"Perhaps she needed two new carriages?" Jonathon said helpfully. Nick snorted. "One possibly, but not two."
"How very odd and completely unlike her. Even when Charles was alive she was never especially irresponsible in her spending. And since she's been managing her own affairs—" He paused and studied his friend. "She is still managing her own affairs, isn't she?"
"Not exactly."
"Then I am confused." Jonathon furrowed his brow. "It was my understanding that you had agreed to simply oversee her accounts."
"Yes, well, that didn't work out quite as I had expected."
Jonathon's gaze slid from Nick's to the tart in his hand to the papers on the desk. "I gather that is a message as well."
"Most definitely."
"Do you understand this one as well as you do the tarts?"
"I'm afraid so." Nick blew a long, frustrated breath. "Your sister is trying to convince me that she is not the woman I thought she was."
"And she's doing that by driving herself deeply into debt? How very clever of her," Jonathon murmured.
"It is clever. Even diabolical." Nick leaned back in his chair and stared at the papers before him. "As much as she has squandered thus far, it is no more than she can afford to spend, although it took me a bit of work with her figures to realize that. Indeed, her finances are so sound that she can continue on this way for months without serious consequences."
"That long?"
"Perhaps as long as a year," Nick said grimly.
"All in an effort to prove to you she is not the woman you thought she was?"
"Exactly." Nick blew a frustrated breath. "Not the kind of woman I wish to marry." Jonathon narrowed his gaze. "You wish to marry her?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why?" Nick drew his brows together. "I don't know, because I do." He shook his head. "She is intelligent and amusing. Every conversation with her is either a level exchange or a battle of wits, and all are most challenging. The blasted woman makes my blood flow. Did you hear her comments at dinner about Scrooge?"
Jonathon nodded.
"Elizabeth is the only person I have ever known that I feel a kindred spirit with. As if we were both not exactly alike, mind you, but rather perfectly matched. Two separate gears that mesh together to form a flawless union."
"Flawless?" Jonathon raised a brow.
"Flawless probably isn't the right word but," Nick thought for a moment, "
right
nonetheless."
"I see," Jonathon said slowly. "In many ways, however, she is exactly the same person she was ten years ago. She simply no longer hides her true nature."
Nick toyed absently with his pen. "Yes, I know."
"Of course, you knew her true nature then."
"Yes, I suppose I did."
"And, even today, you still love her."
"Of course, I still love her. I have never stopped loving her. I—" His gaze jerked to Jonathon's. "I've never said a word to you about loving your sister."
"I am exceptionally perceptive."
"Hardly." Nick scoffed. "Why did you say that?"
"I saw the look in your eye that first day when she walked in on us. Furthermore." Jonathon shrugged.
"Ten years ago you turned Lizzie away in a manner that guaranteed she would marry Charles."
"How did you—"
Jonathon waved on the question. "How I know scarcely matters. Suffice it to say, I do." He met Nick's gaze directly. "I should have realized it long ago, but it takes a great deal of love to sacrifice your own desires for the good of someone else."
"Is that what I did? It seemed so at the time, but now I am no longer sure." Nick shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "I have tried, through the years, not to think of Elizabeth at all, and for the most part I have succeeded, but on those occasions when I could not push her from my mind I have wondered if I gave her up because it was best for her or because it was the easiest course for me. Maybe it wasn't love as much as it was the selfish action of a foolish young man." Nick smiled wryly. "It no longer sounds as noble as it did a moment ago, does it?"
"What it sounds like is that, with the passage of years, you have given your actions a motive they did not have at the time. Perhaps it eases any sense of regret to believe a mistake is the result of bad intentions rather than good. After all," Jonathon pointed his half-eaten tart at Nick, "if you gave up Lizzie for selfish reasons, why, you deserved to lose her."
Nick stared for a moment, then chuckled. "Convoluted logic, but it makes a certain amount of sense, I suppose."
"Thank you." Jonathon started to take another bite of his pastry, then apparently thought better of it and tossed the remainder of the tart back on the plate. "As it seems to be an afternoon of confession, let me make mine now. At the time, I too thought your actions were correct. I thought the best thing for my sister would be for her to marry Charles."
"And now?"
"Now I know how very much I don't know. Dreadful to admit and probably a sign of maturity, as I used to think I knew everything, but there you have it." Jonathon sighed. "Lizzie always appeared content with Charles, but then he always appeared content with her and we know that isn't entirely accurate. I wonder now if perhaps she would have been happier with you."
"Perhaps we might well have suited better then than now," Nick murmured, ignoring the sharp sense of regret that had engulfed him from the moment she'd stormed back into his life. Still, regret had its benefits. It fueled his determination to win her back. "It does not lessen my resolve, mind you, but now I fear we will drive one another mad."
"Ah, but what a grand madness it will be."
"A grand madness." Nick grinned. "I rather like the way that sounds."
"Good." Jonathon nodded firmly. "Then what is your plan?"
"My plan?"
"Surely you have a plan."
"I have no plan."
"Oh, you should definitely have a plan."
"Yes, I suppose I should."
What was wrong with him anyway? Of course he should have a plan. He'd never gone into any kind of negotiation without a plan. And he'd certainly never let anyone get the upper hand with him the way Elizabeth had, over and over again. Just when he would think he had her exactly where he wanted her, she'd turn the tables on him.
"You could cut off her credit, close her accounts—that sort of thing."
"It's really not necessary. As I said, she could continue in this manner for a long time without posing a serious threat to the solidity of her finances." Nick shrugged. "Closing her accounts would serve no real purpose save to annoy her."
Jonathon grinned wickedly. "And attract her attention. She could scarcely ignore you then." Nick raised a brow. "You're very good at this."
Jonathon lifted a shoulder in a modest shrug. "She is my sister. I have been provoking her almost since the day she was born."
Nick laughed. "Very well then, I shall force her attention by cutting off her funds. Perhaps I will give her an allowance, what with Christmas coming and all that."
"You can afford to be gracious."
"However, simply getting her attention does not seem like much of a plan." Nick drummed his fingers on the table.
"The problem with Lizzie is that she spent so many years being less than who she really was, she now thoroughly enjoys being exactly who she is."
"Hence her keen desire to maintain her independence."
"Exactly." Jonathon thought for a moment. "It seems to me your best course is to show her the price for that independence. Show her how very much she is missing."
I have made a tew attempts in that direction, Nick murmured.
"I'm not sure I want to know precisely what you mean by that. I am her brother, after all."
"Yes, of course. So." Nick pulled his brows together. "What is she missing?"
"Excellent question. I'm not sure I have an excellent, or even an acceptable, answer." Jonathon fell silent for a long moment, then shook his head. "We shall have to consider that point further. However, in the meantime, you should court the boys, I think. She is exceptionally fond of them." Nick snorted. "I don't know anything about children."
"You used to be a child."
"It's been a long time."
"Not that long." Jonathon shook his head. "Good Lord, Nicholas, have you really noticed nothing about this house beyond the fact that it is next door to my sister's?"
"Certainly. It's a respectable size." Nick glanced around the room. "It's an excellent investment and location."
Jonathon groaned.
"And it's exceptionally full."
"Look again."
Nick cast his gaze around the room and shrugged. "It's still exceptionally full. There's scarcely room to move."
"Although there are any number of places to hide."
Nick drew his brows together in confusion. "Probably."
"I can't believe you could have made all that money and still be this obtuse." Jonathon rolled his gaze toward the ceiling. "Look at this room again. This time through the eyes of a child. A boy child if you will."
Nick heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Very well."
He scanned the room slowly, trying to put himself in the place of Elizabeth's sons. Certainly, if one were only eight or six years of age the mounted heads of exotic beasts hanging on the walls would be intriguing if not downright frightening, the medieval suit of armor in the corner, one of many lingering throughout the house, might well be fascinating, the swords hanging on the walls, the miniature cannon, the models of ships in full sail…
"Good God." Nick's mouth dropped open. How could he have failed to notice? "The place is the proverbial boyhood dream come true."
Jonathon nodded sagely. "Exactly."
"All I really have to do is invite them over and set them free." Nick considered the possibilities. "Of course Elizabeth might not be overly pleased by the prospect of her children spending time with me."
"Yet, as you are in charge of the management of their inheritance, it only makes sense that you should wish to get to know them," Jonathon said mildly. "Besides, Lizzie's efforts to show how frivolous she is probably demand she spend a great deal of time away from the house. It has been my observation that women cannot shop to their full potential when confined within the walls of their own homes."
"You are suggesting I court these children without their mother's knowledge? Earn their affections before she can protest?"
"Exactly."
"It seems rather underhanded to me."
"Oh, it most certainly is."
Nick grinned. "I like it though."
"I thought you would." Jonathon smiled smugly. "After the children, you need to get the support of the rest of the family. Indeed, you may already have it, as they've always thought highly of you."
"Still, the biggest obstacle to winning Elizabeth's hand remains Elizabeth herself."
"I can help with the children and the family, but I'm not sure I can help you with that." Jonathon blew a long breath. "However, I am confident my sister once cared for you, and I would wager a great deal she still does."
"Why do you say that?" Nick said slowly.
"The vehemence with which she denies that she felt anything whatsoever for you coupled with the way she defends what she had with Charles. I think she's very much afraid of admitting that she still cares for you, as well as admitting that her marriage was not as perfect as she'd always thought it was. Both admissions might lead one to the conclusion that she married the wrong man." Nick shook his head. "I gave her no choice."
"We are talking about my sister." Jonathon raised a brow. "Even back then, high-spirited and frivolous did not equate with submissive and stupid. Elizabeth Effington Langley has always to my knowledge had a choice about everything."
Nick could still remember the look in her eyes. "Not this time."
"Nonsense." Jonathon snorted. "She could have insisted you take her with you instead of calmly accepting everything you said and pretending she didn't care. Indeed, she could have followed you. But she wasn't sure enough of her feelings so she chose the safe, and one might have argued at the time, wisest course for her life."
Nick narrowed his gaze. "You know a great deal about what passed between Elizabeth and myself. I find it difficult to believe that she would have confided in you. Not about this."
"It's not important how I know what I know, only that I do know." Jonathon waved away Nick's comment. "As I was saying, it was Lizzie's choice as much as it was yours."
"Still, she was young and I broke her heart."
"She'll never admit to that. And therein lies your problem."
Nick scoffed. "Just one?"
"Perhaps she needs to accept the feelings of the past, and more, her own mistakes—"
"And mine."
Jonathon nodded. "Absolutely yours. Regardless of your intentions, you were a fool."
"Thank you for putting it so succinctly," Nick said wryly.
"My pleasure." Jonathon leaned forward. "You never stopped loving her, and I suspect there is every possibility she never stopped loving you as well. However, that admission changes everything in her life." He studied his friend. "Have you told her?"
"Told her what?"
"That you love her?"
"Not that I recall."
"What did you tell her when you said you wanted to marry her?"
"I said she would make a good," Nick winced, "partner."
"Partner?" Jonathon's brow rose.
"It seemed the thing to say at the moment."
"You would have been better off with the gear analogy. Halves of a whole and all that."
"No doubt, but I am new to this business of proposing marriage." Nick blew a frustrated breath. "I have never given it a great deal of thought, but I have always assumed the why of an offer of marriage was not as important as the offer itself."
"You know nothing about women, do you?" Jonathon cast him a pitying glance.
"On the contrary, I know a great deal about women," Nick said staunchly, then grimaced. "I simply know nothing about offers of marriage. And I don't know why I'm listening to you. You've never been in this position." Nick narrowed his gaze. "And why haven't you? We are of a similar age. Why aren't you married?"