An Earl for Eliza by Sabrina Jeffries

Author:Sabrina Jeffries [Jeffries, Sabrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2023-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Nathaniel had chosen to sit at the back table, in case he was needed by Verity or Geoffrey or both in their quest for this Phantom Fellow chap. No one had yet explained to him who that was, but he wasn’t concerned. He would learn the truth eventually.

Besides, he was about to hear Eliza perform. That was all he cared about at present. He wanted to make sure his captivation with her singing had been genuine the first time. He watched in utter fascination as Eliza spun a tale about why she’d chosen these particular songs. She seemed at home in this setting, the way Jocelin seemed at home around soldiers. So at least Eliza wouldn’t need him for anything.

It bothered him a bit. He wanted her to need him. For everything—attention, acceptance, advice, affection, and any other bloody a word he couldn’t think of. He was a glutton when it came to Eliza—he couldn’t seem to get enough.

A servant placed a plate in front of him—apparently the second course of their meal—but he could only pick at the salmagundi. Oddly enough, he was nervous on her behalf, which made no sense.

Near him, someone cleared his throat, and Nathaniel happened to look the man’s way. He’d been so entirely focused on Eliza that he hadn’t realized who’d taken a seat beside him: Eliza’s damned father.

Nathaniel hadn’t seen the man in years, so he was surprised to find how much the gaunt fellow had aged. If Nathaniel remembered correctly, Holtbury was only in his midsixties, but his snowy hair and face mapped with debaucheries made him seem older.

For a brief moment, Nathaniel felt pity for the former Lady Holtbury, twenty years the man’s junior. Sam had described it as an arranged marriage, and clearly Eliza’s mother had received the poor end of the arrangement.

The orchestra had just begun playing the accompaniment to her first song when Holtbury leaned over to say, “I know what you’re about with my Eliza.” The man’s sharp blue eyes betrayed his keen intellect.

Nathaniel forced himself to remain calm. “Oh?”

“You are hoping to ruin her so she will be forced to marry you.”

Nathaniel shifted in his chair to give her father his coldest, most aristocratic glance. “Why on earth would I wish to gain her hand by deceit? Why would I even need to do so when I can court her—and win her—perfectly well? It’s not as if I need her fortune. Oh, wait, she no longer has a fortune, does she? Her blasted father kept her dowry, meant to take care of her in her widowhood.”

When Holtbury looked astonished that anyone would challenge him, Nathaniel added, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, sir, I would like to hear your daughter sing. In case you were unaware, she has the voice to rival a nightingale.”

She absolutely did. Around him, people stopped eating Verity’s admittedly delicious food to listen as every note of Eliza’s first song trilled beautifully in the dusk hours. That gained Eliza ample smiles and

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.