“As I said, there is nothing bad awaiting you here.” The king rose as they all paid their respects. “Miss Warrick, I have been made aware that you were instrumental in assisting your father with the city during the war.”
“Papa did everything, Majesty; I just kept his accounts.”
“And you are still running his duties now.” The King cocked an eyebrow at her. “Peter has little birds everywhere, Miss Warrick.”
“I just want to help the city, majesty.” Nell took a deep breath and held it, willing the tears down.
“And so you shall continue.” The king said, gesturing a servant forward with a box and opening it. “I grant you the same award that I gave your father, and you will sit under him in council and act as his secretary and second pair of eyes. The medication will now be paid for by the Crown, but you will continue to distribute it.”
He gestured her forward and lifted a gem-laden metal ribbon from the box. “Order of the Silver Flame,” he said, pinning the ribbon to her bodice. “Your father bears the Golden Flame, but he was on the front lines as you were not.”
“It is an honor to serve the city, Majesty.” Nell nodded, looking down at the ribbon on her chest. “I did not do it for a reward, or for recognition.”
“Well, do I know it.” The king sat back down. “I had to have you followed to verify your involvement at all.”
Nell giggled. She didn’t mean to, but the image of one of the palace servants following her to the places that she hadto go in order to get the medicine for the people had probably horrified them.
“He’s still complaining about the mud in his bootlaces.” The king shook his head. “My spymaster needs to be made of sterner stuff. But that will be for another day.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Majesty?”
“That is a question you should never ask your monarch, Miss Warrick.” The king smiled at her. “I can always find something for a person of your caliber to do. For now, I dismiss you back to your concerns, but we will speak again soon.”
They all made their obeisance and left the audience hall. Nick and his mother rattled off in their carriage, and Nell tried to figure out what it meant that she now bore the same ribbon that her father did, albeit to a lesser degree.
Nell went upstairs to change into a simpler dress, to lay the ribbon into its box and then to go and find something to eat. Their cook was splendid, and she fixed Nell with a sandwich and some crunchy vegetables.
She heard the door, knew that Nick was here to see her father and stayed exactly where she was. She wanted to see him, but would wait for him after he was done with her Papa.
Chapter Thirteen
Nick knew this was what he wanted. He wanted to court Nell, but the thought of discussing it with her father was giving him the collywobbles. Which made no sense; her father was a sensible man, and had already trusted him with Nell for her come out.
So it stood to reason that they would be able to have a conversation about it and that as long as Nick was in earnest, they should be able to come to an understanding. And Nick was very much in earnest.
Not to mention that he truly liked Nell. He thought she was brilliant and funny and smart, not to mention she was quite the prettiest lady he’d ever laid eyes on.
He was pacing in the parlor again, but it wasn’t his parlor this time and he was waiting for Earl Warrick, not Nell.
And as if he’d summoned the Earl by thinking his name, the man cleared the doors to the parlor and planted himself right in front of Nick. “There you are, lad.”
“My lord,” Nick bowed to Earl Warrick. “I came for our discussion.”
“Splendid,” he grinned at Nick. “I have tea and the ladies coming later, so we’ll make this speedy. Do you care for my Nellie?”
Nick nodded. “I think she’s brilliant, and funny, and smarter than I am.”
Earl Warrick nodded. “I won’t comment on the last bit, lad; I don’t know you well enough. My Nellie’s all of that, yes,and stubborn and hardheaded, and she cares deeply for the city and its people.”
“I can promise to try to keep up with her,” Nick said. “If she’ll have me, I can promise to see her taken care of.”
“Well, you’ll take that up with her.” Earl Warrick grinned again. “But I’ll not stand in your way. I give you formal permission to court her.”
“Thank you, Earl Warrick.” Nick was about to fall over with relief, and under it all was suspicion about how easy it had been. “I’ll talk to her, see if she’ll let me move forward now that we have your permission. She thinks I’ll tire of her, even though there’s no possibility of that.”
Earl Warrick was about to reply when the door opened and Lady Warrick walked in with Nell’s hand in hers and a maid following in their wake with the tea tray.
“Is everything settled?” Lady Warrick asked briskly.
