Your Darkest Dream (Blackwood & Friends #2)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Nicola sat atop Blanche's bed and regarded her with a curious expression, cocking her head to one side so that a mass of tawny curls flopped over one shoulder. "You are wearing that particular gown to dinner then?" she hedged.

Blanche considered her reflection in the mirror of her vanity. The gown in question was probably one of the more daring ones that she owned. It was a lush emerald, green number, cinched tight at the waist, with a plummeting neckline. The sleeves were puffed and hung slightly off her shoulder. Complimented with a pair of elbow length white satin gloves, a string of pearls around her neck, and matching earrings, the gown was rather flattering, if somewhat revealing. Blanche wouldn't normally choose to wear something like this to a simple family affair, but she was trying to make a certain gentleman react in a certain way. "Do you think he'll like it?" she murmured, turning from one side to the other to observe how the material flattered her curves, checking that the loose chignon in her mahogany curls had not come undone.

"Who?"

Blanche turned to her then and grinned. "I did not think I had to spell it out for you, Nicki. I am talking about Nate, of course."

"I simply needed you to admit it," she returned dryly. Penelope hopped onto the bed beside Nicola, a little green ribbon tied about her slender neck.

Checking that they were indeed alone and that Beth had left after fixing the last of Blanche's attire, she hastened over to her door and clicked it shut. Then she hopped onto the bed beside Nicola and sighed. "I am trying to seduce him," she admitted conspiratorially, "but you can't tell anyone."

Nicola's eyes had widened comically large. "Good Lord, Blanche! Have you lost your wits? Do you-"

"I am aware of all and everything you are about to waste no time to berate me of," she informed her, quelling her by raising a hand to halt whatever else Nicola was going to say on the matter. "It is entirely complicated, but the short of it is that I want him and he does not intend to marry. Neither do I, really, if I cannot marry him. I should very much like to experience what it would be like to be with him, and if it is to happen merely once then I shall live with it and take it to my grave and be happy with the knowledge I have been allotted."

Nicola shook her head slightly, her mouth pulled down in a frown. "I am not sure I can support this idea, Bee," she said carefully. "I will admit, I have seen a fondness develop in his regard for you over the last three days especially, but I did not believe you would make such a... hasty decision."

"I believe," Blanche pointed out with a wry smile, "you were also very quick to come to the same decision as me not so long ago."

Nicola blushed. "This is slightly different, Jason held the intention to marry me though I simply wasn't aware at the time."

"I like Nate," Blanche said sincerely, imploring Nicola with her words and her eyes to see her reasoning. "He is the only man who has ever seen me when he looks at me. I am not the connection to a title, I am not of worth simply because of my name. I am telling you this in confidence because you are my best friend and know me better than anyone. I will not contrive to force the man to marry me if he will not have me, but I will allow myself to enjoy the prospect of being with him." She absently flicked at a crease in the coverlet on her bed, the same coverlet Nate had frowned at disparagingly the night before, the same coverlet he had held her under while she had slept undisturbed in his arms.

Nicola sighed softly and reached over to squeeze her hand. "I only hope not to see you hurt, Bee. But let us go down for dinner, no doubt we are late."

The Northwick dining room was painted mint green with white trimmings and in the centre an oblong wooden table covered with pristine white linen stood grandly. Blanche was happily seated between Nate and Lord Rowley, while Jason had the head of the table and his wife the other. Unfortunately, Blanche was subjected to the sight of Lord Edwin Rawdon opposite and slightly left to her, but she forced herself not to acknowledge the man unless directly addressed, which he seemed just as averse to do, for now.