Chapter 7

Though he had been in his fair share of perilous situations, Nathaniel had never been more nervous than he was at that moment, standing awkwardly in the eerie entrance hall of Druidstone Abbey. An icy draft tickled the back of his neck, making him shudder. It might have seemed foolish, but he did not dare to turn around in case there was a ghost standing behind him, breathing on his nape.

"Your Grace, apologies for the rudeness of my butler," a voice echoed from one of the adjoining hallways, long before any figure emerged.

Nathaniel swung this way and that, trying to see who had spoken. "No apologies necessary," he said, breathing a sigh of relief when the Earl of Druidstone emerged from one of the hallways in a hurry. "I insisted upon waiting here. I was offered the use of a drawing room or a study, but I thought this would be better as I have never visited before."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the Earl said, sticking out his hand.

Nathaniel took it, making sure his handshake was firm but not too vicious. "Nonsense. Once you hear what I have to say, you might chase me from the grounds." He mustered a stiff chuckle. "You have a lovely home, Lord Druidstone."

"Ezra, please!" the fellow practically cooed, holding onto Nathaniel's hand a moment too long as if savoring the moment.

Nathaniel slowly withdrew his hand. "Then, of course, you must call me Nathaniel. I confess, I have always been more comfortable with my given name as opposed to my inherited one."

"It takes years to become accustomed," Ezra agreed, sweeping a hand through thinning hair that had been generously oiled—too generously, perhaps, for Nathaniel could feel a film of it upon his own palm. "Would you care for some tea?"

Nathaniel smiled politely. "Wonderful."

"This way." Ezra steered Nathaniel down one of the dramatically arched entranceways and into the candlelit gloom of a cavernous corridor.

The entire residence was like its namesake—an abbey that had been transformed, somewhere along the line of history, into a nobleman's residence. There were no windows to speak of down the corridor that Nathaniel was being guided down, and the air was thick around him, his nose tickling with invisible dust. Indeed, the grand manor seemed to demand silence, the ambiance oppressive.

"Mr. Gibbs, might you have a tea tray sent to my study?" Ezra asked, calling back to the butler who, for reasons unknown, seemed to be following them. Perhaps, he desired vengeance for being called "rude."

The butler bowed his head. "Of course, my lord."

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Ezra instructed, opening up one side of a set of double doors, crafted from thick oak and studded with black iron bolts—so medieval that they chilled Nathaniel.

Make myself comfortable? Highly unlikely,Nathaniel mused, stepping inside.

But where the corridor and entrance hall were steeped in melancholy and Gothic drama, Ezra's study was like an oasis of light and welcome. It resembled—and perhaps was, at one point—a bright chapel with stained glass windows that spilled colorful shards of light onto a flagstone floor that had been covered heartily with expensive rugs.

"When did the monks leave?" Nathaniel joked, settling down onto one of the long, brocade settees.

To his relief, Ezra laughed. "Centuries ago. Turn of the fifteenth, if I am not mistaken. Do not ask me any more than that, though. To my shame, I never listened when my father would tell me of its history; I was always more interested in climbing trees or riding my horse. I imagine you were the same?"

"Yes, quite," Nathaniel lied.

Ezra sat down on the opposite settee, sprawling across it like a man who knew he was lucky. "I do not know how to say this without sounding discourteous, Your Grace, but what is the meaning behind this visit? It is welcome, of course, but… unexpected."

"Ah, well, I had thought to write to you before I showed up at your door, but with rumors circulating, I decided against it," Nathaniel explained, making the truth up as he went along.

A panicked expression tightened Ezra's lined face. "Rumors?"

"Yes, about the dance I shared with your daughter last night. It was our first public outing, I suppose, though we have conversed at several balls throughout the summer," Nathaniel replied, the untruths tripping off his tongue with ease. "I adore her, Ezra, and I would hate for society to twist what is an innocent and well-intentioned affection. You know what they are like; they are wolves, baying for blood."

Ezra nodded slowly, clearly confused. "You… have conversed with my daughter?"

"Often, yes, though always with her friends and their chaperones present," Nathaniel assured. "I am an honorable gentleman, Ezra, and I wish only happiness for your daughter. That is why I have come here today to ask your permission to court Lady Leah in an official capacity."

For a season. For her sake as well as mine, he neglected to add, his heart pounding harder than it did when he entered a boxing ring.

"You wish to… court my daughter? You—a duke?" Ezra's mouth fell open.

Nathaniel smiled. "I do, though it has little to do with me being a duke and everything to do with your daughter being so enchanting. I knew from the moment I met her that she and I were destined to be bound together in a sincere promise, but it is vital that a lady and gentleman are permitted to be properly acquainted. That is all I ask."

"Why, of course you may!" Ezra blurted out, stretching his mouth downward with his fingers as if he could not believe what was happening. Indeed, Nathaniel was surprised that the older man had not yet pinched himself or slapped his cheek to ensure it was not a dream. "Goodness, this is… something."

Nathaniel nodded. "Yes, she is."

"I thought she was a lost cause!" Ezra burst out laughing, his eyes wide and wild as he lounged back against the settee. "Your Grace… I mean, Nathaniel, you have no notion of how you have just improved my day. Nay, my year. Maybe even my decade!"

Nathaniel tilted his head to one side, frowning at the man. "A lost cause?"

"Oh, it is that Spinsters' Club she has been associated with. I thought that would be the end of her prospects, but… here you are." Ezra continued to laugh, shaking his head in a joyful sort of disbelief.

Curiosity piqued, Nathaniel leaned forward. "Do tell me more about this club. It sounds fascinating, and she has not mentioned it to me."

"Uh… it is nothing," Ezra said, his laughter halting abruptly, his eyes flickering with panic once more. "It is not really a Spinsters' Club. You know what young ladies in society are like—they can be ever-so cruel, and I believe the name stemmed from a competitive kind of jealousy."

Nathaniel nodded though his curiosity had not been sated. "Of course. As you say, young ladies can be so cruel when they are yet to be married. Everyone becomes a threat to them, especially a lady as beautiful as your daughter. If her friends are anything like her, it is no wonder others have been unkind."

"Yes, precisely!" Ezra seized upon the reprieve like a ravenous dog, sweat dripping down the side of his face though it was not exactly toasty in the beautiful study.

Nathaniel smiled. "So, you approve of a courtship?"

"With all my heart, yes." Ezra nodded with such vigor that Nathaniel feared for the fellow's neck. "Why, it is very timely with the London season about to begin. Will you be residing in London for the season? We have apartments in Marylebone, and it is our intention to winter there. As you can imagine, the Abbey is bitterly cold in the winter."

Nathaniel could imagine it if it was anything like Bergfield Manor.

"I have a townhouse in Mayfair," he said. "My mother cannot stand the cold either, so we shall be residing in London for the winter."

Ezra seemed delighted. "Excellent. This is truly excellent."

"Would you mind if I walked awhile with Lady Leah? It is one thing for us gentlemen to discuss a courtship, but I imagine she would like to hear of the happy occasion from me," Nathaniel suggested, forgetting the tea that had been ordered. "It is a lovely afternoon, and who knows how many more of these we shall have. Perhaps, we could walk in the gardens?"

In truth, he had been desperate to see the famed gardens, ever since he had heard where Leah resided. They were supposed to be some of the most majestic in all of England with rare blooms growing in the greenhouses. Although, he did not want to see them purely for his own benefit; he wanted to have something to tell his younger brother, Colin, when he returned from Eton for the winter adjournment. There was nothing Colin loved more than nature.

"Certainly. At once," Ezra enthused, jumping up. "I shall summon my daughter immediately, and you may walk for as long as you please. The winter gardens are just beginning to show their true beauty though I am certain that Leah will guide you well."

Nathaniel got up. "I hope she will."

Just as I hope she will not kill me for moving forward with our plan…