Page 30 of A Match of Misfortune

Rothsburg looked far too pleased to resume the conversation. “When I returned from White’s this afternoon, gentlemen were still lined up outside the drawing room. The bouquets in your entry hall are not even half of what she received.”

Did these men really think they could win Cecily’s good opinion with flowers? Not that he hadn’t sent Lady Darlington a large bouquet this morning as an apology, but that was different. Cecily was not easily impressed. Except regarding Featherbottom apparently. Nash shook his head.

“Does that bother you to hear?” Rothsburg asked.

“Of course not. Why would it?”

One side of Rothsburg’s mouth lifted ever so slightly. “I have a suspicion.”

“Well, your suspicion is wrong.”

Rothsburg smirked in a most telling manner. “How do you know what it is?”

Nash pinned him with a look. “Because you voiced a similar conjecture before I left for India.”

Rothsburg was now wearing his full, facer-worthy smile.

“You were wrong then, and you are wrong now. I do not care for her. The woman can hardly tolerate me.”

“But that’s what makes her a rare treasure.”

Nash took to shaking his head again.

Rothsburg considered him a moment before leaning into his own chair, mirroring Nash’s posture. “Bridget and I stopped in at your townhouse before coming here. We wanted to see how you were faring after last night, but the butler said you are not residing there at present.”

“My uncle has apparently found a second will and submitted it,” Nash said, attempting to overlook his current state of agitation. “If the Court of Chancery is ineffective at deciphering frauds, then I shall lose the inheritance.”

Rothsburg’s mouth hung agape, and he leaned forward in his chair again, his elbows resting on his knees. “Are you in earnest?”

“Unfortunately.”

“But that makes no sense.”

“I know. The fact that my great-aunt’s solicitor had no notion there was a⁠—”

“Not that.” His gaze searched Nash’s. “Things like this don’t happen to you, let alone several of them at once—the incident with Lady Darlington, the will, having to remove from your residence. And that is to say nothing of the way gentlemen at White’s were speaking about you today.”

Nash’s brow furrowed. “What were they saying?”

Rothsburg stilled, as though he had not meant to say that part. “It is no matter.”

“Come now. You cannot leave it there.”

Rothsburg grimaced. “I not only heard you referred to as a nabob, but also as an upstart who intends to marry into the aristocracy. I imagine the last bit was because of your selecting Lady Victoria as a dance partner straightaway.”

“I only asked her because Lord Chatting had made the introduction and it had seemed ill-mannered not to request to partner with her.” Nash released a heavy breath. “Not that it matters what others think.”

And yet, even as he said it, he knew it did. It had to. For the sake of his business ventures, he had to figure out how to right all of this. Ideally, before the membership vote at White’s. His potential investors needed to know how capable he was. That he was a man who could be trusted with their funds.

Rothsburg’s expression grew contemplative. “No, but it does matter you seem to have lost your luck.”

Rothsburg’s words instantly sent Nash’s thoughts to his conversation with Cecily at the end of the set they’d danced. The conversation that had taken place directly before he tripped into Lady Darlington. The conversation where he had playfully offered his luck to Cecily.

“I gave it to her!” The thought slipped from him before he realized how ludicrous it was. One could not give away luck, particularly when he’d never believed luck was an actual consideration. He’d obviously been in the company of sailors too long these past months and had allowed their superstitions to get the better of him.

But then, what other explanation could there be for the things that had happened after his conversation with Cecily had taken place?

Ludicrous or not, it was worth a try.