Page 10 of Bluebell’s Fate

The earl continued, still looking into his son’s eyes. “As much as I want for you to be happy, Bell has to live with the consequences of her actions.” He turned to face Nathaniel. “And if Mr. Payne makes her unhappy, then I will call him out.”

Nathaniel swallowed. This was no idle threat to placate his son. This was a real-life ultimatum. Marry the girl and make her happy, or suffer an early death. If Lord Gardner’s daughter became a widow, her options and a large dowry would be available to her once again. Was this the plan from the start of the conversation? From what he knew, Lord Gardner was an upstanding and important member of parliament. To plan Nathaniel’s demise seemed below his natural inclinations.

Lord Winberg left his father’s side, walked over to Nathaniel, and sternly stuck out his small hand. “Welcome to the family. Bell is my favorite sister. I’ll be checking on her to make sure she is happy.” He turned to his father. “I’m going out to practice shooting with Henry. He says I’m almost ready for a pistol.” Then he left the room. The door snapped shut behind him, and Nathaniel instinctively felt that his eternal fate was in the hands of a seven-year-old boy—well, him and his sister.

There was no room for debate. He would marry Bluebell Gardner. Nathaniel rubbed the back of his neck. Marry was perhaps the most frightening five-letter word he’d considered as of late. Looking up at the earl, he voiced his concern. “My lord, I have only just met your daughter. I do hope you will give me some time in order to put things to rights.”

Lord Gardner nodded once. “You will join us for dinner this evening. Tomorrow morning, you will leave to attend to any business necessary and make arrangements for my daughter to join you at your estate. I do not want to see or hear from you until the day of the wedding. Leave your address with my butler; we will have the wedding banns read and contact you for all the details I deem necessary.”

Preparing for dinner was an easy enough task. But the weight that sat in the pit of Nathaniel’s stomach made the thought of eating quite unfathomable. To say he was disappointed in himself would be an understatement. He’d allowed his fancy to take over his good sense, and now he would be shackled to a woman who deserved someone far better than he was. Furthermore, he was decidedly late to fetch his grandmother. She’d not be happy with him when he arrived tomorrow—a day late—with a betrothal attached to his name. How had his well-ordered life turned into chaos and broken promises?

Dinner was a quiet and awkward affair. Nathaniel was seated as far from Lady Bluebell as possible—right next to the Countess Gardner, and across from one of Bluebell’s sisters, Lavender. When Nathaniel had decided to call Bluebell Flower in the woods, he understood better now why she’d been so annoyed with him. He could have called her Sunshine. But he had gone with Flower. How utterly ridiculous he’d acted.

The countess cut into her venison with a delicate ease. “Where is your home located, Mr. Payne?”

“York, my lady.” Nathaniel speared a potato with the end of his fork.

“I see. And are you the eldest son in your family?”

Nathaniel put the potato into his mouth to give himself time to respond. If only she knew the pain associated with that question. “No, I am not.”

Lady Gardner dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “Pity. And what is your occupation?”

Setting down his fork, Nathaniel prepared himself for his second interrogation of the day. He wasn’t hungry regardless. “I help my father manage the estate. It is not nearly so large as this one, but I believe that with time, it will continue to grow in value. I can say that your daughter will be provided for.” Nathaniel chanced a glance down the table to look at his betrothed.

It was no subtle feat, as a large flower arrangement obscured his direct line of sight. He had to lean back substantially in his chair to see her beautiful face, but her gaze did not leave her untouched plate. There was no sign of the confident woman he’d kissed in the woods. Her demeanor had shifted entirely to that of a wilting flower. He didn’t blame her; it was an outrageous situation they were in. But he’d expected her to stand her ground as she had with him earlier. To see her entirely without hope was disheartening to say the least.

In all honesty, he knew he could provide for a wife. But in all his planning, he hadn’t expected to marry a woman with a title. He’d expected someone prudent, like Miss Stone. The expectations Lady Bluebell would bring into their marriage would likely stretch his purse strings, but he would do what was necessary to keep her happy and thus, keep himself alive.

Lady Gardner set down her glass of wine and cleared her throat. “How is it that you are not the eldest son and yet you are managing the estate?”

“My older brother has passed on, my lady.” Nathaniel took another bite of his potatoes, praying that he would not be called upon to elaborate. It had been fifteen years since his brother had succumbed to the fever. Fifteen years since Nathaniel had been named heir to the estate. Fifteen years of trying to prove that he was up to the task. Fifteen years of failing.

The young woman across from him, Lavender, gave him a sad smile. “I am so sorry to hear that. You must miss him very much.” Genuine concern was written in every line of her delicate face. She was quite similar to Bluebell in looks, save her blonde hair that bordered on white and a small patch of skin between her long white gloves and the sleeve of her gown. The skin was an angry red and pulled in what must be a scar of some sort. He wondered how she attained such a scar. Lavender carried herself with a different energy than anyone else in the family. She seemed calm and steady and reassuring—all feelings he wished he could embody at the moment.

“Thank you.” Her concern was real, but Nathaniel didn’t actually miss his brother. It was yet another guilt that ate at him everyday. It was difficult to miss someone who had spent their entire boyhood making you miserable. However, losing a family member was a terrible thing—when it was your fault, it was something else entirely.

Heaven forbid he ever lost his Grandmother Hamilton. She was the one person left who loved him, quirks and all. And he had let her down. He stabbed at another potato.

The ladies left Nathaniel, Lord Gardner, and Lord Winberg in the dining room to take their port, although little Lord Winberg was served lemonade. As soon as the door had closed behind the women, the boy spoke up, “Father, does Bell get her dowry?”

Lord Gardner nodded. “Yes, but I’d not mention it to your mother.”

His son nodded in return. “I’m glad. She deserves it.”

Nathaniel’s interest was piqued. Now that Lord Winberg had brought it up, the rumors from a couple years previous came back to his mind. If he recalled correctly, the earl had withheld the dowry of his first daughter. He wondered if Bell worried over the same fate. But even if her extremely large dowry was stripped from Bluebell, Nathaniel would make certain that she would be provided for.

The little Lord Winberg turned to Nathaniel. “It didn’t look like you were trying to make Bell happy. It’s the easiest thing in the world. All you have to do is notice her.”

Nathaniel flushed. “You’re correct. I was remiss in my attentions to her this evening. It is a lot to take in.” He took a deep breath. “Do you have any other advice for me? I’ll be gone for a few weeks, and I’d like to do something for her in the meantime that would make her new home feel comfortable.”

The boy raised his eyebrows. “I already told you. All you have to do is notice her. She does the rest all on her own.”

“She does the rest of what?”

Lord Gardner cleared his throat. “Ash.”

It was a one-word warning that the boy understood immediately. He nodded to his father before excusing himself from the table.