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Love?
Her mother thought she and Nathan were in love?
Lily opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Oh, look,” Josie said, a little too gleefully. “We have rendered her speechless.”
ChapterThirty-Three
Nathan
Without Robert’s presence, the atmosphere around the table was more relaxed. Nathan was grateful his cousin had chosen to take himself off before the after-dinner drinks. Granted, they could not speak completely freely since Lily’s father was still present, but in some ways, that was a blessing.
There was nothing left at the moment but speculation, which could go on endlessly. Nathan had not had the time to sit and think through everything. He had nothing to contribute, even in the way of theories at this point. Uncovering all Mitchell’s actions and his treachery would be a painstaking process.
Once everyone had a cognac, Lily’s father leaned back in his chair and raised the glass in Nathan’s direction.
“To you and my daughter. It has been an eventful week, and I have to say, I believe it has really shown the two of you will have a good partnership.”
“Hear, hear,” Rex murmured, lifting his own glass as the others did as well. Nathan found his cheeks coloring slightly.
While he felt he and Lily made a surprisingly good match—far better than he’d initially thought at the outset of their marriage—to hear it from someone else, who knew Lily so well, made him feel rather chuffed.
“The two of you have a lot in common,” Elijah said, nodding after he’d taken a sip of his drink. “Fate could not have provided you with a better option, really. It is no wonder you fell in love so quickly.”
Nathan choked on his drink.
The burning sensation of the alcohol in his lungs making him cough, he pounded on his chest with his fist while Rex leaned over to clap him on the back.
“Love?” he managed to gasp after a few moments, though it still felt as if the inside of his chest was on fire. “I… we… it has only been one week!” Surely, that was not enough time, not that Nathan knew the first thing about being in love. He had never been in love before.
Unless he was now.
But that was ludicrous.
Across the table, his father-in-law chuckled and shrugged.
“I fell in love with my Eliza in one day. Met her at a ball, took her driving the next morning, stayed for afternoon tea, and knew she was it for me.” He rubbed his chin. “Took a bit longer to convince her, but we were married six weeks later.”
“I fell in love with Mary before I realized it,” Rex said agreeably and grinned. “Might have been about a week. What about you, Elijah?”
Nathan sat there dumbly, their words spinning around his head. Was it possible?
“I have known Josie my whole life,” Elijah responded with a snort, shaking his head.
“All that means is you did not really see her.” Rex waved his glass at Elijah, gesturing. “Once yousawher for the woman she is, how long before you were in love with her?”
“I…” Elijah frowned. “Two days?”
Grinning, Rex turned to look at Nathan, who stared back at him.
“See? Look at it that way, and you are behind.” Rex chuckled, apparently pleased with himself. “Look, do you think you could live without her now?”
No.
Or not so much he could not as he did not want to. His entire being rejected the idea that he would have to give her up.
“Do you want her to be happy, especially with you?” Rex did not bother waiting for answers from Nathan, which was just as well because he did not think he had them to give.
