The Inheritance (11 page)

Nicholas knew the power he held over her. Daisy was sure of it. If he were any other man, she would be ecstatic with both his attentiveness and her reaction to his suggestive behavior. But the brazen American had only one use for a woman. He had told her so himself. Oh, he wanted her physically, all right. But he had no intention of allowing her to play any other role in his life than that of bedmate. That was what frightened her. She wanted more. She wanted him to recognize, as Tony never had, that she was so much more than a source of pleasure for him, that she had a mind and a will and desires and dreams of her own.

Now, if there were just some delicate way of explaining all that to Priss …

“Daisy?”

Daisy saw the worried look on Priss’s face and realized she must have been silent for some time. “I’m all right, Priss.” For the first time since she had arrived, Daisy took a good look at Priss. It was unusual that her friend was still abed. Furthermore, she looked wan and pinched. Daisy moved to the bed, took Priss’s hands in her own, and peered into the young woman’s pale face.

“I’ve been so busy thinking about myself I haven’t
given you a thought,” Daisy said guiltily. “I’ve just realized you’re still in bed long past sunrise. While that might be common for ladies in London, or even a few in the country, I know you better. What’s wrong, Priss? You look terrible!”

Priss laughed. “Daisy, Daisy. Only you would be so marvelously blunt.”

“Oh, dear. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s perfectly all right. There’s a reason why I’m still in bed and why I look this way.” Priss blushed and said, “Charles and I are expecting a happy event.”

It took a moment for the truth to dawn on Daisy. When it did, she paled and then flushed. Her first thought was one of jealous envy, her second was shame that she could be jealous of her best friend, who had been childless for two years. She should be happy Priss was finally going to realize her hope of perhaps giving Charles an heir.

She leaned over and hugged Priss tightly. “I’m so happy for you,” she forced past the lump of emotion that clogged her throat. “So very, very happy!”

When she leaned back to look into Priss’s face once more, she was stunned to find Priss in tears. “You are happy, aren’t you, Priss?”

“Delighted,” Priss agreed. “Only I know how badly you’ve always wanted a child, Daisy. And I wish—”

“Don’t worry about me,” Daisy chided her friend. “I’ve learned to live with what I can’t change. At least now there will be a baby I can come and play with and enjoy. You will invite me often, won’t you?”

“You needn’t even ask,” Priss said. “I want you to be godmother to our child. If you’d be willing?”

Daisy hugged Priss again and, while her face was hidden, bit her lip to force back the tears of regret and sorrow that burned her nose. “Oh, yes, Priss. Thank you. I would love that.”

“Now,” Priss said, smiling to lighten the mood, “I think I’d better get up so I can join you and Charles downstairs. I want him to know you’ve agreed to be godmother to the baby.”

“Are you sure you’re well enough?”

“I’m only a little nauseous in the mornings,” Priss said. “Tea and toast solve that problem. Truly, I feel fine. Certainly well enough to join company downstairs.”

“Even if that company includes the Duke of Severn?” Daisy asked.

“He’s here?”

Daisy nodded. “He rode over with me. At least, most of the way he did. We had an argument, and I left him behind.”

“I wonder why Charles hasn’t sent someone up to fetch me.”

Daisy wondered herself why she hadn’t heard anything from downstairs. Surely the duke hadn’t lost his way. Or maybe he had decided not to ride here after all.

She knew that was wishful thinking.

Priss fought her way out of all the ruffles on the bed and pulled the bellcord. “I need to dress. Then we have to get down there, Daisy, and see what’s going on.”

Nicholas had arrived at Rockland Park only a few minutes behind Daisy. He met Charles Warenne, the
Earl of Rotherham, returning from a morning ride of his own.

The two men drew their horses to a stop before the ivy-covered house and stared for a moment at each other, looking for similarities between their boyhood images of each other and the men they had become.

“You haven’t changed,” Charles said at last. “You still look like the devil incarnate.”

“Thanks,” Nicholas said with a wry smile. “May I return the compliment?”

The earl laughed. “I swear you haven’t changed one bit, Nick. Or should I say Your Grace?”

“I consider myself an American now, Charles. I don’t need or want the title.”

“You should at least respect it,” the earl said.

“That’s difficult, under the circumstances.”

One of the grooms approached to take their horses, and Nicholas quickly said, “Why don’t we ride a little more? I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you in private.”

“Very well.” Charles nudged his horse with his spurs and set off at a trot.

They pulled their horses to a stop at the top of a ridge from which they could see the entire valley below them, divided up into plots for farming. Nicholas took off his hat, thrust a hand through his hair, and resettled it on his head.

“I never appreciated this as a child,” he mused. “Was it always this beautiful?”

“I suppose it must have been.”

Nicholas breathed deeply, smelling the grass and the heather on the wind. “I missed home a great deal at first.”

“And later?” Charles coaxed.

“I tried never to think about it. The memories … were hard.”

“I never believed the tales they told about your mother.”

Nicholas eyed his friend. “Who did you hear telling tales?”

“I heard my parents talking. My father was sure Lord Philip was mistaken. He even talked to him about it. But your fath—Lord Philip was adamant.” Charles looked up and met Nicholas’s steady gaze. “Lord Philip apparently had some firm evidence that condemned your mother.”

“Do you have any idea what it was? Or who provided it?” Nicholas asked.

“Why, no. Does it matter?”

“It does to me.”

“What possible difference can it make now?”

“I want to know the truth.”

Charles’s hands tightened on the reins, and his horse sidled at the pull on his mouth. Charles relaxed as he apparently came to a decision. “I can tell you this much. The evidence came from someone your father knew well, a friend of his.”

“Male or female?”

“I can’t say.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?”

“It was someone my parents were acquainted with,” Charles said. “I don’t know any more than that.”

“Then it was likely someone from the neighborhood,” Nicholas said.

“Or someone they knew in London.”

“But if it was someone from London, they would
have had to be visiting in the neighborhood,” Nicholas said. “It had to be someone who was here.”

“Now all you have to do is figure out who was here at the time,” Charles said. “That shouldn’t give you more than forty or fifty people to choose from. And how will anyone remember who was here and who wasn’t? It’s been nearly thirty years. Give it up, Nick,” he said in a quiet voice.

“I can’t.” The words were torn from Nicholas and gave away far more of his feelings than he wished. “I have to know, Charles. I have to know.”

“All right, then. What can I do to help?”

Nicholas’s lip curled in a rueful smile. “I’m not sure. I guess I need to get a list of everyone living in the vicinity at the time and then find out who was visiting them. Who would be most likely to know all that?”

“My mother would know. She’s living in the dower house. And your aunt, Lady Celeste. The Reverend Golightly has been here since before we were born. He would have some idea. And there’s the squire’s wife, Mrs. Templeton. She’s the busiest gossip in the county. You could get a list from each of them and compare.”

“I had hoped to be a little more subtle than that.”

“Why?”

“It has occurred to me that someone might have maliciously slandered my mother.”

“Good God! You mean someone lied to your father? But why? What purpose would it serve?”

“I have no idea,” Nicholas admitted. “But I intend to find out.”

“With the exception of Mrs. Templeton, you could count on the people I’ve named to be discreet. A list
from each of them would give you a place to start. If there is a villain out there somewhere, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if he heard you were looking for him. Maybe he would do something to give himself away.”

Just like the outlaws he had hunted in the West, Nicholas thought. “All right. If you’ll approach your mother and the reverend, I’ll speak to my aunt. Let’s forget about Mrs. Templeton for now. I’d rather the whole parish didn’t know my business.”

“Done. Now we’d better be getting back. Priss will be wondering what’s happened to me.”

Nicholas reached out and caught the bridle on the earl’s horse. “There’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

Charles waited patiently for Nicholas to speak.

“My son. And your daughter.”

The earl’s face hardened, and his body stiffened. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“I hadn’t figured you for the sort of man who judges a person by who his parents are. Otherwise, you wouldn’t—couldn’t—be my friend,” Nicholas said in a warning voice.

“I have to think of my daughter,” the earl said.

“And I’m thinking about my son,” Nicholas responded coolly. “It isn’t Colin’s fault I didn’t marry his mother. He’s a good boy, Charles. And after all, I’m not suggesting the two of them marry.”

“I should hope not!”

“But there’s no reason I can see why they can’t enjoy each other’s company.”

“Except that he’s a bastard.”

“So am I. Does that mean I’m not welcome in your house?” Nicholas challenged.

“That’s ridiculous,” the earl said. “You’re Severn.”

“And a bastard, like my son.”

“You don’t know that,” the earl argued.

“Nevertheless, I don’t understand the logic that allows one bastard under your roof, but not another.”

“When you put it that way, I suppose it does sound absurd. Is Roanna safe with Colin? I mean, he’s not likely to fall in love with her and start making improper advances or anything like that, is he?”

From what Nicholas had seen and heard, Colin was well on his way to being in love with Lady Roanna. But he wasn’t about to betray his son to the earl. For a moment Nicholas wondered if he was doing the right thing talking Charles into allowing the two young people to see each other. What if Colin’s infatuation with Lady Roanna didn’t pass? What if Colin decided he wanted to marry the earl’s daughter? Nicholas knew the earl would never allow it. His son would be devastated, and likely Lady Roanna would be hurt, as well.

He was not a prophet. He couldn’t foresee the future. He could only do what he thought was right at the moment and hope everything turned out for the best. So he said, “At least let Colin visit. You and the countess can keep an eye on the two of them. If Colin oversteps the bounds you set, you can put a stop to things.”

Charles frowned so that his brows met above his nose. “I don’t know, Nick. That sounds like playing with fire to me.”

Nicholas grinned. “Playing with fire was always
what we did best, as I recall. Where’s your spirit of adventure?”

“I left it behind when I became a father. Speaking of which, I have some good news to impart. I’m about to become a father for the second time.”

“Your wife is expecting? Congratulations!” Nicholas held out his hand, and Charles shook it.

“Come on back and meet Priss, and we’ll have a drink to celebrate.” Charles kneed his horse, and the two men began the ride back to the house.

“I’d settle for some breakfast,” Nicholas said. “Daisy dragged me away from mine for the ride over here.”

“Daisy’s at Rockland Park?”

“I presume she’s still there. We rode over together this morning. By the way, you may felicitate me, as well.”

“What are you celebrating?”

“Daisy has agreed to become my wife.”

The earl jerked reflexively on his reins, and his mount reared. It took him a moment to get the Thoroughbred under control. “I don’t think I heard you correctly. Daisy Windermere has agreed to marry you?”

Nicholas grinned. “She did. In three weeks, after the banns are read.”

“I don’t believe it,” Charles marveled.

“What’s so surprising?”

“You know she can’t have children,” Charles said cautiously.

“She mentioned it,” Nicholas said. “But it doesn’t matter. I have my heir.”

“Colin? But he can’t inherit the title.”

“To hell with the title. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“I don’t understand you, Nick. I think maybe you have changed since I knew you last.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You forget who you’re speaking to, Nick. I played with you and your cousins too many times not to know how much you loved Severn Manor. And how envious you were of Tony that he would be able to live there—‘forever and ever’ I believe were your exact words—because he would be the next duke.”

Nicholas felt his ears burning. “That was a long time ago, Charles. I plan to sell Severn Manor, just as soon as I make a few changes in the place so it will bring a better price.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Nick. I was looking forward to us being neighbors.”

“We can enjoy the time we have,” Nicholas said.

“How long is that?”

Nicholas shrugged. “Till spring maybe.”

“Where will you go then? Back to America?”

“Yes.”

“And Daisy? Will she be going to America, as well?”

“Daisy and I have an understanding.”

“What does that mean?”

“She’ll be staying at Severn, in the dower house,” Nicholas said.

“How can you leave your wife like that?”

“I don’t have any use for a wife, Charles. What Daisy and I have agreed to is a marriage of convenience. When it’s no longer convenient, we’ll part.”

“You are a bastard, Nick,” the earl said in disgust. “How can you use a woman like that?”

“It’s easy,” Nicholas said in a harsh voice. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

They had arrived back at Rockland Park, and a groom hurried up to take the reins as they dismounted.