Regency Romance: A Race Against The Lord (A Historical Romance Book) (COMPLETED)

15

"My goodness, are there so many people who need to be invited to a duke's wedding?"

"Well, I suppose you could always run off to Gretna Green."

"Eunice!"

"Don't be so shocked, my dear! My old friend Sarah did when she took up with that dashing doctor fifty years ago!"

Lydia let Eunice continue with her tale of ancient intrigue as she continued to look at the list Eunice had given her. It was only the day after Nicholas had proposed and after her father had left the house, but Eunice had presented her with a list of necessary guests first thing.

As she tried to nod along to Eunice's story, Lydia couldn't help letting her mind drift toward the letter she had stuffed in her shoe before all the excitement. When she took it out to review later, it was no more helpful than it was originally.

For some reason, Nicholas had taken over the funeral expenses for her brother as well as the medical expenses that comforted her brother as he lay dying. The pieces still refused to fit together, but this was Nicholas. Nicholas had helped her at every turn. What did it mean that he had never told her about any of this?

She could only think that he wanted to spare her the pain of dealing further with her brother's death. She wondered if his man would ever turn anything up, if there was any search at all. She would take it up with him again, she decided. If they were going to be married, she wanted to enter into the union with a clear heart and head, her brother laid properly to rest.

He couldn't keep the truth from her, and she knew that a man as honorable as Nicholas wouldn't try, not when he knew why she needed to know.

"And there are the titles to take into account."

"I'm sorry, Eunice, I missed that. Could you repeat the last thing you said?"

"I think that if we are talking about your own invitations that you might pay a little more attention," said Eunice reproachfully.

Lydia hid a grin.

"Oh, Eunice, I am sorry. I will try to pay better attention."

"Well, as I was saying, when we open with a classic invitation, we will need to list all of your titles and Nicholas'. At some point, you should list all of yours out in a tidy hand so that we can send it on to the printer's."

"Well, that is simple enough. I am only Lady Lydia Waverly."

"Ah, well, let me write out Nicholas'. That boy has quite a handful to live up to, you know. Let's see. He is Nicholas Barrington, Duke of Winnefield, Marquess of Deering, Earl of Maitland, and alternately styled Baron Westchester and Baron Farring. I believe he also holds a knighthood, but that isn't at all the thing to list any longer, I don't think."

As she had promised, Lydia was paying close attention to Eunice's words, and when she heard Nicolas' list of titles, she went cold.

"Eunice, surely you are mistaken. Nicholas is not Baron Farring."

"But of course, he is, my dear. I believe the title's been in the family for some two hundred years, and it is much older than the title of Baron Westchester, even if Westchester is the greater holding... Why, Lydia, you look quite pale."

"I'm sorry, Eunice, I believe I am feeling a little ill. Perhaps we can speak of this some other time."

"Well, certainly, darling, here, let me call a maid to help you to your room. You need a lie-down."

Lydia left before Eunice could ring for a maid. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't wait. She had to find Nicholas, and she had to find him now.