A Matter of Principle (5 page)

The younger sister of his deceased first wife, Lily had designs on being Nicolas’s
second
wife. Her machinations toward that end nearly did him in, and he had not truly forgiven her. If her brother Rickard was not his oldest and closest friend, he would not be knocking on this door this evening.

“
Nick!” Rickard threw the portal as wide as his grin. “And Sydney! You are looking as lovely as ever!” Rickard kissed her hand and slapped Nicolas on the shoulder. “It’s been far too long.”

“
How are you faring, brother?” Nicolas considered his friend.

Rickard shrugged. “And this, too, shall pass.”

Bronwyn Atherton descended the stairs, her arms empty. “Welcome, dear friends!”

“
And where is Glynnis?” Sydney demanded.

“
I only just fed her.” Bronwyn gestured up the stairs. “She’s sleeping.”

“
I am perfectly capable of fawning over a slumbering babe!” Sydney laughed, climbing the steps.

Envious that Sydney had found a way to delay the inevitable, Nicolas draped his arm over Rickard’s shoulder. “And how is fatherhood?”

Rickard pulled his longing gaze from Bronwyn’s swaying backside to Nicolas’s steady visage. “It feels like living in a monastery,” he answered. “With naked nuns.”

Nicolas’s explosive laugh caused Sydney to shoot him a puzzled look over her shoulder.

“
It’s only six weeks. You’ll survive. I did.”

“
Ha! Of all men, if you could last it through, then I suppose anyone could!” Rickard elbowed his friend.

“
Nicolas!” Lily’s unmistakable trill splattershot through his gut. Nicolas turned, determinedly steeled against his anger.

“
How wonderful it is to see you again!” Lily stood on tiptoes and kissed Nicolas chastely on the cheek. “May I present my husband, Sir Ezra Warpold Kensington?”

Nicolas bit the inside of his cheek to hold his reaction in check. The man must be in his late fifties, if he was a day. Lily was twenty-five.

“
Sir Kensington, my pleasure.” Nicolas bowed at the waist.

“
Please, call me Ezra.” A soft, wrinkled hand extended from his frockcoat, a finely tailored affair of pale green silk. “I have heard much about you, Mister Hansen.”

“
Please, call me Nicolas.”

Ezra dipped his head in acknowledgement. “And your wife?”

“
Upstairs admiring the distaff Atherton heir.”

“
Ah, yes.” Ezra’s eyes darted to Lily’s with an odd glint. “Of course.”

“
Might I offer anyone a brandy?” Rickard guided the guests to the drawing room.

“
Thank you, Rickard.” Ezra sat on the brocade settle.

“
Nicolas, might I have a word with you in private?” Lily smiled ever so beguilingly.

“
Now?” Nicolas frowned. “Why?”

“
If you please?”

Nicolas clenched his jaw and tried to think of a reason to decline. But Rickard gestured toward his study. “You may speak in there, if you like.” He returned his attention to meticulously pouring the brandies.

Lily flashed another smile and twirled hard enough to make her skirts dance around her ankles. She sashayed across the hall to the study. Nicolas drew a steadying breath, and walked stiffly after her.

Once in the study, Lily closed the door and faced Nicolas. “Are you happy, Nick?”

He did not smile. Nor did he hesitate. “Very.”

“
That’s good to hear. And Sydney? She is happy with you as well?” Lily stepped closer.

“
Yes,” he hissed. What was her game
this
time?

“
So you have all that you want?” She rested her hand on his chest.

Nicolas did not react to her touch. He glared down at her, barely resisting the urge to slap her hand away. Or to simply slap her.

“
Lily, what’s your point?”

“
Everyone should have what they want, isn’t that so?”

Nicolas narrowed his eyes, sensing her trap. “What do
you
want?”

“
Only what’s rightfully mine.” She trailed her hand down his chest to his waist. He grabbed her hand before it went any lower. Enough was enough.

“
I am not rightfully yours, Lily.”

“
No? That might be debated. But half of this estate most assuredly is.” She flipped her hand from Nicolas’s grasp and turned her back on him. “You need to remind Rickard of that fact.”

“
Why?” Nicolas blurted, incredulous.

“
Because!” Lily presented her perfect profile. “You’re his best friend. You can talk sense into him.”

Nicolas snorted. “Lily, if you take half of this estate, you’ll ruin him.”

Lily spun around and leaned against Nicolas, her expression of concern perfect yet unconvincing. “Do you truly think so?”

“
Yes! I know so!”

Lily pushed against his chest, but not hard enough to create space between them. “Well, I don’t!” Seamlessly, she slipped her arm through his and turned toward the door. “Enough about that. Will you escort me to dinner?”

Nicolas clenched his jaw and did not jerk his arm from Lily’s grasp, though that was his first impulse. As they stepped from the study, Lily’s sudden laughter rang through the hall like dozens of tiny silver bells. Sydney stopped as she and Bronnie made their way down the staircase, and stared at Nicolas. He pulled his arm from Lily’s grasp and held his hand out to his wife, desperate for her to take it without comment.

Lily shot Sydney a victorious grin, then slid her best seductive gaze back to Nicolas.

“
Dinner should be ready by now.” Bronnie’s tone was overly-bright. She stepped past Sydney. “Let’s make our way to the dining room, shall we? Rickard!”

Rickard’s head appeared in the drawing room doorway. “Yes?”

Bronnie took his arm. “Will you lead our guests to dinner?”

Chapter Four

“
Mister Kensington, how did you and Lily meet?” Sydney asked once the food was served. She had determined to be polite to Lily and spare Nicolas, Rickard and Bronnie an uncomfortable evening—as far as it was in her ability to do so.

“
Well, now that’s an interesting story,” Lily interjected. “Would you like to tell it, or shall I, Ezzy?”

One veined hand appeared and rested over hers. “You, darling. That way, I may enjoy the delightful sound of your voice, not the grunts and rasps of my own.” Ezra lifted Lily’s palm to his smiling lips.

Lily’s chin dipped and her lashes fluttered. “You are so sweet.” She patted his cheek and then launched into her tale.

It seems that Lord Ezra liked to bet on horses. Lily’s cousin had taken her to watch the races and their box was adjoined to his. Conversation sprung up and, before she knew it, she and Ezra were on their way to dinner.

“
He invited me out several times after that. In no time, we were the envy of all of Raleigh,” Lily gloated. “Then he asked me to marry him!”

Lily waved her enormous diamond and emerald ring, in the chance that someone in the room might have missed that sparkling planet. Under the table, Sydney twirled her much smaller gold filigree and garnet wedding ring.

“
Was it a nice wedding?” Sydney asked. She caught Nicolas’s surprised consideration. She shrugged a little.

“
More than nice! It was amazing! Definitely the social event of the season, wouldn’t you say so, Ezzy, darling?” Lily smiled at the older man.

Ezra Kensington nodded, making eye contact with Nicolas and Rickard. “It was that. Lily is quite the planner. Of course—” he winked at the men “—our wedding night was rather spectacular as well, wasn’t it, Sweetest?”

Stunned by the ribald reference, Sydney’s eyes dropped to her plate. She shifted her gaze to Nicolas across the table, and saw his suspicious countenance.

“
I’m so sorry we missed it,” Bronnie said calmly. “Would anyone care for more snap peas?”

Lily’s voice took on an edge. “Well, we missed
your
wedding as well, didn’t we?”

Nicolas reached for the bowl of peas. “And we missed them both. Thank you, Bronnie.”

Lily shot him a look. “You missed
Rick’s
wedding? What on God’s earth kept you away?”

“
We were in Norway.”

Lily frowned. “Who was in Norway?”

Nicolas answered coolly, “Me, Sydney, the children. We were gone over a year.” He poured himself more wine. “We only returned in mid-August.”

Lily slumped in her chair. “I had no idea.”

“
Was it a pleasant experience?” Ezra asked.

Sydney and Nicolas exchanged significant looks.

“
Not entirely,” he answered. One corner of his mouth curled.

“
Oh?” Ezra sat up straighter. “Was there a purpose for this journey, then?”

“
Yes.” Nicolas rested elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. He stared at the man over their point. “I was one of three candidates for king.”

Lily coughed violently, her face exploding in scarlet. Rickard pounded her back until she swatted his hand away.

“
What—king?” she croaked.

“
Yes, Lily. Nicolas is the great-grandson of King Christian the Sixth.” Sydney flashed her a puzzled look. “I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

Though Lily’s face was still red, and her eyes still watering, she didn’t let the goading comment pass.

“
I knew that!” she coughed. “But how did this come about?”

Nicolas patiently explained the summons and the situation they found there, including his and Sydney’s duplicity. But he excluded the gold he returned home with.

Lily stared at him, her expression unreadable. “And you returned in August?”

“
We did.”

“
Would anyone care for more bread?” Bronnie interrupted and passed the basket to Ezra, who accepted it and set it down.

“
Well!” Lily harrumphed. “Perhaps someday I’ll cease being surprised at the odd things you choose to do, Nick.”

“
Potatoes, anyone?” Bronnie held the platter in invitation.

Her attempts at keeping the evening civil were not lost on Sydney. “I’ll have another helping. A small one.”

Sydney accepted the plate, though she had lost any semblance of her appetite. But the grateful look Bronnie gave her made the effort worthwhile.

Rickard’s stable master, a slave named Josiah, appeared in the dining room doorway. Rickard waved the man to his side.

“
Yes?” He leaned his head to Josiah, who whispered in his ear. “How long?” He frowned and nodded. “Yes, I’ll come straight away.”

“
Something amiss, Rick?” Nicolas probed.

Rickard stood. “A mare is having difficulty foaling.”

“
Do you need help?”

Rickard glanced around the room, distractedly patting his pockets. “I may…”

“
I’ll come, too.” Sydney pushed away from the table. Bronnie glared at her, desperate. “Birth is birth,” Sydney said, apologetically. “I’ll return if there’s nothing I can do.”

“
Please do.” Bronnie’s plea was punctuated by a wavering smile.

“
Yes. By all means.” Lily’s smile was too bright and did not reach her eyes. “Do hurry back.”

Rickard crossed to Bronnie and kissed her hair. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded; her adoration for her husband was as obvious as ever. He quit the room, followed by Nicolas and Sydney.

“
Coffee, Ezra?” Bronnie’s voice trailed behind them.



The slow, labored breathing was loud in the chilly stable, audible over the hoof shifting and contented chewing of the other animals. Besides the common smells of manure and fresh hay, another odor wafted amidst the hay dust. Something unhealthy.

When they reached her stall, Sydney gasped. The mare laid on her side and her eyes showed white. One hoofed leg protruded from her bottom; it was a hind leg.

“
You’ve tried to turn the foal?” Rickard stood at the horse’s back.

“
Yessir.” Josiah wiped sweat from his brow. “I been at it for an hour.”

Sydney knelt at the mare’s belly and rested her hands on the taught hide. “She’s contracting.”

“
Can you do aught?” Nicolas asked her.

Sydney’s eyes met Josiah’s. “I doubt I could do more than he already has.”

Josiah waved both hands in front of his chest. “You go on an’ try, Miz Sydney.”

Sydney stood. “I’ll need an apron. A sturdy one.”

One of the grooms hurried off in search. Sydney twisted her heavy, straight hair into a bun and pushed back her sleeves. When the apron arrived, she tied it over her dress and went to work.