The Black Duke's Prize (23 page)

He cleared his throat again. "Not entirely."

"And are you aware that Althaea Hillary has been in love with you
for quite some time?"

He stood again, blushing wildly. "Althaea? She's not—"

Katherine nodded. "She is."

Obviously flustered, Thomas began pacing about the room again. "I
don't mean to back out," he said abruptly. "Say that you will seriously
consider my offer."

"I will seriously consider your offer," she affirmed,

"Well, then, I shall take my leave of you." He started for the
door, then hesitated, turned back, and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the
lips. "Good day, Kate."

"Good day, Thomas."

She sat in the drawing room for a long time after the viscount left. If
she had had any doubts before about her feelings for Thomas, the kiss had
answered them for her. He was a friend, and she would never be able to think of
him as anything else. And, unless she missed her guess, her friend was in love
with Althaea Hillary.

Finally Lady Alison knocked and entered the room.

"What did Thomas want?"

"He asked me to marry him," Katherine replied, glancing up at
the baroness.

"He asked—oh, Kate, that's wonderful!" Her godmother came
forward and took her hand, but her smile faded when it became apparent that
Katherine didn't share her enthusiasm. "You turned him down, didn't
you?" she said after a moment.

"Not yet," Katherine replied, "but I mean to."

"But why?"

"Because I don't love him, and because he's in love with someone
else. I won't buy my respect with someone else's happiness."

Alison sighed. "Well, I suppose it's not as bad as it could
be," she said with a slight smile. The baroness displayed a letter.
"We've been invited to Julia Varon's for tea tomorrow afternoon. If anyone
can help this situation, she can."

The invitation to go to tea at his mother's had immediately aroused
Nicholas's suspicions, and he had sent a polite but firm refusal. She likely
wanted to discuss his flight from Crestley Hall, and he had no desire to do so.
Especially not with her.

He had already asked Josette Bettreaux to go riding with him, anyway.
When she had arrived at Varon House the night after his return from Crestley,
he had been surprised. It had seemed a lifetime longer than three months since
their rather violent parting, and as she entered the library and kissed him he
realized that he hadn't given her a thought since he had met Katherine Ralston.
Still not quite ready to forgive her, he had rather brusquely sent her away.
But neither was he quite ready to forgive Kate, and so over the ensuing days he
had taken Josette to the opera and even on a picnic.

As he looked over at her now, exquisite in a black riding habit the
color of her eyes, he wondered if she wasn't there to punish him rather than
Kate. She had apologized, several times, for the incident at the Josten ball,
but he didn't trust her. He had never trusted her, but in the past her company
had been pleasant, and she had been unobtrusive as far as his time and his
mind were concerned.

Now, though, he was finding her acquiescence somewhat annoying. She
wanted nothing except what he wanted, or so she said. She had only pestered him
about one thing, and it was the one thing he denied her. Despite all of her
skills at seduction, he had stayed out of her bedchamber. He knew she didn't
understand why, but he knew all too well. Despite his best efforts he couldn't
forget Katherine Ralston.

He looked up at the sound of someone calling his name.

Thomas Elder rode toward him on Orpheus, and beneath him Ulysses snorted
in recognition of his chief rival. Nicholas felt somewhat like doing the same.
"Thomas." He nodded.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" The young viscount glanced
pointedly over at Josette, who sat looking at him from beneath her long
eyelashes.

"Wait here," Nicholas said to her, then kneed Ulysses away
without waiting for a response. "What is it?" he asked when they were
out of earshot.

"Were you aware that Kate Ralston has returned to London?"

Nicholas became very still and looked down at Ulysses' left ear.
"No, I was not," he said after a moment, trying to ignore what the
mere mention of the dratted chit's name was doing. to his heart rate.

"Then you aren't aware that she is being snubbed by everyone, and
that your lovely Josette accosted her on the street yesterday and, from what I
have been able to determine, was exceedingly rude to her?"

The young man was obviously furious. Feeling more than a spark of anger,
Nicholas glanced over at Josette. "No, I was not aware of it," he
replied.

"I wanted you to know that I've asked Kate to be my wife,"
Sheresford continued.

Nicholas's heart dropped out of his chest, and he shut his eyes for a
moment. He forced himself to take a slow breath. "Has she accepted?"
he asked quietly.

"Not yet." Thomas fidgeted with his reins, then looked over at
him. "I hope her delay isn't because of you, for you don't deserve her
after what you've done to her."

"That's enough, Thomas," Nicholas murmured. He knew damn well
what he'd done to Katherine, and he didn't need this man telling him.

"I'm not so certain it is," the viscount returned stiffly.

"If she accepts me, and if this trouble isn't resolved, I will call
you out over it."

Nicholas looked over at him. Thomas was in earnest, and at that moment
the duke was in the mood to do him some serious injury. "I'll be
waiting."

Thomas slapped the end of his reins against his thigh.

"Darnmit, Nick, take care of it. I don't want you blowing my head
off because the two of you can't manage to fall in love peacefully."

Nicholas glared at him until the viscount began to fidget. Damn him,
the man was right. "You're a better friend than I deserve, Thomas,"
he said finally.

"Just remember that if I end up facing you in some field over
this." The viscount gave a short grin and nodded stiffly at Josette as he
departed.

Nicholas returned to her side and reined in Ulysses.

"What did 'you say to Kate Ralston yesterday?" he murmured.

"Only that she was not right for you,
mon chet;"
Josette
responded.

"You had no right, Josette," he spat out, furious.

"And why not?" she returned, lifting her head to look directly
at him. "I 'give you what you want, and you give me what I want. I must
protect that, yes?"

He stared at her for a long moment. "Is that why you sent that boy
to shoot me?"
.

She smiled. "You were taking me for granted. It gave me your
attention, no? And now we are together again."

That was likely the most honest thing she had ever said to him. Perhaps
he and Josette deserved each other. Especially after what he had done to Kate.
"We go to the Duffshire ball tonight," he said. "I'll come by
for you at eight."

She gave a faint smile. "I will be ready." It was her turn to
look closely at him, until finally she nodded. "Is this because you wish
to go with me, or because you wish her to see that you are not alone?"

Surprised again, Nicholas looked off across the park. "I don't
know, Josette."

"No? We will find out tonight, I think."

He sighed and turned Ulysses around. "Yes, we likely will."

18

"M
y son is usually very wise," the Dowager
Duchess said as Kate finished relating the events of the past two weeks,
"but in this instance I think he has been a great fool." She leaned
forward and poured herself another cup of tea, looking over at Kate, beside.
her.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Katherine said, uncertain about
whether she was supposed to respond.

Julia nodded. "Unfortunately, I have never been able to tell him
what to do. He is too like his father, and must always find things out for
himself." She picked up an envelope and handed it to Lady Alison.
"Nicholas I can do nothing about. But I can try to fix what he has done to
you."

Alison opened the envelope. She pulled out an engraved parchment and
then smiled. "Thank you, Julia."

She showed it to Kate. It was an invitation to the Duffshire ball that
evening. ''Thank you, Your Grace," Kate echoed, giving a small smile.

"It will be a terrible night, but you will manage." She patted
Kate on the knee. "You will because you must."

Nicholas entered the ballroom with Josette on his arm and ignored the
looks and murmurs of the guests nearest them. He didn't know if Katherine would
be in attendance, but he would let her know who needed whom. Josette had
dressed in red and black, and looked exquisite even for her. The room was large
and crowded, and he refused to look about and see whether Kate was there.
Instead he led Josette out onto the floor as the first waltz of the evening
began.

Halfway through the dance he saw her. She sat on the far side of the
room, with no one in attendance but Neville and Alison. She was in the stunning
gold silk gown she had worn when she had stopped him in his tracks at the
opera, and she wore a wan smile that looked as though it had been pasted on.

The waltz ended, and he escorted Josette back to the edge of the floor
as a country dance began. Again no one claimed Kate's hand. He apparently had
done a fine job of ruining her. He had been a fool, trying to organize her life
at Crestley, when she was so sensitive about the ownership of the estate. He
expected everyone to do as he wished because they all needed him for
something. Katherine had her own property, and most definitely her own mind,
and she needed him for nothing. Perhaps that was what he found so attractive
about her. If only he had realized in time that her spirit and her independence
were what made her so unique and so precious, and he was wrong to find fault in
her for them.

"I wish a diamond bracelet," Josette murmured.
"What?" He turned to look at her.

"My gift, Nicky," she explained. "A diamond
bracelet."

She pulled her hand free from his arm and glanced over in Katherine's
direction. ''Time for me to go find another friend, I think." With a
slight smile she backed away a step. "And this time I will not send
someone to try to shoot you,
man chen"

"Why not, Josette?" he asked.

''These last few days you have spoken to me, and listened to me. This
you have never done before. But it is not I who have changed, Nicholas."
She turned around and stepped into the crowd. "Good luck," she
murmured over her shoulder.

He looked after her for a moment. ''Thank you," he returned,
though he doubted she heard. She was wrong. He was not the only one who had
changed.

With a deep breath, for he knew that whatever was about to transpire
would likely give the town wags fodder for years, he made his way across the
room. The dance continued, but the attention of most of the guests immediately
shifted to him, and soon it seemed as though the dance floor had rather
emptied.

"Miss Ralston," he drawled as he came to a stop in front of
her.

Kate lifted her head. She knew he had come that night, for she had seen
him enter the ballroom with Josette Bettreaux on his arm, but she never
expected that he would dare to speak to her. "Go away," she
whispered, her voice cracking. "Everyone is staring."

"I'm not going anywhere," he answered. "May I see your
dance card?"

She almost didn't give it to him, but he didn't look as though he would
leave if she simply ignored him. As he took the paper his fingers brushed hers,
and she flinched again. There wasn't much for him to see, for Lord Neville,
Thomas, and Reg were the only names on the card.

After a moment Nicholas cleared his throat. "Woefully thin,"
he managed to say.

"Now, whose fault might that be?" Lord Neville asked sharply.

"Give me your pencil," he demanded, ignoring the baron and
holding his hand out again. "I had the devil of a time finding one
before."