Chapter Thirty-Six
Nick glared at the closed door, unable to mask his mounting frustration. Twice he had come to speak to Adelaide’s father to offer marriage, and twice he had been turned away. No explanations had been offered except that most infuriating of phrases, “The family is not at home.”
The family was at home, he was certain of it.
Was she ill? Was the whole damned family ill? Or was it worse than that? Perhaps they were deliberately keeping her from him. After all, two days ago she had arrived home in far less clothing than she had departed with. When the night had passed without Westsea appearing on Nick’s doorstep with a pistol, he had assumed Adelaide was safe, that she had managed to slip to her room undetected.
But if she was in trouble, surely she would find a way to send him word through Alice or Nathaniel?
Unless she no longer wanted him.
Damnation.
He stood in the street and peered up at the house, looking for signs of her. Was she in her room? The library was more likely. He studied the windows, but there was no movement, no shift of the curtains to hint at her presence.
He ground his teeth as he turned away. If he were quite sure she wanted him, he would kick down the door and carry her off bodily, judgmental butlers and furious fathers notwithstanding. But the resulting scandal would set tongues wagging for the next decade, and he didn’t want that. Adelaide would be cut from society and he would lose the marquessate. And for what?
He needed information.
Unfortunately, there was only one source that could help him.
He found Nathaniel at his home on Grosvenor Street, a fashionable address in London. As the butler ushered him into the sitting room, Nick wondered distractedly if his brother intended to live there with Alice after the wedding. Perhaps he should purchase a home nearby. Adelaide would like to live near her sister.
“Ah, Nick. You have come at last.” Nathaniel tossed his book aside and stood. “Would you like some tea?”
“Damn the tea, Nate. What the devil is happening to Adelaide?”
“I take it this is not a social call, then? I suppose it was foolish to think you would visit me of your own volition.”
For God’s sake, what was he going on about? Nick did not have time for his nonsense. Not when Adelaide was ill, or being held against her will, or had decided not to marry him.
Feeling Nathaniel’s gaze on him, he quickly smoothed the frown from his face.
“Have some tea. You seem agitated,” Nathaniel said.
“Tell me about Adelaide,” Nick ground out.
His brother said nothing as he poured the tea. “Milk? Sugar?”
“No milk, five sugars.”
“Did you say five?” Nate’s hand hovered uncertainly over the sugar bowl.
“I like it sweet.” Like Adelaide. God, she was sweet. He scrubbed his hand through his hair. Where the devil was she?
“Do you want to become a gouty old man?”
“That is none of your concern,” Nick snapped.
“Indeed,” Nathaniel said cheerfully as he handed him the teacup. “I have always wanted to be known as the handsome brother.”
“For the love of God, Nate, tell me about Adelaide.” He knew he sounded desperate, but for once he didn’t care about hiding his true thoughts and feelings. His concern for her welfare had driven him far beyond such petty concerns.
“I don’t know about Adelaide— No, sit down, Nick. I’m not finished.”
Nick sat, his jaw ticking with frustration.
“Alice is worried. She says Adelaide hasn’t left her room since yesterday, nor spoken a word to her.”
“Is Adelaide in trouble?” He gripped the teacup but couldn’t drink. “Did her father—”
“No, I don’t think so. When Lord and Lady Westsea and Alice arrived home last night, they thought she had retired early with a headache. Her parents behave as though nothing is amiss. Alice says her mother is downright cheerful, and that is what worries Alice most of all.”
Nick frowned. How could they be happy when their daughter was so clearly distraught? But most important, what could be so terrible that Adelaide kept it secret from Alice?
“I must speak with her. Will she be at Wessex’s ball tonight?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “Alice will be attending with her mother as chaperone, but Adelaide begged off.”
Which meant that she would be home, practically alone. How hard could it be to slip into her bedroom? He had already done so once, with the whole family at home. To be sure, her window had been open at the time. It was possible she had learned from her mistake, but he could find another way in. If he had to.
Nick stood. “I’ll be going now. Thank you for the tea.”
“Sit down,” his brother said sharply. “Whatever it is you are planning, it is sure to make the whole thing worse. You cannot break into a lady’s house in the middle of the night.”
Well, he could and he had, but he needn’t tell Nate that.
“What would you have me do?” Nick asked evenly. “It can’t go on like this. Exchanging vows is one of those things that requires both people to be in attendance. I can’t very well marry her when she is in there and I am out here, can I?”
Nathaniel blinked at him. “Marriage? Do you mean…you want to marry Adelaide?”
Nick gave an impatient wave. “Why are you so surprised? That was the plan ever since we left Haverly. You know as well as I that a woman with her past cannot remain unmarried without risking her standing in society.”
“Yes, yes, I know. I also know you planned to find some other man to stand in for you. You even wrote a list of qualifications.”
“I did consider that, once,” Nick admitted. “But only because it was what she wanted. I was her insurance against scandal—a last resort.”
Nathaniel cocked his head. “Is that still what she wants?”
“I—” Nick began, then stopped.
Good God, was it?
She had told him plainly that she hoped to find a more suitable offer, and he had agreed it would be for the best if she did. Now he knew there was no better offer than his, no more suitable husband for her than Nick himself. He belonged to her, and she to him. He understood that now.
But what if she did not?
Or what if she believed that he did not?
He leaned forward. “Get Adelaide to the ball tonight, do you understand me? I must speak to her.”
“All right,” Nathaniel said.
“If she is not there, I’ll be forced to climb in through her window and carry her off to Gretna Green. It would break Alice’s heart to lose Adelaide again, you know it would.”
Nathaniel scowled. “All right. You don’t need to blackmail me, Nick. I said I would. I’ll speak to Alice. She’ll make sure Adelaide is at the ball.”
Nick frowned. “Alice won’t want to help me. She despises me.”
“Perhaps. But she loves me, and I love you, and you love Adelaide, whom Alice also loves.” He gave Nick a crooked grin. “It will all work out. Alice will help you.”
If there was a flaw in his brother’s reasoning, Nick couldn’t find it. He did love Adelaide. That was enough, wasn’t it? So long as she loved him, too, the rest would sort itself out.