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

“Nora, dear, are you ready for breakfast?” He leaned over her, both hands braced on the bed. Her eyes were clenched. “Nora?”

“Go on. I can’t look at you. I may never be able to look at you again.”

* * * * *

“Why don’t you stay another day or two?” Lady Fortenay asked as they all walked along the lake. “James surely has two days’ worth of questions to ask Lord Carlow. And I missed you terribly while you were gone.”

Nora had her arm wrapped in Gigi’s and they each had a walking stick in their free hand. Nora’s legs were still shaky. Carlow, the beast, was walking with Grandy. She listened with one ear. Carlow was asking a lot of personal questions and surprisingly, Lord Fortenay was answering with candidness she rarely heard from him aside of conversations with his wife.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know things would turn out exactly this way,” Nora said. And she was. There was a certain betrayal in not fully revealing such a plan to her most trusted confidante.

“I should have burned your mother’s diaries when you came to Whitmarsh. They’ve been nothing but a heartache for you,” Gigi said.

“No, don’t say that. It’s been the one thing I’ve had that comforts me in every situation.”

“I thought I did that for you.”

“Oh, Gigi. You must know you and Grandy are the most important people in the world to Timothy and me.”

“Will he take good care of you?” Gigi asked, about Carlow.

Nora peeked back to see Carlow leaning close to Grandy, listening intently. Was it possible to have pride in a spouse? Carlow was very respectful. There was no winking and smiling when Lord Fortenay couldn’t find the right word or when he repeated himself.

“I think so. He’s promised me Henbury Hall, which means I can take care of Timothy’s future after—” Nora didn’t want to think about their deaths, but so much would change when they were gone. “You won’t have to worry about him. He’ll be able to marry a simple girl and have a family. We’ll rebuild the earldom to be a respectable name again.”

“A simple girl? The Duke of Exeter’s granddaughter isn’t a simple girl,” Lady Fortenay said.

“What do you mean?”

Lady Fortenay poked her walking stick in the ground and turned to look at the men behind them. “Carlow, have you not discussed this situation with your wife yet?”

Grandy and Carlow stopped walking. Nora faced them both. “What is Gigi talking about?”

“Nora, we haven’t had time to discuss this. When we return from our walk…”

“Has something happened with Timothy that I should know about?”

Carlow glanced at Lord Fortenay and said, “What I told you was in confidence.”

“You’ll learn, Carlow, that wives are part of every confidence and that secrets are a thing of the past,” Lord Fortenay said, seeming to enjoy Carlow’s initiation into one of the dictums of marriage.

“Someone tell me!” Nora said.

“Timothy made an acquaintance with Exeter’s granddaughter, Cecily. They have been corresponding and Timothy wants to pursue a courtship with her, if all parties are in agreement.”

“Why didn’t Timothy tell me? And why did he tell you? He is my brother.”

“He confided in me for a reason,” Carlow said.

“Because he thought his sister couldn’t help make a match for him? There are plenty of fine young ladies in the county. He doesn’t need to hie off to London and marry into a family undeserving of him.”

“Undeserving? Exeter is one of the oldest names in the kingdom. I would think such a match would make all parties on the Blasington side of the equation ecstatic. The dowry alone would dazzle the poorest title with the meanest property,” Carlow said.

Nora lifter her chin in challenge. “What are you saying, sir?”

“Good grief, Nora. It is a wonderful opportunity even though we’ve made no progress or commitments to such a courtship. We are discussing the possibilities. Nothing more.”

“You are all discussing it without me. And how, in two and half weeks, could he possibly know a young woman well enough to consider a courtship?”

“A few lines of well-written poetry ought to gain a young woman’s attention,” Lord Fortenay said.

“Poetry?” Nora said. “It would have taken Timothy a year to write such moving words. And no woman would succumb in such a short time.”

Carlow’s brows shot up. “You’re right, of course! I don’t know how such a thing is possible.”

“We weren’t courting,” Nora snapped. “Where’s Timothy? I need to speak with him. Someone needs to talk him out of this. I don’t want him to be shamed when Exeter refuses his suit.”

“If it is handled correctly, there is no reason to think that anyone should be unhappy with such a match. And Exeter will not be the one to decide. Lord and Lady Russell will have the ultimate say.”

“Timothy has no property and no income. Thanks to—”

“No. Timothy’s situation is due to your father’s decisions, whatever his reasoning.”

“Mayhap we should return to the house, James,” Lady Fortenay said.

“No, we should return to the house since we are leaving in an hour,” Nora said.

“Now, Nora,” Lord Fortenay said, “this matter is between me and Carlow. And Timothy, of course. It would be a very fine match, but it might take some negotiation.”

“Are you going to sell Timothy to the highest bidder, like Father sold Timothy’s birthright?”

“I should not be surprised that family secrets really aren’t secrets,” Carlow said, exasperation in his voice. “Nora, will you walk with me? We can discuss this without bothering Lord and Lady Fortenay.”

Gabriel followed her, after a quick farewell to Lord and Lady Fortenay. Nora watched as they slowly strolled off together, supporting each other and whispering quietly.

Nora stopped several steps away. “Carlow,