The Aristocrat's Lady (Love Inspired Historical) (9 page)

“Of course I can, Nicole. However, I see a difference in motivation, not in crime. I am sorry, but I still believe criminal behavior should be categorically wrong. Who may prove a man’s motivation? Who may determine a man’s inner reasoning? I hate to even say this, my dear, but who is to say Mr. Richards told you the truth? No, do not attack me. I ask you to use the same reasoning ability you ask of me.”

Nicole was struck by his words for a moment. How
could he be so very determined for justice at all costs, yet not know the loving God who teaches that kind of truth? He had been so condescending in the carriage ride home yesterday. She did not care about that, but she wondered if somehow God had not gotten a foothold into Lord Devlin early in life to make him so passionate toward others.

“Nicole, I do understand what you say, that is why my proposal is so important to me. If it passes, I hope it will lead to the end of poaching. I am not naive enough to believe it will disappear completely, but it will make it easier to prosecute the criminals, knowing that is what they are.”

She sensed his emotion as he spoke to her gently, and she could tell that he, too, had come to the realization that they must agree to disagree.

“My lord, I daresay you have never spent such a dull afternoon. I shall allow you to return me to my home so you may still have time to be back before the fashionable hour. I hope you will do so with a more companionable lady.”

He teased her. “I am quite reconciled, my sweet. Once I make a commitment, I accept the weight of it. I should never show the least sign of impatience. How do you suppose I came to be the outrageous flirt you often call me?”

Nicole giggled at him, and he tweaked her chin. She was coming to love his endearments, knowing they were most improper. Then she found herself wanting too much for him to leave his hand on her jaw.

“Did you inherit your compassion for your fellow
man through the works of your father?” he asked. Nicole was quiet for a long moment, and he berated himself for bringing up the painful subject. They both spoke at the same time.

“I am sorry. I should not have trespassed…”

“My father was…”

“Manners dictate that I defer to you, my lady, but I do not wish to distress you again, so let us speak of other matters.”

“It is quite all right, I promise you, my lord. I am afraid I still miss him very much, so I sometimes get emotional when I speak of him. You will think me a watering pot! But it does not mean I do not
wish
to speak of him, I assure you. Indeed, there are times when I absolutely
need
to talk about him, yet my mother and Chelsea are not inclined to do so. Therefore, if you truly wish it, I would be happy to tell you about him.”

“I admit to being curious. It seems to have been an unusually strong bond. And to own the truth, I hope it will tell me more about your uniqueness which I can explain in no other way!”

“You exaggerate, my lord!” Nicole smiled. “I am not uncommon in the least, and you think to turn me up sweet by talking about him. Very well, I will add to your vanity by allowing outright that your ploy has worked on me.”

She leaned back against the wooden bench slabs and her impish manner left her. “I do not believe you are as inexperienced in such familial ties as you proclaim. You speak of your grandmother in quite the same affection
ate manner as I do of my father. It is all the same type of love, and it pleases me to see a man with such respect for his family. It is a very attractive quality, my lord.” She blushed; she must guard her wretched tongue.

“I am never prepared for your compliments, Nicole! They are not at all frippery or superficial. I believe I shall have to make my mental list into a written one. It will be titled ‘Ways to Please Lady Nicole Beaumont,’ and I shall keep it on hand at all times when my ego needs a boost!”

“You are talking nonsense, my lord.” Nicole blushed again at the thought that he might seriously wish to discover what pleased her.

“How quickly things can change. I have been set down! We will turn the conversation back to your father and I will refrain from interruptions.”

Quietly she began to talk, and he had to lean down to hear her. “As I told you once before, I believe my father would have had a great fondness for you. In addition to being a man of great morals and loyalty, he also enjoyed laughter and teased me often. I have spoken to you of his nature before, so I am not sure exactly what you wish to know.”

Devlin hesitated, knowing part of his curiosity could cause her pain. He had experienced such a disappointing relationship with his own father that he wished to hear about one so special. “I should like to know about your relationship with him.”

Nicole did not hesitate, as she knew she would not be able to talk at all if she allowed her emotions to run amok. “We had a very special regard for each other. I
wish that Chelsea had been older before he died so she, too, could have felt his extraordinary love. His devotion to God and his fellow man was inspiring. I believe he was much esteemed in return.

“When I was old enough, he made sure he instilled in me a true compassion for others by helping to meet their needs. It worked very well—too well, in fact. I am afraid I have even come to see the division of our classes as a bad thing. The rich get no less sick than the poor, and charity needs to be more giving of self and time than a few alms on Sunday morning.” Very thoughtfully she added, “He would have loved your speech yesterday.”

She began to chew on her lower lip, trying to put her next thought into words.

“When he became ill, we thought it was influenza. I never dreamed he would succumb to it. Mama kept Chelsea away from the sickroom, as she was so young. Since I had been helping with the sick in the parish she let me nurse him.”

“We had the most fascinating conversations. I think it was only due to the fact that he was confined to his bed. Usually we were so busy, we had no time for lengthy discussions. But during those last few weeks, we had a chance to talk of many things.”

A tear slid slowly down Nicole’s cheek, but she
would
finish. “He seemed to feel the need to release the burdens he suffered, verbally. He knew he was forgiven by God, but he seemed to seek an inner peace. I reminded him of the tremendous good he had done,
but I believe he felt it keenly that we should be without him.”

“When he died, I thought I should pine away into nothing. He had taught me to rely on God’s strength, and that is what brought me through.”

She finally smiled; she had made it through the hardest part.

“Your strength and presence of mind during a trial is very…moving. Nicole, I think you should like my grandmother very much. It is almost as if she were sitting before me, telling me of her faith.” He went on hurriedly, “Your father sounds like a very special man to me. I appreciate your candidness and willingness to talk about him.” As he was now sure a discussion of the afterlife might ensue, he arose and pulled her up with him.

Walking back to the carriage, he teased her. “As London’s most accomplished flirt, I cannot possibly allow you to be low upon our return. I must keep up appearances, you know.” He handed her into his vehicle and directed his coachman to her home.

“In order to keep my reputation with the ladies intact, I must ask you to put arguments over poachers and sad recollections from your mind. Indeed, I shall be quite selfish and remind you of the pleasure we look forward to on the morrow when we attend the theater.”

Nicole laughed at him. “I believe I have discovered the secret to your success, sir. You make sure to leave us laughing!”

He also laughed. “No, you quite mistake the matter, my dear. It is rather the trick of discovering the lady’s
innermost longings, then offering them to her. Other ladies do not hesitate to inform me of what pleases them. You, however, are as tight lipped as any foreign spy. Once you revealed your weakness for music, I immediately gained the upper hand!”

“I will keep that in mind, my lord.”

Nicole was introspective on the drive home. She wanted to replay the conversation between them that afternoon over and over in her head. He had talked to her, and listened to her, as an equal. Though he had not changed his mind, he had allowed her to have opinions of her own and had not treated her as a vapid female. Even her father had seldom had the time for such debate as had passed between her and Devlin that day, and she was intoxicated by it—there was no other word for it.

Nicole had told Toby she wanted to find out Lord Devlin’s mettle, what he was made of. Over the past two days, his character had been made crystal clear, and she could no longer deny the racing of her pulse and the beating of her heart when she thought of him.

It had been an absolutely perfect day.

L
ord Devlin sent a note the next morning saying that he had invited an old family friend, General Overton, to join them at the opera. He also mentioned that Lord and Lady Hampton, his personal friends, would be in his box. They would take separate carriages so as not to crush the ladies.

Nicole was excited about attending the opera with Devlin. She admitted to herself that she thought about him way too often. He had shown her so many facets of his character, but only small glimpses.

But Nicole was not thinking of his character this night. She was too nervous about attending the famed Drury Lane Theatre. As much as she loved music and had always dreamed of visiting the acclaimed playhouse, going with Lord Devlin rendered it an almost harrowing experience. She did not lament the fact that she could not see the performers; the music would be enough. The crowds would probably cause her some panic unless she could keep Toby with her, but she had no idea if that was even permissible. Her mother had
chided her once again for not telling Lord Devlin the truth, but Nicole did not want to ruin this night.

She almost wished that it was
not
Devlin taking them to the opera, as she knew he would more than likely be a distraction. Yet after the recent time spent in his company, she could not imagine sharing the experience for the first time with anyone
but
him.

Concern was also uppermost in her thoughts at meeting the Hamptons when she was so nervous. He spoke of them sometimes, always with respect and caring, so she knew they must be special people in his life.

Her thoughts once again turned to Lord Devlin.
Lord, I know You are not a God of confusion…then why am I so confused?
she prayed. She believed she had discovered God’s plan for her life through the accident. If God was giving her an opportunity to be more like Him, she could accept that. A friendship with Devlin was a purpose that had a meaning that aligned with His plan. Yet that same friendship had evolved so quickly that it made her second-guess His purpose, something she had not faced before. Shaking off her disturbed thoughts, she knew she could determine nothing tonight so she said a quick prayer and left it to God.

Her first hurdle of the evening had been what to wear. She had spared little concern for her appearance since coming to London, but tonight was special. She told Stella that she thought everyone was very elegant at the opera, and she needed to look her best.

Stella immediately pulled out a green velvet dress Nicole had never worn. “C’mon missy, it’s time this green dress seen the light o’ day.” Her mother had urged
her to purchase it several weeks ago, hoping Nicole would develop an interest in making her visit a success.

“Stella, we purchased that as a ball gown,” she reminded her maid. Her mother had intimated it was eminently suitable for the opera, but it would have shown to its best advantage in a twirling dance under sparkling lights. But Nicole had not worn it to any balls she’d attended. Truth be told, she had avoided the gown, as she much preferred to remain as secluded as possible at those austere events.

The dress was unlike the Empire gowns so commonly in fashion. Indeed, when they had entered the Bond Street shop, the very french Madame Suzette had taken one look at Nicole and exclaimed, “Enfin! Finally! I have found the figure of an
Inglese
who can do my creation proud!” The modiste had designed it for one of her regular patrons, but once it had been made, the “imbecile” thought it too unusual and refused to purchase it. Nicole’s mother and the Frenchwoman had agreed, and been adamant that it be bought for Nicole. “Eet is
parfait,
oh how do you say it, perfect for you. You have zee so small waist. Oui, zee dark green color will complement your dark eyes and
splendide
hair color.” The gown
was
exquisite, but the modiste’s previous client had the right of it. It was unusual as well. Both women seemed to notice Nicole’s hesitation as they described it to her, so they began to enumerate its advantages. “Zee velvet and lace,” she cooed. “How zee gentlemen love zee velvet and lace!” Nicole had laughed to herself as she considered how little
that
meant to her, but in the end her mother would not hear of giving it up.

As Nicole dressed that evening
she
could feel the singularity of the gown just by the way it fit. It was emerald velvet with long sleeves that came to a point over the backs of her hands with an extension of lace.

It had an extremely unusual décolletage design. The bodice was cut in a low sweetheart-shaped neckline, the velvet creating a deep V down to her waist. From the tight waist, the skirt flared with yards and yards of deep green velvet to the floor.

Madame Suzette had been right about one thing—the lace was exquisite. Beautiful Irish lace was bunched perfectly in the V of the sweetheart bodice, keeping the low neckline modest. It became at once innocent and alluring due to the illusion of skin that was visible through it. That same lace trimmed the high-necked velvet behind her head.

At the lowest tip of the V in the front, where the bodice met her waist, was another tight gathering of lace that spread wider and wider to the hem. By the time the lace reached the bottom of the gown, the panel was almost a foot wide. It presented an hourglass of lace from the width of her shoulders into the tight waist, then wide again where the hem brushed the floor. It enhanced her figure in the most elegant way, they told her.

Her mother had insisted on the purchase of an emerald-green velvet ribbon to wear as a choker around her neck, and to ornament her hair. Chelsea applauded the end result. Nicole hoped it was perfect for the opera.
Her heart even wished it were striking, that Lord Devlin would be proud of her, but she would settle for appropriate tonight. Indeed, she resigned herself to accept whatever response it would garner.

Nicole had decided her hair must be changed as befitted the evening, so Stella had pulled her thick tresses back loosely off her face, tying it with a green ribbon at the top. With the heated curling tongs, Stella made cascading ringlets that hung down the back of her head. The ribbon and lace hung through the curls to complement the matching one around her throat. To finish her coiffure, Stella pulled a few curled wisps of hair around her face.

As she finished her toilette, Lady Beaumont knocked at the door to view the finished effect. The silence was deafening until Chelsea applauded once again and exclaimed, “Nick, you are a princess, a fairy princess!”

Nicole turned toward the doorway and spread her arms wide. “Well, Mama, will I do tonight?” She was mostly teasing, but still needed that bit of reassurance that she would meet the expectations as one of Lord Devlin’s party.

“Oh, Nicky,” her mother cried, “I do not think I can bear it.”

Nicole heard her sobs as she ran scurrying from the room.

The silence once again seemed interminable. Finally, it was Chelsea who came to life as she hugged her older sister. “Nick, you know how she is. She wants so badly for you to be happy that sometimes it makes her
unhappy
. You truly look so beautiful that I think every
man in London will fall in love with you tonight. Only that makes her unhappy, too, because you will not let any of them love you. Couldn’t you try, Nick?”

Nicole was very quiet for a moment while attempting to control her emotions. Then she hugged her sister tightly, so much so that Chelsea squealed as the air rushed out of her. “You, my little imp, are a very special treasure. You must never forget that.” Trying to be cheerful, she swiped at a tear on her cheek and teased Chelsea. “You know, for a moment, when Mama was as silent as the grave, I thought I might be wearing my petticoat on the outside!” When Chelsea giggled, Nicole sent her on her way, saying, “Now do not wait up tonight. I promise I will tell you all about it in the morning. No falling asleep on my settee, understood?”

“Oh, very well, Nick.” She ran for the door, and as she was pulling it closed behind her, she said, “I love you, Nicky.”

“I love you, too, darling,” Nicole whispered to the air.

Immediately another knock sounded on her door, and Toby entered to escort her downstairs. Nicole thanked Stella and took the fan she was pushing into her hand. “You don’t need to stay up. I can undress myself tonight.”

Toby took her arm and told her she looked “very charming.” He even teased her by asking if she was “planning to pop the eyes out any one particular gent, or did she intend to rattle all the gentlemen as a whole?”

She laughed and thanked him. He told her that her mother and Lord Devlin were waiting for her in the
foyer, yet she stopped him before they went more than a few feet.

“Toby,” she said, “before we go downstairs, I would like to talk to you about something. I want to ask you a favor. But please do not laugh at me or berate me. I assure you I am already quite embarrassed.” She sighed and lowered her voice, then began again, “Toby, when you walk down a street and you notice a woman, what are your thoughts?”

Toby felt himself blush for the first time in many years. “I don’t understand, Lady Nick.”

“Yes, you do, Toby. I mean
what
comes to your mind? Do you think, ‘Oh she is a beauty,’ or, ‘I would hate to have to go home to her each night,’ or even, ‘That one has a nice face but needs to eat less sweets’? I mean, what do you
think?
”

Toby was palpably uncomfortable. “Well, missy, I guess sometimes I thinks about things like that, but what ’as that got to do with a favor?”

Nicole decided this was important enough to keep trying.

“I want to know what Lord Devlin is thinking when he sees me tonight.” Now she could feel herself blushing!
Please forgive my vanity this once, Lord!

There were times her blindness caused her significant embarrassment. “Knowing
your
thoughts as a man looking at a woman, would that not help you to know the thoughts of Lord Devlin?”

Toby’s response was instantaneous. “’Cor, Lady Nick, I don’t look at no gentlewomen and ’ave those
thoughts! Maybe
real
gentlemen don’t even ’ave those thoughts! ’ow am I gonna know?”

Nicole was losing the battle, but kept fighting. “Toby, I am quite sure men are men, whether lords or servants. I realize you may not be able to tell what Lord Devlin is thinking. There may not be time before we are bundled into the carriage.
But,
if you
can
read a look of pleasure or disdain or just nothingness, will you tell me? I have no way to get into a man’s head, and as I cannot see it for myself, I thought…”

“’Cor, why won’t you jest tell the man? I don’t think ’e’s nothing like Doc…’e ain’t like the others.”

She ignored him. “Oh, I know that he will
say.
‘You look charming, Lady Nicole,’ just as you did. But I hoped that, as a man, you might be able to tell by his expression what he was
really
thinking. I shall make it easy for you, I promise. As we walk down the stairs, I shall be completely engrossed in conversation with you. You, of course, will be watching his expressions. You may then lean over and tell me of his reaction.”

“Lady Nick, I don’t know what I’ll be able to tell, but if I sees something that I recognize as a look I might give, I’ll be ’appy to describe it to you.” He felt her smile before he saw it. “But if I may be so bold, you do not need that ’igh and mighty lord’s approval. We as knows you thinks you’re right pretty no matter what you’re wearing.”

Her heart swelled and her countenance stilled. “Thank you, Toby,” she said quietly. “Not only for the compliment but for reminding me that it is what is on the inside of a person that is important.” They began to
move together, years of being side by side making their gaits match easily. “Will you forget I even mentioned such folly? I shall remember to value the compliments of my family as I should.” She finished, “Forgive me, Toby. I was just…afraid that if Lord Devlin appears as handsome as I expect he will, that I might disappoint him in some way.”

Descending the first few steps, Toby chuckled. “Lady Nick, I don’t know as ’ow I’d even be able to read ’is lordship’s mind about you. I’ll admit with that full black get up ’e wears and that pitch-dark ’air, ’e will ’ave all the ladies sighing. But God’s ’onest truth, you will be the prettiest one there. I s’pose everyone else will be right jealous.”

“Toby, you are a very good friend to me. I do not think I can ever repay you for all the years I owe you, but I hope you know you have become very important to me. Taking into consideration your tendency to exaggerate,
and
your decided partiality—” she smiled “—I believe that is the most beautiful compliment I have ever heard! Now I suppose we must go down before they decide to leave me behind.”

Continuing their descent, Nicole could hear her mother and Lord Devlin speaking at the bottom of the steps. Her grip on Toby’s arm tightened, and she shushed him as he began to chuckle. “What is it, Toby?”

“Lady Nick, I may not be no expert on reading minds, but ’is lordship just looked up at you and dropped ’is gloves.”

Nicole’s brows furrowed in question. “I do not understand. What does that mean to a man?”

“It’s like this, ’e ’ears us coming downstairs, ’e looks up and does the dangdest double take you ever saw. Then ’is gloves just kind of fell to the floor like ’e didn’t even realize ’e was ever ’olding them. You could probably catch flies the way his mouth is ’anging open!”

“Toby…” Nicole reproached. Her heart had begun to pound as she realized Toby had granted her ridiculous request. It pounded even more that he thought Devlin was pleased.

“Lady Nick, if I’m lying may my Ma be struck dead by lightning. There ain’t no need to read that man’s mind, ’e knows ’e is seeing a very special sight.”

“Thank you, Toby,” she whispered from the bottom of her heart.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Nicole’s mother immediately hugged her. Lady Beaumont leaned close and whispered, “I am so sorry I ran out earlier, my dear, but you looked so beautiful I could not even speak.” Then louder she said, “Darling Nicky, when I saw you dressed, I knew you needed my emerald and diamond brooch as the finishing touch to your toilette. Will you wear it? We can pin it in the center of your choker, and it will be just enough to dazzle without taking anything away from my beautiful daughter.”