An Inadvisable Wager (The Curse of the Weatherby Ball Book 2) Eliza Lloyd (reading books for 7 year olds .TXT) 📖

Gabriel wanted to give Nora some assurance, but she wouldn’t look at him.

“Well, now that that is settled, let’s eat,” Lord Fortenay said, his jovial mood returned after declaring his duty as Nora’s guardian. He reached for a tray of sweetmeats and spooned a healthy portion of the meat delicacy to his plate.

“So, Carlow tell us the news of the ton.” Lady Fortenay asked.

“Starting where? Fashionable faux pas? The House of Lords? The royals?”

“Not any sort of gossip, certainly. We only need to know what is true,” Lady Fortenay said with a certain false pride. Of course she wanted the gossip. Hester Burney was just a little too educated to believe she would stoop so low.

Gabriel told his best stories. Everyone at the table laughed except Timothy, who seemed to be in low humor.

After dinner, Nora assisted with removing the plates, silver, trays and bowls to the kitchen while the men retired to the library. Lady Fortenay retired to her room. Lord Fortenay was generous with his cigars, and his liquor cabinet held a modest amount of quality drink.

They chatted about tenants and vicars and sheep fertilizer. Gabriel was fluent in the conversation, but he was imagining his wife alone in her room. Finally, Lord Fortenay bid them good night and Gabriel was wont to follow.

Timothy turned to him. “Might I have a word, Lord Carlow?”

“You might as well call me Gabriel now that we are in-laws. What can I do for you?”

Timothy closed the library door. “It’s rather private and I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to anyone just yet.” Timothy was a fine-looking young man; Gabriel would even say he looked younger than his near twenty-one years. Gabriel was certain he was going to hear of some sin the young Timothy had committed and how Gabriel would need to assist in fixing it. Timothy wouldn’t be the first young man trapped by women or gaming debts.

“Lord Carlow, I mean, Gabriel. I met a young lady at the Weatherby Ball.”

“Oh Lord. Don’t tell me you got caught up in the curse, too?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that!” he exclaimed. “Well, it isn’t a misfortune of any kind. The young lady and I met there, and we have kept up a correspondence over these past few weeks. And it’s just that…I think I would like to court her, and she seems amenable. But I have nothing, and what parent would want me for their daughter?”

“Stop right there, Timothy. You are an earl. And parents want titled young men for their daughters. Don’t forget that. It is the most important rule of your life. And for your heirs. Remember your prominence within the nobility!”

“But I have nothing. No home. No income. No way to care for her, or potential children, in any meaningful way.”

Gabriel wanted to curse George Blasington all over again. Why had he sold his children’s birthright? “Hmm.”

“I need your help. Lord and Lady Fortenay would do anything for me if they could. They cannot.”

“Nora tells me they negotiated a very nice settlement for their oldest son and he’s only a future earl.”

“He married the daughter of a cit merchant.”

“Oh, I see. Your attraction is for a woman of some means. An important family.”

“Yes. She knows about my family’s past, though. She seemed humored by it. However, her parents won’t be.”

“Well? Who is she?”

“The Duke of Exeter’s granddaughter, Cecily Sheldrick. One of Lord and Lady Russell’s daughters.”

Gabriel took a breath. Exeter’s name was coming up far too often for Gabriel’s comfort.

“Your family never settles for low-hanging fruit, do they?” Gabriel paced toward the paned doors. “There have been no improprieties?”

“My lord! Of course not. Cecily is a virtuous young lady. I don’t know what to do. I cannot imagine her parents wishing me as their daughter’s husband. The title won’t matter to them because I have no money.”

“There is time. I don’t think you should press the issue until you are certain of your feelings for her.”

“My feelings? I am in love with her! I don’t want to wait. And I am afraid if I do wait some other man, one she doesn’t want to marry, will come along and snatch her from beneath my nose. Isn’t there some way you could talk to Lord and Lady Russell? Or the duke? Present my case?”

“I’m not sure, Timothy. Let me think about it. And in return, you are not to say anything about this to anyone, including Miss Sheldrick.” Gabriel had taken a dislike to secrets and here he was employing the same tactic because he didn’t know how to best advise Timothy.

“Yes, my lord.”

Gabriel knew the basics of marriage. When one married, one married the whole family. He’d just acquired a brother-in-law with weak prospects, aged in-laws who would need additional care over the next few years and a wife who was waiting in bed.

Everything else really could wait a couple of weeks.

“My lord, there is something else.”

“Yes.”

“Nora wants me to marry well, but she is worried I will become like them, as she says. She doesn’t think too highly of ton nobles, as a whole. I exclude you, my lord.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. So, in addition to advice, my real mission is to ease Nora into accepting this possibility?”

“Yes, and to convince Lord and Lady Russell. Or the Duke of Exeter, whichever you think appropriate. I don’t know which would be more difficult.”

“I do.”

* * * * *

Nora waited for Carlow, and her waiting was made worse by nerves and doubt. She’d washed and put on her neatest gown and robe. She’d left those beautiful new undergarments in London. What pride she had!

Tonight felt like the first real opportunity