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Authors: Heather Boyd
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Essex.”
Fredrick stood scowling, hearing the unspoken “please leave” in his words.
Quinn scowled too but shook his head stubbornly. “We’ll see you soon.”
To make sure they left, Merrick escorted them all the way to the front door. He raked a hand through his hair when he was alone again—the unopened parchment at the forefront of his mind. He picked it up and then unfolded the paper. It was a special license and came without a bride’s name upon it. He smiled. At least his grandfather had left the choice of bride open for him to decide. Now he had all that was needed to make the match he wanted.
A scratch on the door drew his attention from the paper. “Come.”
Holland eased inside the room. “Excuse the interruption, my lord, but Lieutenant Ford followed me home. Laurence, that is, and he is most insistent in speaking with you without delay now his brothers have gone.”
Merrick groaned. What the devil did that foolish young man want now? Since he was already disturbed, he decided he might as well add one more annoyance to his morning. “Oh, show him in. Show everyone in. I simply do not care anymore.”
Holland hurried off and returned a moment later with his young cousin hard on his heels. “I need your advice,” Laurence exclaimed even before Holland had completely departed the room.
Merrick waited until the door closed and he could no longer hear footsteps in the hall beyond. “You had sufficient assistance last night. I told you what you needed to do.”
Laurence raked his fingers through his untidy hair. “It didn’t work. He would not hear me out. In fact, I think Lord Farnsworth laughed at me.”
Merrick gritted his teeth. No matter how much he detested the Fords, he would not bear the insult delivered to his cousin with any form of good grace. Laurence had an earnestness of youth that was refreshingly childlike. That was why Merrick was against any alliance with Farnsworth’s daughter in truth. Laurie would not bear the connection well until perhaps he had matured enough to stand up to such a man.
Merrick settled behind his desk again, securing the special license in the top drawer, out of sight, out of mind, till needed. “Start from the beginning.”
“I gave your advice considerable thought last night and I wish to have Cecily for my wife. I wanted things settled before I returned to duty, and so I called on her father and asked for her hand, but he wouldn’t hear me out. Kept saying I was too late.” Laurence shook his head.
Occasionally, Laurence spoke as if one knew exactly what he meant without being specific. Just to be sure he’d been clear, Merrick queried him. “So you did tell him you wanted to marry her?”
“Yes, I managed to say marriage several times, very clearly, before he insisted I leave.”
Merrick hid a grin, imagining his cousin’s earnest face as he’d professed his undying love for the wild Cecily. “Perhaps Farnsworth thought your acquaintance too slight, too brief of duration, to agree to the marriage on your first request. You are very young, coz. Given time, he could very well change his mind. There is no necessity in marrying the girl immediately is there?”
Laurence shook his head, his cheeks turning red at his suggestion that there could be an urgent reason to marry, like a babe in Lady Cecily’s belly already. “None at all, although I have been led to believe she would not be adverse to that. Cecily wrote me today and I am greatly concerned by her news.”
A much-folded letter was produced and promptly handed over. Merrick opened it and read the first lines, grimacing as he did so. Sugary-sweet sentiments slid from the page. No wonder Laurence was concerned. Cecily was very eloquent about her passion for his cousin. A letter like this, in the wrong hands before a wedding, could prove highly embarrassing to all parties. “I think this is perhaps too private to be shown to others.” He made to fold it and hand it back, but
Fredrick stood scowling, hearing the unspoken “please leave” in his words.
Quinn scowled too but shook his head stubbornly. “We’ll see you soon.”
To make sure they left, Merrick escorted them all the way to the front door. He raked a hand through his hair when he was alone again—the unopened parchment at the forefront of his mind. He picked it up and then unfolded the paper. It was a special license and came without a bride’s name upon it. He smiled. At least his grandfather had left the choice of bride open for him to decide. Now he had all that was needed to make the match he wanted.
A scratch on the door drew his attention from the paper. “Come.”
Holland eased inside the room. “Excuse the interruption, my lord, but Lieutenant Ford followed me home. Laurence, that is, and he is most insistent in speaking with you without delay now his brothers have gone.”
Merrick groaned. What the devil did that foolish young man want now? Since he was already disturbed, he decided he might as well add one more annoyance to his morning. “Oh, show him in. Show everyone in. I simply do not care anymore.”
Holland hurried off and returned a moment later with his young cousin hard on his heels. “I need your advice,” Laurence exclaimed even before Holland had completely departed the room.
Merrick waited until the door closed and he could no longer hear footsteps in the hall beyond. “You had sufficient assistance last night. I told you what you needed to do.”
Laurence raked his fingers through his untidy hair. “It didn’t work. He would not hear me out. In fact, I think Lord Farnsworth laughed at me.”
Merrick gritted his teeth. No matter how much he detested the Fords, he would not bear the insult delivered to his cousin with any form of good grace. Laurence had an earnestness of youth that was refreshingly childlike. That was why Merrick was against any alliance with Farnsworth’s daughter in truth. Laurie would not bear the connection well until perhaps he had matured enough to stand up to such a man.
Merrick settled behind his desk again, securing the special license in the top drawer, out of sight, out of mind, till needed. “Start from the beginning.”
“I gave your advice considerable thought last night and I wish to have Cecily for my wife. I wanted things settled before I returned to duty, and so I called on her father and asked for her hand, but he wouldn’t hear me out. Kept saying I was too late.” Laurence shook his head.
Occasionally, Laurence spoke as if one knew exactly what he meant without being specific. Just to be sure he’d been clear, Merrick queried him. “So you did tell him you wanted to marry her?”
“Yes, I managed to say marriage several times, very clearly, before he insisted I leave.”
Merrick hid a grin, imagining his cousin’s earnest face as he’d professed his undying love for the wild Cecily. “Perhaps Farnsworth thought your acquaintance too slight, too brief of duration, to agree to the marriage on your first request. You are very young, coz. Given time, he could very well change his mind. There is no necessity in marrying the girl immediately is there?”
Laurence shook his head, his cheeks turning red at his suggestion that there could be an urgent reason to marry, like a babe in Lady Cecily’s belly already. “None at all, although I have been led to believe she would not be adverse to that. Cecily wrote me today and I am greatly concerned by her news.”
A much-folded letter was produced and promptly handed over. Merrick opened it and read the first lines, grimacing as he did so. Sugary-sweet sentiments slid from the page. No wonder Laurence was concerned. Cecily was very eloquent about her passion for his cousin. A letter like this, in the wrong hands before a wedding, could prove highly embarrassing to all parties. “I think this is perhaps too private to be shown to others.” He made to fold it and hand it back, but
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