The Wolfhound sighed and went to lie by the fireplace. Nate stood, poured a now-tepid bucket of water over himself, and grabbed the drying towel from a rack in front of the fire. His secondary valet arrived and gathered the clothing he’d wear that evening.
Nate made his way to the drawing room to wait for his mother. He glanced at the walnut-encased clock on the fireplace mantel. There was time for a glass of wine before he and his mother left for the Pultney. Someone plied the door knocker to the front door. Who could be visiting now? A few seconds later Hulatt opened the door to the drawing room. “Miss Stern is here, my lord.”
“Show her in, and tell my mother.”
Hulatt bowed and brought Henrietta to him. The butler left the door partly open.
“Henrietta.” She was stunning in a turquoise evening gown with very little adornment on it. Her hair was done in a complicated combination of braids, with curls framing her face. Her only jewelry was a pair of gold earrings and a gold chain with an oval locket. Nate had never seen her in an evening gown before. He held out his hands, then took her into his arms. “What brings you here?”
“I decided that you could either ride with me, or I could ride with you and your mother. It was ridiculous to take two coaches.”
“I would like to know what you are both doing, embracing in the drawing room where anyone could see you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Henrietta pressed her forehead against his chest for a moment before nodding to him and turning to face his mother.
He bowed slightly. “Mama, Henrietta and I are betrothed.”
“Mostly,” she added, and curtseyed. “We still must decide who Nate must ask to make it official.”
He didn’t think he had ever seen his mother stunned before. She opened her mouth and closed it. Then did it again.
Henrietta had met Lady Fotherby several times last Season, but she had never seen the woman speechless. “Nate,” Henrietta whispered to her betrothed. “Three glasses of wine.”
“Yes, of course.”
She went to her ladyship, took her hand, and led her to a sofa. “I know it must seem sudden, but we love each other and want to wed.”
Lady Fotherby took a glass of wine from Nate and drank half of it down at once. Henrietta glanced at him, and he shook his head.
“Mama, will you say something.” His brows furrowed, and he moved a chair closer to the sofa next to Henrietta. “You knew I wanted to marry Henrietta. We thought you would be happy.”
Her ladyship placed a hand on her bosom and took a few deep breaths, then looked first at her, then him. “I am delighted, of course. But neither of you seem to realize that you, Miss Stern, are a minor, and you, my son, must ask her parent or guardian for permission to address her before you may properly ask her. What possessed the two of you to enter into a betrothal in a way that would cause a scandal were it to get out?”
She did have a point, but Henrietta did not think it was that scandalous. It was merely a matter of who should give the final approval. “I spoke with Merton, and he said that he would support me if I wanted to marry Nate.”
“Miss Stern, be that as it may, it is for my son to speak to him.” Lady Fotherby drained her glass and held it out to be refilled.
Henrietta noticed that he had not touched his wine. “The problem is that would cause him difficulties with my sister. She will not even discuss the matter, or allow Nate to apologize to her.”
“We plan to ask the duchess if I should travel to Henrietta’s home and speak with her father,” he added.
“That is an excellent idea. However, you may not go around as if you are indeed betrothed. Fortunately, there is another two weeks before the start of the Season.” Her ladyship rubbed her forehead, then put the glass of wine on a small, round side table, and rose. “Let us go to the duchess. I agree, this is a matter that must be put before her.”
Henrietta stood and put her hand on his arm. “The coach?”
“I’d prefer to take mine. Yours can either remain here or you can send it back.”
Now that she had made her point that one way or the other she would ride with him to her grandmother’s hotel suite, it did not matter which vehicle they rode in. “I will send it back. There is no reason to have the pair unhitched, then hitched up again to take me home.”
He gazed at her and smiled as if she had made the most brilliant of decisions. He held out his other arm to his mother. “May I escort you as well?”
“Yes, my dear.” She placed her hand on his arm, and he led them to the hall and out the door to the waiting coach. She glanced at her coachman. “Take them back, please. I will ride with Lady Fotherby.”
“Yes, miss.”
Nate assisted Henrietta and her future mother-in-law into the carriage, then got in himself. As soon as the steps were up, the coach moved forward. She sat next to her ladyship and across from Nate. Lady Fotherby’s mouth was set into a thin line, and there was no attempt by any of them to make conversation. Fortunately, less than ten minutes later, they drew up to the hotel, and made their way to her grandmother’s suite. The butler showed them into a parlor and announced them. If Grandmamma was surprised to see them enter together, she did not show it.
“Welcome.” She bussed Lady Fotherby’s and Henrietta’s cheeks.
Nate elegantly bowed over Grandmamma’s hand. “Thank you for inviting us. We”—he held out his hand to Henrietta, and she took it—“have something about which we need your advice.”
Grandmamma’s sharp green eyes flicked from him to Henrietta, then to Lady Fotherby, who still looked disapprovingly at Nate. “Come, we shall have a glass of sherry.”
Once they were seated—Henrietta and Nate on one small sofa, her grandmother and his mother on the sofa facing them—Henrietta said, “Lord Fotherby and I wish to wed. Merton said he would not stand in my way, but he does not appear to want to be involved.”
Lady Fotherby heaved a sigh. “My son has acted precipitously by already proposing.”
Henrietta was certain she saw her grandmother’s lips twitch, as if she was trying not to laugh. Grandmamma took a sip of sherry before piercing them with a look that would have had Henrietta trembling, if not for the humor in her eyes. “Once I saw you two together, I knew how it would be.” She set her glass on a square, marble-topped table at her elbow. “You are very like your mother. She did not take the easy way either.” Grandmamma glanced at Nate. “My son-in-law defied my late husband and asked for my daughter’s hand despite being rejected. I must say that in a worldly way, you are much more eligible than he was.”
“Will there not be problems with your daughter and son-in-law?” Lady Fotherby asked.
“I do not believe so.” Grandmamma had a smug expression on her face. “Acting on my feeling it would come to this, I wrote to my daughter and related the changes Fotherby has made, how he and Henrietta met, and what my impression of him is. I also said I would be surprised if the two of them did not decide they would suit.”
Henrietta wanted to jump up and hug her grandmother, but such exuberant behavior was never encouraged. “Thank you. Did Mama answer you?”
Her grandmother’s brows rose. “She said she would write to you.”