Page 49 of Raising the Duke’s Unexpected Twins

He stood and Nicholas followed, putting down his whisky glass on the side table. “Did you know it was from Cordelia’s family?”

His voice came out far angrier than he intended.

Leonard’s brow furrowed, and he shook his head. “No, I just told you I did not know the family who it’s from. Therefore, I did not know it was from her family.”

“I will take it back now.” Nicholas held out a hand.

“What? Are you mad? Why should I give you my watch? I paid good money for it.”

“Did you?” Nicholas lifted a brow. “You told me it was a small sum.”

Leonard dissembled. “Yes, well, it is not as if I’m made of money. It would be small in your eyes but not mine.”

Nicholas continued to hold out a hand. “My wife’s family sold this watch for the sake of money. But now that they are under my protection, they no longer need this money, and I wish to return it to them. It is a priceless family heirloom.”

Leonard hesitated but then Nicholas took a small step forward, and grumbling, Leonard handed it to him. “I hope you will be so good as to get me my money back.”

“What is it you paid?”

At the sum, he lifted a brow, realizing Leonard had been right. It was less than the watch warranted but a good deal more than he thought Leonard could pay. He took the key from his pocket and unlocked the safe, feeling Leonard’s eagerness behind him.

“Here you are,” he said finally, slapping the money into Leonard’s hands. “And a little more for good measure.”

Leonard grinned, pocketing the money.

“Cousin, it was a pleasure doing business.” Ignoring that, Nicholas took the watch and left the room, eager to quickly finish his own business and return home as soon as he could. With the pocket watch stowed away in his pocket, he was dreaming up plans of how to return it to her. Cordelia would be shocked and pleased, but he would have to find a special way to give it back to her. A grand way.

* * *

“You seem very experienced, Miss Hartley, and your references are impeccable.” Cordelia smiled at the older, dark-haired woman from over the tops of papers she held in front of her.

“Thank you, Your Grace. I was very sad to leave my last post, but as you’ve read, the children are now far too old to need a nanny, and it was time for me to move on. That’s the difficult thing, isn’t it? Children have to grow up.”

“Yes, that’s true.” She smiled again and put the papers together. “Thank you very much for coming, Miss Hartley. I will be in touch.” She rose and led the woman to the door, where a footman helped her to depart.

Turning back into the sitting room, Cordelia went to the window seat, feeling a headache coming on.

At least I’ve eaten, and I won’t have Nicholas hounding me as if he is my nursemaid.

She’d set the children up there to look out onto the street, and they’d since fallen asleep, sunshine casting a warm glow over their faces. With a tentative hand, she reached out to brush a strand of Olivia’s hair away from her cute face, and she let her finger trail along Tim’s tiny knuckles.

Such precious things. I cannot trust them to just anyone. Helen, what would you have done? Who would you have chosen?

It had been days since she’d begun interviewing, and she was certainly spoiled for choice. She’d seen at least ten different candidates, but none of them drew her in; none of them made her feel as though she was doing the right thing for her godchildren. How could she possibly choose?

Staring down at them, Cordelia gasped in shock when she felt a warm hand at her waist and a large, looming presence behind her.

Nicholas.

She turned around, practically in his arms, and he was already smiling at her. His smell filled her senses, and the usual warmth spread in her belly and over her skin. It felt good to be in his arms but dangerous too. Swallowing, she stepped back, and he removed his hands, and she was almost disappointed at the loss of his warmth.

But why? You’ve been keeping him at a sort of distance since that night.

It was true. It had been over a week since their night together, and Cordelia had been so undone by it that she hadn’t known what to do. What were they to each other? To consider one another mere guardians in an arranged marriage was far safer than to think them more than that or to let unbridled pleasure guide her actions. She was not Danae, after all.

He frowned at her. “Have you eaten, love?”

“Yes,” she said in an annoyed tone, frustrated at the smile that came to her lips.