliction manifests, and she will not be pleased to learn of it after the wedding.”
“That you are concerned for the lady is another compliment to my improving health, is it not? Two months ago, you would have assumed Constance was taking advantage of me.”
Two months ago, Constance would not have been permitted to set foot on Rothhaven property, so unrelenting had been Nathaniel’s protectiveness toward his older brother.
Nathaniel crossed his arms. He uncrossed them. He picked up his wineglass, then put the drink down untasted. “You are making progress, if you can walk to the orchard in the broad light of day with no ill effects.”
“I have traveled off the property by coach, Nathaniel. I have hired new staff. You haven’t troubled yourself over the correspondence in weeks, and need I remind you, your figurative boot applied to my arse was what inspired these feats of normalcy on my part. This beef is surprisingly good.”
“Althea’s cook has been making regular visits belowstairs. How can you sit there, calm as a Quaker at his prayers, and tell me in one breath that the roast agrees with you and in the next that you’ve proposed marriage to a near stranger?”
Nathaniel was not only puzzled, in his eyes lurked a hint of worry, as if Robert was evidencing a new and troubling symptom not of epilepsy, but of all the quirks and eccentricities that being incarcerated for years had produced in addition to the seizures.
“Calm yourself,” Robert said. “I trust you will keep my confidences even from your intended, at least for a time. Constance and I have a prior acquaintance from years past. She has seen the extent of my illness as clearly as you have, though my more recent crotchets had yet to fully develop when last she knew me. Do eat your steak before it gets cold.”
“To hell with my steak. Althea suspected the two of you knew each other, but how could Constance have known you? You were gone to that place, thirty miles from civilization.”
Thirty-two miles, actually. “Your word, Nathaniel, that you will not whisper this tale to Lady Althea, for it is not entirely my tale to tell.”
Nathaniel nodded—grudgingly, in Robert’s opinion.
“In her youth,” Robert said, “Lady Constance was not a lady. She was the younger sister of a banker intent on making his fortune as quickly and successfully as possible. You know the situation prior to that. I gather that in Constance’s adolescence, a falling-out occurred with her older brother, and Constance decamped for independent employment. She took a post as a maid of all work in the facility where I was kept. We struck up an acquaintance.”
Nathaniel swirled his wine, peering at Robert over the rim of his glass. “How old was she?”
“A very self-possessed and savvy fifteen, or thereabouts.”
“You didn’t—?”
“She was fifteen, Nathaniel. Clearly from decent family. I was young enough to have untoward thoughts, but what did I have to offer her? Madness and obscurity? That makes a fine dowry. Her brother found her after a few months, but in that time, she and I became friends.”
An understatement and the truth.
“And now you want to marry her?”
“I have asked her to marry me, and I await her reply. She knows quite well that at any point, some meddling busybody who comes upon me in a shaking fit will decide I must be returned to the care of other meddling busybodies. Between you and the Wentworth family, I hope a judge can be persuaded to allow me to remain here at the Hall. My estate will nonetheless be managed by guardians, and they will doubtless leave my finances the worse for their efforts. His Grace of Walden will know how to protect the lady’s portion from such plundering.”
Nathaniel cut into his beef, which had to be cold. “Why do this, though? If you want a woman’s company, there are friendly widows who’d put no demands on you. Why complicate your life?”
That a man so clearly besotted would ask that question suggested that Nathaniel still saw his older brother primarily as an invalid.
“Because if I do not marry now, before my competence is brought into question, then I will not ever marry, will I? Lunatics are presumed incapable of knowingly taking nuptial vows.”