Authors: Gloria Harchar
She shifted her attention to the austere, almost beautiful angles of
Malcolm
'
s proud profile; then her gaze dropped to his mouth, seemingly carved of stone. Her heart sank.
Seeming to give himself a little shake, her father regained his composure and tossed Falcon a cool look.
"
Money isn
'
t a substitute for
Nicola
'
s happiness. Will you treat my daughter well?
"
"
Of course. As the mother of my children, she will have all the finer things in life. She
'
ll have social status and be accepted into the highest circles. Your daughter won
'
t lack for anything.
"
Papa turned to her.
"
Nicola
? I
'
ve dreamed of such a station in life for you, but above all I want you to be content. Tell me, is this what you want?
"
Nicola
traced the fragile spun glass and wondered where Allegro was. She hadn
'
t seen the rascal since the previous night. Not to mention
Glissando
, who
'
d disappeared a sennight ago in his magical balloon. The marital shackles were looming nearer, but she must answer her father, who was beginning to look grim.
As much as she wanted to reassure her father, she wanted to express her notion of the
perfect marriage to Falcon once and for all—if for no more reason than to warn him of just what he was up against.
"
Yes
, Papa, I know our marriage will be a match made in heaven. Why, we
'
ll adore each other, not able to bear to spend time apart. We
'
ll read poetry together, discuss politics, search the fields for insects to find new
dyes
,
visit the dump to discover even more hues,
and love each other on a daily basis.
"
She glanced at Falcon and shuddered, for his
eyes
had turned as cold as silver coins.
How could she shackle herself to someone who didn
'
t value the important things in life? Love, that intricate understanding of each other with merely a glance, the deep knowledge that your loved one was there for you, through thick and thin; a profound camaraderie with a soul mate—those were the most important experiences. But as she looked at
Malcolm
, at the frigid indifference in his expression that turned her blood to ice, she had a sinking sensation that her longing for even a modicum of a friendship would never be fulfilled.
Lifting her hands,
Nicola
defied Falcon with a look, then smiled at her father.
"
Our marriage will be just like yours and mum
'
s, Papa.
"
He clapped his hands.
"
Well, that is settled, then.
"
He pushed up out of his chair and looked at Falcon.
"
When would you like to have the ceremony?
"
"
By this Friday,
"
Falcon responded, rising also.
In five days? She had to plan a wedding and reconcile herself to the notion. Her chest tightened with panic.
"
That
'
s much too soon.
"
He turned, his whole being exuding strength and power.
"
Don
'
t worry,
sweeting
. I promise you the wedding will be everything you hope for and more.
"
"
What do you mean by that?
"
"
My staff is already preparing
for our union
. Because of last night, I plan to extend the guest list and ask the whole county to attend.
"
Was she to have no say in her own wedding preparation? Didn
'
t every woman long to plan the perfect day, though this being the business arrangement it was, perhaps he didn
'
t think being perfect mattered. She frowned, confused.
"
When did you do all this?
"
"
Shortly after I arrived in Nottingham.
"
His arrogant assumption that he would get his way, even before he had met her, made her fume. Insufferable and arrogant were the adjectives that came to mind. How dare he assume she would give in. But she
was
giving in, though not through any wish on her part. She tossed him one of her sugary smiles.
"
Then it must have been love at first sight for you.
"
He stared at her gown,
made from a plaid fabric
dyed
Clockwork Blue
.
"
Yes
, it was.
"
The reminder couldn
'
t have been any more blunt. She was so much chattel, unwanted baggage that came with the dowry. A suffocating sensation engulfed her, but she forced it down.
Thankfully oblivious to the undercurrents, Papa took hold of her arm.
"
Well, well, I say we are progressing marvelously. And we have much to do.
"
"
Yes
,
"
Falcon said.
"
I will get a special license.
"
"
Very good, my lord. My,
but
Ramsey will be quite astounded about all this. I thought he was due home today. He
'
ll be glad to know our
Nicola
is getting married.
"
"
I
'
m certain he will,
"
she mumbled, not certain at all.
"
Now,
Nicola
.
"
Papa gave her an admonishing look and reached for the foolscap on his desk.
"
I must send him a missive at John Wimble
'
s home.
"
But contrary to Papa
'
s belief, he wasn
'
t at Wimble
'
s home.
"
I will frank the note for you,
"
Falcon said.
Nicola
realized her future husband was very sly. By franking the note,
Malcolm
could be assured their deception need never be revealed. She stared at him in frustration.
"
That is good of you, my lord.
"
Her father rubbed his hands together.
Alarm whistled throug
h her like the blast of a steam locomotive
. She knew she could never whisk Ramsey out of the country in so short a time and thereby avoid this marriage.
"
That will be too late,
"
she mumbled.
Papa
'
s bushy brows furrowed.
"
Too late? The wedding will be in five days.
"
Falcon smiled.
"
I
'
m certain he will be in time to bear witness.
"
His expression reminded
Nicola
of a great bird preparing to strike. As he turned to leave, she had the strange sensation that something important was afoot. Grimly, she decided it was time to visit his estates, and she would go to Windmere early in the morning to hustle Ramsey far, far away—before the modiste could work on her wedding dress, before the purchases of supplies for the breakfast, before any decorations could be made, before any invitations were mailed, before any plans for this catastrophe of a ceremony could come to fruition.
The sooner the better.
As she bustled away to make plans of her own, she
hoped
Glissando
world return with Mr. Hamilton.
Malcolm
watched
Nicola
rush away as if a hundred falcons chased her and wondered at the small prickle of discomfort near his heart. He reminded himself that he didn
'
t want affection or even acceptance. His sole reason for the wedding was the
dye
. When her footsteps faded, he sensed the older man
'
s attention and turned to find
Moore
openly examining him.
"
I want to make one thing clear, Falcon. Do right by her or you will wish you had never been
born
.
"
Moore's
obvious fondness for his daughter helped ease the prick of what
Malcolm
could only term as conscience. Bloody hell, he was becoming as soft as Gaspar. He would have to remember to work on
his weakening resolve to stay aloof from Nicola
, to remind himself that this marriage was needed to win what he craved
—the
Clockwork Blue
. No one would crack his resolve to remain a watcher in life, not a participant. However, the realization that her father cared for
Nicola
so much made it that much easier to leave her ensconced in the country near her beloved relative.
"
Sir, I give you my solemn vow that I will never mistreat your daughter. I will do all that I can to make certain she is content.
"