Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) Read Online Free Page A

understand."
    Nathan looked around trying to find a place to set his belongings. Every surface was filled with papers and books, so he settled for throwing his hat and cane in the corner of the entryway before turning to a mirror and righting his hair.
    "And why wouldn't I understand?" Nathan asked, his preening finished. "I have my own interests too."
    Evan shook his head. "You'll definitely be interested in this, come and have a look," he said, walking back towards his desk.  
    Nathan groaned and moved carefully through the mountains of books that had crawled their way out of the library doors and into the hallway, piled high on the floor.
    "When are you going to organize all this?" he asked, waving his hand around and stepping over a growing hill of science tombs.  
    "When I have the time, I suppose," said Evan, already in the library, having maneuvered the piles with ease.
    "You do realize if you hired some help they would take care of this for you, along with answering the door," Nathan said slowly and deliberately. "I'm sure Eliza would appreciate it as well," he added when Eliza came in with a tray and slammed it on the small table in the corner.
    "Hello, Eliza," Nathan said cheerfully.
    She grunted once more and Evan looked over at her. "She doesn't mind, do you Eliza? Besides I'm only one person and hardly any trouble at all."
    Eliza mumbled what Nathan heard as No trouble at all, indeed , and flew out of the room. It was frightfully amusing to him. "So what is it that you wanted to show me?"
    Nathan watched Evan as he shuffled through paper after paper and mumbled. "Sometime today perhaps?"
    "Here it is!" Evan boomed. "Look at this, look at it," he said as he shoved the letter in Nathan's face so he had only the choice to take it. "I told you, didn't I? The cylinder press was bound to be the only way for the print world to succeed in mass production. We can now print eight hundred times faster than with the older models. John Walter has agreed to purchase, you know, and others will follow suit once they see his production speeds."
    Nathan's face soured as he read over the letter. "John Walter, as in The Times , John Walter? Well congratulations, you'll now be rich as Croseus, not that you weren't doing well before."
    "Says the man with a trust bigger than my entire portion. Some of us need to produce and not just exist."
    Nathan shrugged.
    Evan gave up and walked over to his chair, moving papers he had slung around moments before into messy little piles. "So, what brings you here? If it's about tonight's ball I've already conveyed my regrets to the hostess and my mother. I don't know why she insists her friends invite me. I haven't said yes once in all these years."
    Nathan clucked impatiently. "Because she hopes you'll relent and come, you idiot, but that's not why I'm here. I received this early this morning." Nathan reached into his pocket and removed an invitation. He waved it around before sliding it back into his coat.  
    "Ah, yes, that," said Evan, his face drawn and clearly annoyed. "I was planning on visiting my mother this afternoon to convey my regrets. A house party? Can you imagine? And not a word of it until this very morning. If I hadn't had such good news along with the invitation, I'd be in a very foul mood.
    "There can be no doubt on that subject," said Nathan, smiling and shaking his head.
    Evan looked over to Nathan, curious. "I assume you will refuse? In fact, you can join me to visit my mother and hand her your regrets as well. She is always happy to see you, though I can't imagine why," he said, smiling and dodging a piece of random paper Nathan flung at him. "I do have business to attend to beforehand, so keep that in mind. If you accompany me this time you can't complain as you did the last."
    Nathan looked at him wearily. "My answer depends greatly on your destination."
    Evan smiled. "My solicitors."
    Nathan pulled a face. "Last time, you told me it would only take a moment and then we