No wonder Merton hadn’t wanted to talk to Nate. His friend had found the right woman for him and was not going to listen to anyone else. Not to mention having difficulties with Worthington, who was acting as Dotty Stern’s guardian. And Nate had taken it as anger because Merton had to marry her. “I was an idiot.”
Padraig padded over to the bathtub and put his head on Nate’s shoulder, prompting him to pet the dog. “I’m glad I brought you home with me.” Padraig licked Nate’s cheek. “I’m happy you’re glad as well. I suppose I can tell you that you are about to get a new mistress. I’m going to wed the lady with the mare. But it’s a secret. Not that I think you’ll tell anyone.”
The Wolfhound sighed and went to lie by the fireplace. Nate stood, poured a now-tepid bucket of water over himself, and grabbed the drying towel from a rack in front of the fire. His secondary valet arrived and gathered the clothing he’d wear that evening.
Nate made his way to the drawing room to wait for his mother. He glanced at the walnut-encased clock on the fireplace mantel. There was time for a glass of wine before he and his mother left for the Pultney. Someone plied the door knocker to the front door. Who could be visiting now? A few seconds later Hulatt opened the door to the drawing room. “Miss Stern is here, my lord.”
“Show her in, and tell my mother.”
Hulatt bowed and brought Henrietta to him. The butler left the door partly open.
“Henrietta.” She was stunning in a turquoise evening gown with very little adornment on it. Her hair was done in a complicated combination of braids, with curls framing her face. Her only jewelry was a pair of gold earrings and a gold chain with an oval locket. Nate had never seen her in an evening gown before. He held out his hands, then took her into his arms. “What brings you here?”
“I decided that you could either ride with me, or I could ride with you and your mother. It was ridiculous to take two coaches.”
“I would like to know what you are both doing, embracing in the drawing room where anyone could see you.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Henrietta pressed her forehead against his chest for a moment before nodding to him and turning to face his mother.
He bowed slightly. “Mama, Henrietta and I are betrothed.”
“Mostly,” she added, and curtseyed. “We still must decide who Nate must ask to make it official.”
He didn’t think he had ever seen his mother stunned before. She opened her mouth and closed it. Then did it again.
Henrietta had met Lady Fotherby several times last Season, but she had never seen the woman speechless. “Nate,” Henrietta whispered to her betrothed. “Three glasses of wine.”
“Yes, of course.”
She went to her ladyship, took her hand, and led her to a sofa. “I know it must seem sudden, but we love each other and want to wed.”
Lady Fotherby took a glass of wine from Nate and drank half of it down at once. Henrietta glanced at him, and he shook his head.
“Mama, will you say something.” His brows furrowed, and he moved a chair closer to the sofa next to Henrietta. “You knew I wanted to marry Henrietta. We thought you would be happy.”
Her ladyship placed a hand on her bosom and took a few deep breaths, then looked first at her, then him. “I am delighted, of course. But neither of you seem to realize that you, Miss Stern, are a minor, and you, my son, must ask her parent or guardian for permission to address her before you may properly ask her. What possessed the two of you to enter into a betrothal in a way that would cause a scandal were it to get out?”
She did have a point, but Henrietta did not think it wasthatscandalous. It was merely a matter of who should give the final approval. “I spoke with Merton, and he said that he would support me if I wanted to marry Nate.”
“Miss Stern, be that as it may, it is for my son to speak to him.” Lady Fotherby drained her glass and held it out to be refilled.
Henrietta noticed that he had not touched his wine. “The problem is that would cause him difficulties with my sister. She will not even discuss the matter, or allow Nate to apologize to her.”
“We plan to ask the duchess if I should travel to Henrietta’s home and speak with her father,” he added.
“That is an excellent idea. However, you may not go around as if you are indeed betrothed. Fortunately, there is another two weeks before the start of the Season.” Her ladyship rubbed her forehead, then put the glass of wine on a small, round side table, and rose. “Let us go to the duchess. I agree, this is a matter that must be put before her.”
Henrietta stood and put her hand on his arm. “The coach?”
“I’d prefer to take mine. Yours can either remain here or you can send it back.”
Now that she had made her point that one way or the other she would ride with him to her grandmother’s hotel suite, it did not matter which vehicle they rode in. “I will send it back. There is no reason to have the pair unhitched, then hitched up again to take me home.”
He gazed at her and smiled as if she had made the most brilliant of decisions. He held out his other arm to his mother. “May I escort you as well?”
“Yes, my dear.” She placed her hand on his arm, and he led them to the hall and out the door to the waiting coach. She glanced at her coachman. “Take them back, please. I will ride with Lady Fotherby.”
