Loving a Fearless Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Book(23)
“But we’ve barely chatted. And you know I don’t like to be dismissed.”
Nash rose from his seat and came around to the front of the box where Henry stood. “Goodbye Henry,” he said as he took Henry by the elbow and walked him away from his group.
“Take the hint, Henry. We don’t want to talk with you. Leave,” Nash said through gritted teeth.
Henry gave a little laugh. It sounded like a girl’s giggle. He spoke loudly, “Oh, but I want to talk with you, Finch. If you stay with Penelope, you will be the reason she, Edward, and Cecilia are out on the street. That’s not an idle threat.”
“Oh, but I think it is,” Nash said. He stepped closer and got close to Henry’s face. Henry took a step back.
“Tell me, Henry. Why is it you want to see us broken up? You are first cousins, so I hope you don’t harbour inappropriate feelings towards her.”
Again, Henry spoke loudly. “Not at all, Finch. My feelings about Penelope have to do with her deformed face. I don’t want to look at her ugly face ever again. There’s nothing I want to see more than Penelope out of my life forever. She deserves to be washing dishes in the hot, busy kitchen of a Lord who throws a lot of dinner parties.
“And you? I haven’t forgotten that day you came over and accused me of killing your dog. I’ve waited a long time to get my revenge on you. And here I am. Breaking up a relationship you care about. The more difficult this breakup is, the more I will enjoy the experience. See, Finch? I have my reasons.”
Nash kept his cool. How, he did not know. “Go home, Henry. There’s nothing here for you. Vauxhall is for happy people who have friends. You don’t belong here. Go home.”
Nash turned and walked out of the darkness to the relative light of the sconces. He found his box and sat.
Edward turned to him, “What happened?”
Nash shook his head almost imperceptibly. “Nothing. He spouted nonsense; I told him to go home.”
Edward nodded. He leaned forward and in a low voice said, “Say, Nash, I meant to ask you earlier. Dinner at White’s tomorrow?”
“Love to.”
Nash turned to the seats behind him. “Should be anytime now. You never know exactly when they’ll start the show.”
Jerome smiled. “We are doing fine. It doesn’t really matter what time the show starts.
Nash grinned.
***
Vauxhall was perfect. There were so many people around; Henry could have talked loudly all night, making Nash and Penelope squirm.
So now, they knew why he wanted them split up, at least part of it. Good. Who else would court Penelope with the ugly scar running down her face? No one. She’d be living at the Somerset estate as a spinster before long and wouldn’t be a threat to anyone except the cat whose tail was too close to Penelope’s rocking chair.
And Nash. He thought he could come after him. He couldn’t. There was no proof about his dog, and Nash knew that. Once he and Penelope were broken up, there was nothing he could say about the Stantons. He wouldn’t be able to ruin his father’s reputation or put out stories about Henry.
He’d find another lady, get married, and go on with his life of investments and university friends. He wouldn’t bother with them.
***
Nash knocked on the roof signaling the driver to start the carriage. He turned to Penelope, “Well? How did you like it?”
She gave him her dazzling smile. “I loved it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Have you Dinah?”
Dinah turned in her seat. Penelope noticed she was holding Jerome’s hand. “It was fascinating. How do they do that? And all the different colours. It was beautiful.”
Jerome snickered. “So, you liked it?”
That brought a wave of laughter through the carriage.
The carriage dropped off Jerome, then Dinah, then went to the Stanton townhouse.
Penelope begged fatigue, so she and Nash said their goodnights, and he was gone.
Edward looked at her in the foyer as she approached the stairs.
“Is it the real thing between you and Nash?” he said.
She nodded. “Yes, it is. I daresay he would say the same thing if you asked him.”
Edward gave a small, tired smile. “Congrats, little sis. I think I like him as much as you.”
She smiled. “I think you’re right.”
***
Nash sent the missive to Avery at his townhouse. He didn’t want to go over there and run into Henry, or worse, have to meet Avery with Henry there.
It had gone on long enough. Henry followed them then harassed them at every turn. It had to stop. Henry couldn’t be reasoned with, and this fell on Avery to fix.
Nash heard back. Avery would meet him at Nash’s townhouse Thursday evening at nine o’clock. Not ever wanting to miss a social occasion, he probably thought he could meet and go straight to the Bennett ball. Made sense. He’d do the same.
When Avery came, he instructed his carriage driver to hide across the street and down a few blocks. He didn’t want Henry alerted to his whereabouts any more than Nash did.
They met in the library, both dressed in their finery. Nash poured two whiskies. He asked Avery to sit and sat across from him, handing Avery his drink.
“Finch,” Avery said.
“Stanton,” Nash said raising his glass. They both drank.