Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) (12 page)

"While your thoughts to her comfort do you credit," Dom said, giving a pointed look to Edward and Felix. "After last evening I do believe staying away would be worse. People will speculate why you're not there and draw all kinds of nefarious conclusions, much more so if you were to just go and behave normally, don't you agree, Edward?"

"Yes, I do," Edward said, stopping on the sidewalk to look at Evan. "Don't let this become a barrier between us. If you feel uncomfortable now think how it will be in a month, or six months from now. I'm not going to let this be the reason you shut us all out, Evan."

Evan stared at his older brother and once again felt his protective calm wash over him, as it had so many times before. "I ... I have behaved badly towards you, Edward, I don't know why I can't control my temper when it comes to ... well, I took it out on your head and I'm sorry for it."

Edward smiled and began to walk again when he heard a loud voice calling to them from behind to stop.

"Ah! This is a rare sighting, a pack of wolves roaming the middle of London," Christopher Powell said while shaking their hands in greeting. "I hear congratulations are in order, that you are to marry the Duke of Norfield's daughter."

Even stood frozen as Powell addressed him with words of congratulations. Was the man daft? Why was he not speaking to Edward?

"Thank you, Powell," Edward replied. "We are all looking forward to welcoming her to the family."

They said their goodbyes and continued on, but it wasn't long before they were again accosted with strange words of congratulations as they walked.

"I hear the little flower is to become a Woolf. Congratulations!"

"It's being said all over town that you're to marry, Woolf! Never thought it would be you before your brother!"

"How does it feel for your brother to get the jump on you in the marriage arena? Probably glad you dodged a shackle, eh?"

Evan stopped in front of his parents' stairway and looked to the other three. "Is it just me or does it seem like ..." Evan quieted, not knowing how to explain.

"Like they are congratulating you and not me?" Edward finished with the same air of confusion.
 

"It is most odd." Dom added.

When silence greeted them, they all looked to Felix, who was sheepishly looking at his feet. "You know that good deed I was going on about earlier? Well ... I may have led everyone to believe that Lady Fleur is to marry Evan ... instead of Edward."

Edward and Evan gaped while Dom whispered angrily. "May have what? What did you do, Felix? Just what in God's name did you
do
?"

"I will kill you," Evan growled, having finally found his voice and his fists as he sprung forward.

Edward reacted first, grabbing Evan around the chest while Dom stood in front of Felix, though he didn't know why his brother deserved his protection.

"Evan," Dom whispered frantically. "You cannot attack Felix."

"Why not?" Evan shouted.

"We're in the middle of
Mayfair
." Dom said, still trying to keep his voice down, as they were already drawing attention from the road. "I don't think Aunt Madeleine would appreciate us brawling in front of her home for all to see, and especially not after last night, do you?"

Evan quieted at the thought of his mother, raked his hand through his hair, and glared at Felix. "How could you do this?" He asked before turning away and walking inside his parents' home with a slam of the door.
 

"God in heaven, Felix, please tell me you have some ... some semblance of a good reason for doing this, because I can't imagine why you would take an impossible situation and make it worse," said Edward, his brow furrowed and his heart still beating fast from his struggle with Evan. "And when exactly were you going to let us know about this?"

"I tried to tell you earlier, then there were the constant interruptions on the road so I planned to tell you just before we went inside. Listen, yesterday you said to not bring up your engagement in front of Evan, that you thought he was upset and possibly still infatuated with the lady, did you not? You're not in love with her, too, are you?" Felix asked.
 

"What? No!" Edward spluttered. "But what are we to say to everyone? And what about Lady Fleur? She's not a deck of cards we can just pass around for our own amusement; this is not a game."

Felix sobered. "The gossip was vicious, Edward, and by the time Dom and I made a few rounds last night she was common fodder for the masses. People were already speaking of clandestine meetings and of all things elopement. What do you think would happen if she were to marry the titled brother after being found in a compromising position with the spare? Don't you see, Edward, this is the only way, and Evan could be happy again."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Felix is right, Edward. It not only solves the problem of them in the garden, but also the issue of your brother being in love with your soon-to-be wife," Dom said, letting the gravity of those words sink in. "I regret that this has happened to the lady, but if she were to marry you now, you know there would be a break in the family. Do you really want that?"

Edward shook his head in defeat. "But what if we are wrong? What if she doesn't ever love him in return?" he asked.

"She doesn't love you, and that wasn't a concern," said Felix.

"Yes, but I'm also not in love with her," Edward replied, hoping that they could understand the difference. "That changes everything."
 

Edward looked up to the sky, a hand on his hip and the other rubbing his nose under his spectacles. He knew they were right, it was just that everything about the situation was so absolutely wrong.

OVERDUE CONVERSATION

Julian sat in the drawing room of his friend's home. A home he knew as well as his own, so long had he visited its halls, but today he felt like an intruder. His fists clenched when Charles cleared his throat for what seemed like the hundredth time, and Madeleine fiddled with the tea tray, ignoring them both. The silence was maddening.

Damn
, Julian thought. He had overreacted the night before ... perhaps ... possibly, but what father wouldn't have? He'd heard the commotion from the card room, and, like the others, he stood to look out the windows, and a man, Evander Woolf of all people was attacking his ... no,
saving
his daughter. Flying into a rage, he had punched the little bastard without thinking, and in front of a few dozen people at least.

He had struck his best friend's son!

He knew he should apologize, but looking at Charles sitting across from him in his damned stubborn silence, he didn't want to. He knew it was petty, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His daughter was all but ruined, and just after they thought they had put a stop to one scandal, another erupted.

"Are you two going to sit and sulk all morning, or are we going to actually discuss the matter?" Madeleine set her tea cup on her saucer, looking from one stubborn man to another. "The boys will be here any minute and you're both acting like children."

"He started it," the earl mumbled, then withered under his wife's glare. Julian smirked.

"I think under the circumstances a traditional wedding is out of the question. What do you think, Julian?" She set her tea down on the side table and folded her hands in her lap, waiting patiently.

When nothing was forthcoming, she huffed. "They must marry, and straightaway. The only thing to do is have Edward obtain a special marriage license. We can hold the ceremony in your home, Julian. Fleur will feel more comfortable there, and then we will all leave for Blackburn Hall tomorrow morning after they are wed. We can have a small celebration when the other guests arrive for the house party." The first hint of a smile crossed her face. "Don't you
both
agree?"

Charles nodded while Julian, usually the more sensible of the two, grunted.

She pursed her lips and Charles could see she was about to let him have it when he heard the door slam from just outside the room. Twisting in his chair, he saw Evan standing in the doorway.

The boy looked positively livid.
How wonderful,
Julian thought, crossing his legs with a smirk on his face. It was only fair that they both were miserable.

***

Evan slammed the front door, a tinge of satisfaction sweeping though him as Higgins retreated without a word.

How could his cousin do this to him? To Edward? The whole thing was preposterous! He flung his hat and gloves onto the entryway table, carefully laid-out letters scattering to the floor. Not bothering to pick them up, he stomped to the side drawing room where he knew his mother and father would be with Lord Norfield.

He tried to calm himself before he reached the door but must have failed miserably since his mother was now staring at him, her brow furrowed.
 

"Darling, are you all right?" She rose to meet him at the door then ushered him inside, giving the duke a wide berth.

"Good morning, Mother." He kissed her cheek and moved over to the window where he could see Edward, Dom, and Felix still standing outside. They were arguing, that much was certain, and then he saw Edward's shoulders slump in defeat. Never before had Evan seen such a weary expression on his brother, and upon seeing it, something inside him crumbled. He felt absolutely wretched.

He turned to his mother when she spoke. "Where is Edward? We were just discussing the arrangements. We think a marriage by special license first thing tomorrow morning is best."

Evan inhaled sharply. "There may be a difficulty —"
 

He was interrupted by the commotion in the front entryway that was his brother and cousins.
This is it
, he thought,
there's no turning back now
.

"There you three are, what kept you?" she asked, moving to greet them.

"We were just outside, Mother, we came with Evan." Edward glanced at him, a meaningful look full of concern, and he almost laughed. The man was about to be jilted, the reason being his very own brother, and yet he was still playing the part of protector.
 

"Mother was just telling me, Edward, how she thinks you should be married by special license. In the
morning
," said Evan, giving Felix a pointed look.
 

Edward froze, his eyes widening while the duke bristled. Good God, but was this a disaster.

There was no skillful way to break the news gently, so he pressed on, hoping Lord Norfield would accept the situation gracefully. He wasn't keen on being hit by a man who had at least two stone on him ... again. "There have been some developments in the matter. You should all know that last night —"

"No, Evan, I'll tell them." Felix stepped forward, his words brave, but Evan was sure he was scared as a newborn colt. "After all, it was my doing."

"And mine," Dom joined in, siding himself with Felix.

The duke stood from his chair. "What's going on?"
 

His father walked towards Lord Norfield and set a hand on his arm. "Come now, let them explain. We need to be rational at times like this." He stepped forward in front of his nephews.

"Felix, Dom, what have you done?" he hissed. "If you've caused trouble, I'll have both your hides. It will make the time you stole the chickens from —"

"Charles, my dear, why don't we let to boys handle the situation." His mother slipped her hand though his father's arm and gently led him away. Felix and Dom both looked terrified.

Rational indeed
, Evan thought.
 

Edward cleared his throat. "It seems that word has spread far more quickly, and maliciously, than we expected. The only way to extinguish the gossip was to ... we ..."

"You what?" The duke thundered, all patience lost. Evan had enough when he saw his brother flinch in the face of Lord Norfield's anger and stepped forward.

"They told everyone that Lady Fleur is to marry me. That we were walking in the gardens last night as a betrothed couple before the accident."

His mother gasped and his father put his head in his hands in groaned.

"You what?" the duke asked, his voice soft and wavering.
 

"Why the devil would you say such a thing?" his father blustered.

"There wasn't time, Uncle," said Felix. "Word had already spread that the lady ... well, it was
less
than flattering, I'll venture to say. Now the story is full of romance and saving damsels in distress. The
ton
will be speaking of Evan's heroism till at least Christmas!"

Evan glared.
Flower pots
.
Blasted
,
unnecessary
,
trifling
,
frivolous flower pots!

"So you saved her from ruin?" His mother sat in her favorite chair, smiling of all things. "I suppose it was foolish to hope she wouldn't be compromised. Oh, of course it was foolish, but you've done a wonderful thing, Felix!"

Felix flushed, and Evan wondered if it was, in part, from guilt. The answer was a resounding no when Felix put on his most dashing smile and preened. "Well, I was only doing what any gentleman —"

Dom elbowed Felix hard in the ribs and he coughed. "I'm sorry, Lord Norfield, but under the circumstances it was the only thing we could do to put the situation in a positive light."

"Hmmm ... and you, Ravenbrook, how do you feel about all this?" Lord Norfield asked.

"I wish Lady Fleur every happiness and will be honored to call her sister. I think Evan is as capable as I to make her happy. I think the real question is: how does Evan feel?" Edward turned towards his brother.

Evan snorted. "How do I feel? How do you expect me to feel? An arranged marriage, all due to a blasted flower pot." Evan started to regret his words when the Duke of Norfield walked towards him.

"How dare you? You'd be lucky if she lowered herself to marry such a —"

"Now wait just a minute, Julian, you can't speak to my son that way."

"I will speak to him however I please, and alone. Out, everyone out now!" Norfield waved his hand towards the door.