‘I do not think he intends to offer me marriage,’ Belle said. She suddenly felt weary. ‘Is there anything else you wanted to say to me?’
‘I can think of no explanation for your behaviour other than you have developed a most unwise tendre for him. Why else would you risk the censure of society by appearing alone with him for all to see? Do you wish to ruin Chloe’s chances?’
‘No, I do not and that is why I have agreed not to see Chloe. Did Maria not tell you that?’
‘Yes. Along with some ridiculous nonsense about your sacrificing yourself for Chloe.’
‘You are right, that is most ridiculous.’ She sighed. ‘I am very tired, Arthur, and if all you want to do is scold me then I pray you will leave.’
He stared at her. A tinge of colour appeared on his cheekbones. ‘I suppose you will be with him tonight,’ he said tightly.
‘Why would you think that? I rather thought I would remain at home.’
‘You will not attend Lady Perth’s rout?’
She had forgotten about Lady Perth’s rout. Her first instinct was to say no, but the dowager Countess had been a close friend of her mother’s and, the last time Belle had met her, had expressed the greatest desire that Belle would attend. ‘I have not made up my mind.’
‘Because Westmore will not escort you?’
‘Westmore has nothing to do with this,’ she said quietly, although she was seething with anger. ‘Nor can I see what any of this has to do with you.’ She started to walk towards the door. ‘I am going to my bedchamber. Mrs Bates can show you out. Please give my love to Chloe and Maria.’
His mouth fell open but she was too furious with him to care. How dare he involve himself in her business? She was not related to him nor did he have any control over her affairs. None the less, he had always attempted to dictate to her just as he did to Chloe and Maria.
The whole conversation had been odd. As odd as her encounters earlier today. Is that what the ton already thought? She was Justin’s mistress?
Which she was in every sense of the word except for the actual consummation. Every time she thought of last night, she shuddered. She had not wanted to feel anything with him; she had only wanted to lie with him while he did what he wanted. But he had not let her remain aloof. He had brought her to an ecstasy she had had no idea she was capable of and for the first time in her life she had experienced a desire so overwhelming she had no choice but to surrender to him. Her couplings with Lucien had been humiliating and sometimes painful, but always mercifully brief. His only purpose in coming to her had been to procure an heir and he had never cared if she took pleasure in the proceedings. Her duty had been to submit. She had learned to disengage herself, to bury any emotion she might feel, and to force her mind elsewhere.
She had no idea why Justin would not allow her to remain detached. Did he, or any man, really care if the woman was pleasured as well? Or was it another way to gain power over her, make her desire him so that when they parted she would feel his rejection as strongly as he had felt hers?
Whatever his reason, she would do everything in her power to resist him.
She knew almost as soon as she set foot in Lady Perth’s crowded drawing room she had made a grave error in attending. She had not wanted to come, but Belle had not wanted to disappoint Lady Perth. Lady Perth, as always, was welcoming, her kindly face wreathed in smiles when she saw Belle, but others were not so kind. More than one lady moved away at her approach and she wished more than anything she could turn tail and run, but she would not give them the satisfaction of leaving right away. She forced herself to move further into the room.
‘Lady Milborne.’ She turned to find Mr Aubrey behind her. ‘Quite a crush. Hot as well.’
She managed a smile. ‘Indeed it is.’
He looked a little uncomfortable, but before he could say more they were joined by Lord Henly and Sir Reginald Malven, a middle-aged fop with a dissipated air. Lord Henly leered at her. ‘My dear Lady Milborne I am surprised Westmore did not take you with him. I would not have thought him to be so careless.’
‘Indeed.’ She did not seem able to move but she must, for she could not stand in the middle of a drawing room with two of London’s most jaded rakes.
Someone touched her arm. ‘Belle.’
For once in her life, she was relieved to see Arthur. Even his disapproving frown was welcome. He glanced at her companions, his distaste evident. ‘I would like to speak to Lady Milborne. If you will excuse us.’
Lord Henly smirked. ‘Taking advantage of Westmore’s absence, are you?’
‘Your comments are most unwelcome,’ Arthur said stiffly. ‘Come, Belle.’
Belle’s face flamed for Henly’s voice was loud. Her stomach took a sickening churn when she saw that Lady Georgina stood near them. From the malicious gleam in the older lady’s eye, Belle suspected she had heard.
She followed Arthur out of the room to the hall where he stopped and looked down at her. She spoke before he could. ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’
He actually looked nonplussed. ‘I trust that in the future you will avoid such company. I will refrain from pointing out that to be seen with such persons will only do further harm to your reputation.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I fear, however, there are some most unfortunate rumours circulating. For your own sake, I would suggest that you should return home. I will be most glad to offer my escort. I have informed Maria that I intended to do so.’
‘You are most kind.’ She really must be in a bad dream if she was actually thinking of Arthur as kind. But in his own odd, stiff way she realised he actually meant to protect her.
He went off to call for his carriage while she waited near the table in the downstairs hallway. She heard female voices and realised other guests were coming down the stairs. The last thing she wanted to do was to face more cold looks, so she moved into the small room off the hall.
‘I could not believe that she would actually show her face tonight! And to think that she has always put on such a display of virtue!’
The second voice was softer but no less censorious. ‘Perhaps she thought that would erase her past.’
‘Then she should not have flaunted her relationship with the Duke of Westmore so publicly. I pity her relations. To be connected with a woman who actually attended such…such orgies!’ The last word was uttered in a shocked whisper, but it still carried to Belle’s burning ears.
She wanted to die on the spot. Whoever had said such things about her? Humiliation seared through her and she wondered that Lady Perth had even received her. Except her elderly friend was nearly deaf and perhaps had not yet heard the rumours. How could she possibly face her or anyone, for that matter, again?
She did not want to think that Justin had spread such rumours. But if he had wanted to punish her, he had succeeded. She was, for all purposes, ruined.
Two mornings after he left, Justin returned to London. He stepped into the cool hallway of his townhouse and handed his butler his hat and gloves. ‘Lady Georgina has called and is in the drawing room. She would like you to wait on her at your convenience,’ Hastings said.
‘How long has she been here?’
‘Nearly two hours. She said she would remain all day if necessary.’
He bit back a groan. His aunt would not spend the day lying in wait for him unless she wanted something from him.
‘I trust your journey was successful,’ Hastings said.
‘Yes. The colt is in London.’ Justin saw the gleam in the butler’s eye and grinned. ‘As soon as he has settled down I will bring him around for your approval.’ Hastings, he knew, would have preferred to be in the stables, but his father and grandfather had both been butlers, and he had not wanted to break the family tradition.
‘Very good, your Grace.’
Justin’s smile faded as he mounted the stairs. The colt was in excellent health, but he was high-strung and skittish. After the horse had thrown him, Chiswick had neglected the animal and the colt was mo
re than a little wild. Justin had planned to send the colt to his estate in Devon with his head groom. But after travelling with the animal from Surrey to London he had made up his mind he must see that it reached Falconcliff himself.
Ordinarily leaving London was a matter of indifference to him but not this time. Belle was here. He did not intend to leave without her.
He entered the drawing room. ‘Good day, Aunt Georgina.’
Lady Georgina glanced up. She held a teacup and saucer on her lap and the Morning Post lay open on the sofa beside her. She regarded him with stony grey eyes. ‘I had no idea until last night that you had left London. It was very remiss of you not to inform me. I trust you have not forgotten we are expected to dine with the Blackwoods tonight.’
He frowned. ‘Are we?’ He’d completely forgotten. The last thing he wanted was to spend an evening in the company he was expecting would be present. Nor did he want to find Lady Clarissa under his nose at every opportunity. She currently led the pack as Lady Georgina’s favourite candidate for the next Duchess.
‘Yes.’ Her sharp eyes were on him. ‘I trust you intend to give some serious consideration to choosing a wife. I take it you have abandoned the ill-judged notion of considering Lady Chloe as a candidate.’
He folded his arms and leaned against the side table. ‘Why do you think that?’
‘It is quite obvious.’
He merely waited. She paused for a moment and then spoke. ‘It would be extremely unseemly of you to offer for Lady Chloe after taking her sister-in-law for a mistress.’
‘What do you know of that?’
‘I pray you will not play ignorant. You were with her at the theatre and I doubt if there was not a soul there who did not notice that you failed to return to your box. That in itself is enough to cause a few raised brows, but coupled with the report that you were seen escorting Lady Milborne home not only once but twice late at night…it is all too obvious.’
‘Is it?’
‘Yes. She is lovely in a rather cool way and has a reputation for being untouchable so I can see the challenge. And she was Milborne’s wife, so perhaps you cannot be blamed for wanting her although it would perhaps give you more satisfaction if he were still alive. But you can take some pleasure from the knowledge that she scarcely has a good reputation.’
He’d been listening in growing anger. ‘What the devil do you mean by that?’
‘Even her in-laws will not acknowledge her.’ She placed her teacup and saucer on the table near her. ‘I have no idea why Serena Perth admitted her…although she is rather senile, so perhaps she can be excused. One could almost feel sorry for Lady Milborne except she undoubtedly deserves it. No one spoke to her except for Aubrey, who I dare say did feel sorry for her, and Lord Henly and Sir Reginald Malven. Oh, yes and that ninny, Lord Ralston! Lord Henly was quite put out when Ralston marched her away from him. She left with Ralston, I believe.’ A peculiar little smile touched her mouth. ‘You no longer need to bother yourself with her. Your plot to avenge yourself was quite successful.’ She rose. ‘I trust I will see you at dinner tonight.’
‘What plot are you referring to?’
She arched a brow. ‘You know very well. I cannot think of any other reason why you would go out of your way to be seen in her company. I am surprised you can bear to look at her, much less touch her. You would be wise to extricate yourself from her before you are tainted with the same tales.’
He would not give her the satisfaction of asking what tales she was talking about. He would find out soon enough. He said coldly, ‘You are wrong if you think I intended to ruin Lady Milborne’s reputation. Whatever business might be between us is private.’
‘You are quite wrong.’ Her eyes glinted with anger. ‘You are a duke and the head of one of England’s oldest families. Your business is very public, which is why you cannot afford the least hint of scandal attached to your name. Your duty is to make an alliance with a woman whose breeding is equal to yours and whose chastity is unquestionable. You have a duty to produce an heir as soon as possible. You have accomplished what you wanted with Isabelle Milborne so there is no need to distract yourself any more with her.’
‘No?’ He met her gaze squarely. ‘Perhaps I am not finished distracting myself with Lady Milborne. Nor do I intend to marry merely because you have decided it is time I do so. I will wed when I please and whom I please.’ He moved away from her towards the door. ‘I have not changed from my journey so I must leave you.’ At the door he paused and looked back. She stared at him, her mouth tight, two spots of red on her cheeks. ‘I will also send Lord Blackwood my regrets that I will be unable to dine with him after all.’ He did not wait to see her reaction. He feared if he stayed a moment longer he would lose his tenuous hold on his temper altogether.
Justin stalked to his bedchamber. Hell. He had wanted to punish Belle but he realised that, despite his fury at her, he had not wanted to destroy her. He had no idea what had happened in the short time he had been away from London. Certainly the fact that she had attended the theatre with him had signalled to society they were more than mere acquaintances, but even if she was thought to be his mistress, she should not be so completely ruined.
Not to the point where her relations would not acknowledge her. Except for Ralston, whom she had left with, according to his aunt. The thought of Ralston with Belle made his blood boil and he thought if the man had touched her he would take great pleasure in putting a bullet through him.
He ran a hand through his hair and paced to the window. He scowled, angry with himself. Whatever had happened to his vow to remain indifferent? The possessive jealousy he felt had no place in his scheme to punish her. He had intended to heartlessly seduce Belle, and certainly in his most fantastic desires for revenge he had envisioned having her completely in his power. He had wanted to flaunt her relationship with him in public, both to prove she did not hold him responsible for Lucien’s death and to force her to publicly acknowledge him.
His aunt was correct in one regard—her ruin would serve as the perfect revenge.
Unfortunately, he had also discovered he did not hate her as much as he thought he did.
And that he had a conscience after all.
Belle was not home when he called later that day. He called again, just before he left for a soirée, but she was still not in, according to her housekeeper. He could not tell from the woman’s closed expression whether Belle was truly not at home or whether she was not receiving. Nor would the housekeeper give him any information regarding her whereabouts. He vowed if he did not see her at the soirée, he would track her down at home even if it meant he cooled his heels on her doorstep.
She was not at the soirée. Lady Ralston and Lady Chloe were present, but he suspected that approaching them would only cause further harm. Ralston was there as well, which afforded him the grim satisfaction that at least he was not with Belle.
He decided he would go to the card room and find Brandt. He had just reached the door when someone called his name. He turned and to his astonishment saw Lady Chloe behind him. He opened his mouth to say something but the white fury on her face stopped him and he found himself backed against the wall.
‘I do not know what vile rumours you have spread about my…my sister-in-law, but I just want you to know that if you do anything further to hurt her I will…will…’
Good God! ‘Run me through?’ He almost expected her to pull out a dagger this very moment.
‘Yes! And more than once! You will be very sorry.’
‘This is not the time to discuss this. Unless you want even more rumours.’ Her lip trembled and he knew she either planned to hit him or burst into tears.
He pulled out a handkerchief. ‘Here.’ To his surprise she took it. Justin scowled. ‘Go sit down by the window before any of your family sees you with me. Unless you want a scene.’ Sending Lady Ralston into hysterics was not something he wanted to do. ‘I will join you.’
She nodded and walked towards the
window seat. He waited to make certain no one was watching and then followed her. He looked down at her. ‘I assure you I have not spread any rumours about your sister-in-law.’
‘Someone has. And since you wish to ruin her I would think it was you.’
‘I do not wish to—’ He stopped. She was the last person he wanted to discuss this with. ‘Where is Belle?’
‘I do not know. I am forbidden to see her or even speak to her and it is entirely your doing. And she has never done a thing to you!’
‘Has she told you that?’ he said coldly.
‘No, but she always takes your side and says you are not to blame for anything!’ She glared at him. ‘Even when Mama says it is entirely your fault that my brother is dead.’
He was taken aback. Belle stood up for him? He had hardly expected that.
Lady Chloe rose. She sniffed and then handed him his handkerchief. ‘I am sorry I could not have it cleaned for you but I would not want anyone to know I had borrowed it. I hope you do not mind.’
‘Not at all.’
Apparently her spirit was not completely crushed, however. She lifted her chin. ‘I vow I will find a way to make you very sorry if you do a thing to hurt her.’
‘I would watch my back if I were you, cousin,’ Brandt said from behind them.
Justin bit back a curse. He turned and resisted the urge to wipe the half-amused smile from Brandt’s face. ‘Eavesdropping?’
‘I merely wished to speak to you but since you were occupied, I decided to wait my turn.’
Lady Chloe gave him a look of cold dislike. ‘It is very rude to listen to the private conversations of others. And I quite mean what I say. I will make anyone who hurts Belle very sorry, even if I must spend the rest of my life doing so! That includes you, Lord Salcombe.’
She turned and walked away, her head held high.
‘I suggest you watch your back as well,’ Justin said.
Brandt watched her, a bemused expression on his face. ‘I would have thought her a complete mouse. I can see I was quite wrong.’
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