to mention it for a while yet, but…” He smiled sheepishly, “I’m terrible at keeping information to myself.”
She gave him a wide-eyed stare. “Are you sure you and the captain haven’t been drinking some magic marriage potion?”
“Maybe we have!” He laughed, but quickly sobered. “Will you think about it? I know it is a shock and an important decision. Marriage to me will mean living in America, but we will travel, too. I can provide for you, Nicola, and will love you in the way you deserve.”
Touched by his sincerity, his affection that was evident in his manner, she reached out and squeezed his hands. “Thank you, Hilton. Thank you for allowing me this choice and for caring for me. I will think very hard about this, I promise.” At the edge of the park she spotted a hansom cab idly waiting for a fare. “I must return to the Home. Two new governesses arrive on the evening train.”
“Nicola,” he stood, towering above her, “I’ll give you a few days alone to think. Perhaps at the ball you can give me your answer?”
She nodded, too emotional to speak, and left him.
* * *
Nathaniel adjusted his white silk cravat in the mirror above the fireplace, his fingers not heeding his brain. It was times like these he wished he had engaged a decent valet and not relied on his useless butler. “For the love of God!” In temper he yanked at the thing, ripping it off from around his neck and threw it across the sitting room, just as Frances entered.
“Nat, heavens.” She stooped and picked it up from the floor. “Here, let me do it for you.” With deft movements she tied and fussed with it until it was a snowy silk perfection. “There.”
“Thank you.”
She crossed to the far chair where she had left her shawl. He studied her dress, the finest he’d ever seen her wear. The shimmering gold silk and cream lace ensemble gave her a healthy glow and she’d chosen to add rose buds to her short hair, which thankfully she’d been growing once more. Pouring himself a brandy, he realised she had gone many weeks without wearing her ridiculous trouser-skirt outfit. Hopefully, she was tired of shocking people, though it hardly mattered now. All of their society knew of her peculiarity for shocking others.
“You’ve started drinking early.” Frances frowned, wrapping the shimmering shawl around her shoulders.
“I detest balls.”
“Poppycock. You love them and always have done. It gives you the perfect excuse to dance with all the pretty young women, and to flirt with the older married ones. You are at your best at a ball and don’t you dare deny it.” She gave him one of her triumphant looks which meant she knew of his secrets and wasn’t afraid to use them against him.
“Is there nothing about me you don’t know?” he asked, ushering her out the door.
“Yes, there are a few things, which worry me, and there are some things I’m sure I’d rather not want to know at all.”
“Am I such an open book then?” he joked, helping her into the carriage and then climbing in after her.
“Don’t make me laugh, brother.” Frances scoffed. “You are anything but open.” She gave him a sly look. “I know that you are still enamoured of dear Nicola.”
He blanched and leaned back into the leather seat to keep his face in shadow. “What makes you think that?”
“Don’t toy with me. You cannot keep your eyes from her.”
“One can look at a beautiful painting without the need to buy it, sister.”
“Not you. When you want something you usually get it.”
“Not always.”
“And not with Nicola it seems. Yes? Though it’s hardly surprising she thinks nothing of you when you antagonise her the way you do.”
“Can we talk about something else before you ruin the entire night?”
Frances gasped and pushed forward in her seat to look at him properly. “So there still is something. I knew it!”
“Gloating is unattractive in a female, Frances.”
“Why can you not make it up with her?”
“When did it become your business I wonder?”
“Nat, please… She is my good friend and you are my brother. Of course I would be thrilled to see you joined as one.”
“And Miss Douglas would rather walk through fire.”
“You know this for certain?”
“Without question.” He tried to ignore the pain this brought.
“But are you honest in this? Do you really mean marriage, a true marriage? You must be sure about it. We’ve seen the consequences of unhappy partnering at first hand.”