Read Online In for a Penny by Rose Lerner - Free Book Online

Nev. Stop being so melodramatic. A glass of brandy won’t send you to the graveyard. Now drink it, and then we’ll go to the theater and have a good time. We’ll even go the opera if you like.”
    “I sold the box,” Nev said. “All of them.”
    Percy sighed. “All right, we’ll stand in the pit. Amy won’t mind. You’ll be married soon enough, and then you can buy them all back.”
    Nev was suddenly furious. “No. I can’t. And I gave Amy her congé .”
    Thirkell gaped. “You did what ? Nev, how could you?”
    “I’m getting married!”
    Percy gave Nev the severe look that meant he was about to read Nev a lecture in which common sense featured prominently. It reminded him of Miss Brown a little. “It’s not as if it’s a love match, Nev. You’re mad about Amy. You deserve to keep something fun in your life. I think sobriety has unbalanced your brain. Pan métron áriston , you know.”
    “Don’t quote Greek at me!” Moderation in all things—that was exactly what Nev was trying to do. He was trying to curb the excess that had led his father to ruin. “And anyway, Miss Brown asked me to be faithful. What was I to say? ‘Thank you for your money and your future, but I’ll do as I please’?”
    Percy’s jaw set. “How dare she? Trying to get you under the cat’s paw already and not even married! What business is it of hers if you keep a mistress? She’ll be Lady Bedlow, isn’t that what she wants? That’s the problem with Cits, they think everything can be bought, even affection—”
    Nev snatched the glass of brandy out of Percy’s hand and splashed the liquor into the fire, aware that it had been expensive and feeling guilty and furious. Moderation had never been his forte. “Stop it. That’s not fair. She’s—” He stopped. He did not know how to explain Miss Brown.
    Besides, part of him was touched by Percy’s anger on his behalf. And, worse still, there was a small shameful part of him that agreed with Percy. He had looked at Miss Brown’s neat little list and thought, Merchant . In a minute he would give in; in a minute he would apologize and let Percy pour another glass.
    Nev looked at his two oldest friends and hated his father. But that wasn’t fair either. It was his own fault, his fault for being too weak. His fault for wanting that glass of brandy and a night at the theater with Amy more than anything else in the world.
    He had lived like this for the past six years: drinking the night away with Percy and Thirkell at a never-ending stream of gaming hells and Cyprian’s Balls, curricle-racing, attending the theater, spending as little time as possible at Loweston except when the three of them had a mind to do a little fishing. Just like his father. He could scarcely imagine any other way of living. That was why he had to do this. “I think that you two need to leave.”
    Percy threw up his hands. “Fine. We’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe by then you’ll have come to your senses and begged Amy to take you back.”
    “No. I—oh, Christ.” Nev’s voice was still firm, but on the inside he could feel himself cracking. He was weak and miserableand nothing could ever make this right, but he had to do it. “Percy, Thirkell, you can’t come back. I’m sorry, but you can’t.”
    “What— ever ?” Thirkell asked.
    Nev couldn’t look at his round, hurt face. Instead he thought about Miss Brown, clutching her list. “I’m sorry, Thirkell, but I’ve got responsibilities now. I’m going to—I’m going to have a wife. I can’t live like a bachelor anymore.”
    Percy folded his arms. “So you’re going to give us up just like you’ve given up claret?”
    “I don’t want to. But I can. What I can’t do is keep you and still do what I have to do.”
    “Nev—” Thirkell sounded bewildered.
    “I’m not Nev anymore, Thirkell,” Nev snapped. “I’m Lord Bedlow now.”
    Percy’s eyes flashed. “And shall we call you ‘my lord’ now? We’ve been calling you