Loving a Fearless Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Book(33)

Wilson leaned forward. “How old is her brother?”

Nash nodded. “He’s of age. You would think the decision would automatically revert to him, as it should, but there is a real concern Avery will override Edward, her brother.”

Wilson grimaced. “Nash, I’ll help you in any way I can, but I can’t see what the problem is. Go to the brother today, ask for her hand, and get a special licence if you must, and get married as soon as possible.”

Nash gave out a short laugh. “You think I’m mad.”

Wilson leaned back and put his drink on a side table. “I do. But that’s not what you came here for. I’ve always thought you mad. Especially at university. Tell me, how can I help you?”

Nash looked Wilson in the eye. “I want to buy your investment portfolio that holds Avery Stanton’s shares. I’ll pay you a premium of whatever you want; I don’t care. What’s the investment?”

“A copper mine.”

“All right. I need leverage over the man until I’m happily married. I will sell the investment portfolio back to you at a discount when I know we’re in the clear. He would never have to know.”

“Unless something went wrong, and he needed to know.”

Nash nodded, “That’s right.”

Wilson rose and got the investment file out of a drawer. He set it on his desk and examined the documents inside.

“There is nothing precluding me from selling you this investment portfolio or from not notifying any of the shareholders I’ve sold it to. I don’t like what it would do for my reputation and my investors. If they are skittish, they’ll ask for provisions in their future investments that could tie my hands.”

Wilson looked up. “If we did this, it would have to be hushed up. If my other investors knew, I’d lose their trust and I am not willing to have that happen.”

He sat back in his large desk chair and looked at Nash. “Nash, how do you make this happen without exposing me?”

***

“Edward, may I ask you for your sister’s hand in marriage? I love her, and I want to spend every day with her for the rest of my life.”

“Yes, Nash. I give you my blessing, and I wish you both the best.”

Edward turned to his mother and his sister. They were both giggling. “That was so hokey. So staged,” Penelope said.

“I’m glad we amuse you, sis,” Edward said.

Nash laughed too. “We really did sound like idiots.”

Penelope batted her hand through the air, “Don’t worry, you always do.”

“Well, now that the non-event of asking for your hand is through, we can move on. You can’t blame us for wanting to make a jest of it.”

Nash looked around the parlour. It was late morning, not the usual 1 o’clock calling time. Nash had his driver drop him off around the corner and told him to park there. He would walk to the corner after his visit.

“So we probably won’t see Henry now?” Nash said, still nervous about their secret plans.

“I’d be shocked to see him. I sit in this parlour a good portion of every day, and the only time I see him is when you come calling at one,” Cecilia said.

“Penelope. You’ve had some time to think about this. You are betrothed, but that doesn’t mean Uncle will not break it for another man he chooses,” Edward said. “Time is very precious now.”

Penelope huffed. “I’m not going to Gretna Green.”

Nash approached her like she was a bear that hadn’t eaten all winter, and he had a basket full of salmon in his hands.

“Would you consider going to Gretna Green then coming home and having a large wedding a month from now? Obviously, the Gretna Green wedding would be a secret.”

She folded her arms over her chest. Nash knew what that meant.

Nash began again. “All right. No Gretna Green.” He raised his eyebrow. She nodded.

“We can get a special licence, and the priest could marry us in the rectory of the church. We can start planning the large wedding now. Better?”

She looked up at him, told him to sit, then looked him in the eyes. “The big wedding wouldn’t be meaningful once we married in the rectory. I don’t want to marry in the rectory. I want everyone who ever looked at me cross-eyed to see me walk down the aisle on my brother’s arm, my eyes fixed on my bridegroom. While their eyes were fixed on my scar.”

Nash blew out and in while Penelope waited until he was finished counting to ten. “I think I want that as much as you. All those naysayers would have their comeuppance.

“But, I am truly afraid your uncle is going to attach you to a weak penniless puppet. Yes, we’ve put everything in place, but do you think he’s going down without a fight? You don’t want to be in the middle of that. I don’t want you to be in the middle of that.”

Cecilia stood and sat next to Penelope. She took her hands in Penelope’s, “I have lived my whole life hoping you would marry a wonderful man who never even thought about your scar. What you two have is very special. Don’t gamble that it will work out fine. You can make guarantees. Right now, today. Please, my dear, don’t gamble with this.”

There was a long silence in the parlour. Penelope had her head down, and Nash didn’t dare to breathe. The air was thick as if the room were crowded with twenty people.