“But I really thought I was early,” Loretta said.
“It doesn’t matter,” Miss Wilmington replied. “You can do whatever you want now.”
Miss Webb nodded. “She’s right. You can show up in the worst gown in London at the next social engagement and she’ll have to praise you because you’re lucky enough to have Tad for a husband.”
“We’re trying not to be jealous of you,” Miss Wilmington began, “but we have to admit it’s very hard because we’ve had to put on a pretense of liking everything Lady Eloise does in order to secure our position in the group. That is a burden you no longer bear. You stole the most desirable bachelor in London from her, and what’s even better, you got him to fall in love with you.”
“At first, Lady Eloise thought that you made some kind of deal with him so he would pretend to be in love with you, but there is no doubt about his feelings for you. All night, he’s been looking at you as if he wishes he was alone with you.”
“There’s no doubt about it,” Miss Wilmington said. “He is completely in love with you.”
“We don’t know how you did it, but you managed to tame London’s most infamous rake.”
“Personally, there’s nothing better than watching Lady Eloise squirm.”
The two ladies giggled again, and Loretta didn’t know how to respond. Maybe this was why Lady Eloise wanted Damara to be in the group so badly. She knew Damara would be loyal to her. Completely loyal. Damara never spoke ill of anyone, even when they deserved it.
Loretta had no idea if she could ever be as nice as Damara, but she would like to be the kind of person others could depend on to speak well of them when they weren’t around—or at the very least, keep quiet if she couldn’t think of anything nice to say. So, thinking on that, she chose not to say anything as the two continued to discuss how much pleasure they were getting out of watching Lady Eloise be jealous over Loretta’s marriage to Tad.
Chapter Twenty
While the gentlemen were talking in the den, a crashing sound came from the hallway. Tad followed the others out the door to see what had caused the noise, and right away, he saw the broken teapot and cups on the floor. The tray, which had also fallen, was lying partially on top of the other items. And tea was splattered along the floor and the walls.
“I’m sorry,” Lady Eloise said, bringing her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment. “I tripped on the edge of my gown as I was taking tea back to the kitchen.”
“Why would you take the tea back to the kitchen?” her father asked, not hiding his surprise. “That is what the butler is supposed to do.”
“I know, but I didn’t wish to inconvenience him,” she replied.
“It’s a rare lady who is considerate of the staff,” one of the French gentlemen said, his voice hinting at his admiration.
“Well, we can have the maid clean up the mess,” her father said.
“There’s no need for that,” she argued as her father turned to go to the cord hanging on the wall in the den. “I’ll do it myself.” She glanced at Tad. “You’re taller than the others. Would you mind bringing me the broom and bucket from the closet?”
“This isn’t necessary,” her father said. “We pay the maid to handle things like this.”
“I don’t mind, Father.” She gave the French gentleman a smile. “I don’t think I’m so important that I can’t clean up a little mess by myself.” She turned her gaze back to her father. “Why don’t you and your friends from France go back in and discuss business? All I need is for Tad to get me the broom and bucket. The bucket is on the top shelf, and I can’t reach it.”
Her father didn’t seem all that pleased with the situation, but Tad figured she was aiming to impress the French gentleman who had paid her the compliment. Given how excited she was to have the Frenchmen over that evening, he suspected she was hoping to marry one of them.
“I don’t mind getting the things for her,” Tad told her father. “I’ll be right back.” He turned to her. “Where’s the closet?”
“Just down there.” She gestured down the hallway. “It’s the second door on the left.”
He headed down the hallway, and her father sighed. “All right. If you insist on cleaning it up, then do so, but I still think it’s ridiculous when I pay good money for a maid.”
“I’ll be fine, Father,” she insisted. “You and your friends should go back to the den.”
As Tad reached the closet, he heard the door to the den close. He opened the door and retrieved the broom. Then his gaze went to the top shelf where he found the bucket she’d mentioned. He grabbed it and turned around, nearly falling back into the closet when he realized Lady Eloise was standing right behind him. She had the same smile a cat had when pursuing a mouse. It was similar to the smile other ladies had given him in the past when they were about to proposition him to their beds.
Immediately, he realized he’d just landed right into her trap. He should have known better. He should have realized her intentions hadn’t been to impress the French gentleman at all. It’d been to lure him away from the group. He put the broom and bucket back. She wasn’t interested in cleaning up the mess at all. She had dropped the tea set on purpose.
“I wished to have a moment alone with you, and this was the only way I could do it,” she said.
“That’s obvious,” he replied, his voice intentionally void of interest lest she assume he wanted her to seduce him. Hoping to put an end to her pursuit right away, he added, “This isn’t a good idea.”
“But I might not have another time.” She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes.
She probably thought she was being coy by flirting with him in such a way, but he found it annoying. It was all fake. She was employing the same games ladies used to play with him. Back when he was a rake, he would play along, acting as if he wasn’t sure what they wanted. They had only wanted to use him, and he hadn’t minded because he would be using them as well. But being in bed with anyone besides Loretta didn’t appeal to him.
He searched for a way to get around Lady Eloise, but she had succeeded in trapping him in the closet. Whichever way he chose, he would have to touch her, and who knew if she was going to claim he was trying to take advantage of her while she was cleaning up the mess in the hallway? There was no one to witness what was going on.
She chuckled and took a step closer to him. He backed up but only hit the other supplies in the closet.
“You don’t need to fight me, Tad,” she whispered. “I won’t get between you and Loretta. All I want is for you to give me the kind of experience you gave other ladies in the past. I’m not looking for love. I’m looking to be pleasured. I’ve heard the rumors about you. Ladies who were dissatisfied with their husbands found immense satisfaction with you.” She put her hand on his chest. “I want to know what a gentleman who is skilled in bed is like. We’ll be discreet, and you can use a sheath. Only you and I will know about it. I won’t tell anyone.”
She let her hand go down his chest and over his abdomen, but he grabbed it before she could go any lower.
“I love Loretta,” he said. “I’m not about to betray her.”
For a moment, a flicker of irritation crossed her face. But then she smiled again and sweetly said, “If you don’t give me what I want, I can’t guarantee that Loretta will still be a part of Ladies of Grace. I don’t need to tell you how important the group is to Loretta and her reputation, do I?”
He gritted his teeth. So she was resorting to blackmail. “If I don’t go to your bed, you’re going to remove Loretta from your group?” he asked. “Loretta has done everything she can to please you, and never once has she said anything bad about you. And you’re willing to betray her for a few minutes of pleasure?”
“She benefits from being in my group. No one would care who she is if it weren’t for me.”
“I would care.”
“But you’re not the one she’s trying to impress. Her aim is to be admired by the prominent members o
f the Ton. I’m the only way she’s going to do that. Now, I’m willing to keep her in my good graces. I’ll even make her the most important member of the group. She will have everything she wants. You, my group, and her reputation.” She released her hand from his. “I’ll give you some time to think about it, but don’t take too long. I’m not that patient of a person.”
She stepped back, finally allowing him the freedom to get around her, and he took that as quickly as he could.
“You might want to let the maid know she has a mess to clean up,” she said before she turned and strolled down the hallway, adding an extra swing to her hips for his benefit.
With a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the wall. What was he supposed to do? It would break Loretta’s heart if she got thrown out of the group. The only reason she’d married him was for the group. His job had been to help her stay in it.
He struggled to figure out a suitable solution to this dilemma, but no matter how hard he tried, there was no winning. One way or another, he was going to disappoint Loretta. It was just like the situation with Ellen. He was stuck in an impossible position. No matter what he chose, someone was going to get hurt.
His gut tightened in dread. What if Loretta told him that she wanted him to go to Lady Eloise’s bed? What if her position in Ladies of Grace was so important that she would give up anything to have it? And in this case, that anything would be sharing him with Lady Eloise. When she had asked him to marry her, she’d let him know that she didn’t mind it if he had affairs. Her only requirement was for him to be discreet. Maybe to her, Lady Eloise’s proposal was perfectly acceptable. Maybe she, like so many in London, wouldn’t be bothered knowing a married gentleman spent time in a bed that didn’t belong to his wife.
In the past, it hadn’t bothered him. But he had changed. He just couldn’t do it. He loved Loretta. He couldn’t share a bed with anyone but her. Maybe if he felt the same way about Loretta as he had the day he met her, he might be able to stomach the idea of going to Lady Eloise’s bed. But things had changed, and looking back, they had changed even before he exchanged vows with her. At the time, he’d been so overcome with relief that he was saving his estate that he hadn’t given thought to his emotions. Now, however, he could see how he’d been getting closer to her. The vows he’d exchanged with her on their wedding day hadn’t been mere words to him. They’d meant something.
He slid down to the floor and put his face in his hands, wishing the earth would open up and just swallow him so he wouldn’t have to go through this. One way or another, someone wasn’t going to get what they wanted, and he was afraid it was going to lead to some very unpleasant consequences, just as things had with Ellen.
***
When Lady Eloise returned, Loretta was relieved. Now Miss Wilmington and Miss Webb would stop discussing all the things they hated about Lady Eloise.
“Why didn’t you bring in more tea?” Miss Webb asked.
“I figured it wouldn’t be as fun as sherry,” Lady Eloise said. She went over to the shelf where she had some of her books lined up neatly in a row. She pushed aside some of the books, revealing a decanter with dark liquid in it. “From time to time, I like to drink a little sherry. I find it relaxes me.”
“What a good idea,” Miss Wilmington said.
“After such a terrible dinner, we definitely need something to help relax us,” Lady Eloise replied as she took the decanter down from the shelf. She went to the desk and gathered four glasses that were surrounding a decanter full of her father’s brandy. “If nothing else, it’ll help remove the horrible taste of the tea from our tongues.”
While she poured sherry into the glasses, Loretta glanced at the clock. How much longer was this evening going to take?
“I think Father is very impressed with Tad,” Lady Eloise told Loretta. “He’s very selective in who he invites to these dinner parties.”
“Yes, I know,” Loretta said. She hoped things were going much better for Tad than they were going for her.
“You are so fortunate to have him,” Miss Webb told Loretta.
“Indeed,” Miss Wilmington added. “We don’t think there’s any other gentleman in London, or in any other country for that matter, as gorgeous and charming as he is.”
Miss Wilmington and Miss Webb shot each other a secret look that Loretta now understood meant they were only saying those words because of Lady Eloise. They were still enjoying the fact that Lady Eloise envied Loretta because she had Tad. She glanced at Lady Eloise to see if it upset her, but Lady Eloise gave her no visible cues that made Loretta think she was bothered by their words.
Lady Eloise handed each of them a glass of sherry and sat in her chair. The conversation, thankfully, went back to different countries and how excited Lady Eloise was to go to all of them.
“Someday,” Lady Eloise said, “when I do marry, my husband must take me all over the world. I will not be one of the ladies who stays in London.”
“That will get expensive,” Miss Webb said.
Lady Eloise took a sip of sherry. “I’m going to find one of the wealthiest gentlemen I can. There are plenty of wealthy gentlemen who need a wife. The three from France are just as wealthy, if not more so, than my father.”
“You’re not concerned about finding someone you can fall in love with?” Miss Webb asked.
Lady Eloise chuckled. “Love is all right for some people, but I want money. Money goes a lot further in earning the respect of everyone in the Ton than love does.” She took another sip of her sherry. “Once you have money, you can get whatever you want.”
“Maybe,” Miss Webb began, “but I like the idea of love, even if it is a romantic notion.”
“There’s nothing wrong if you marry for love and the gentleman happens to be a wealthy one,” Lady Eloise said. “However, it’s not necessary. A lady can always take a lover. That’s why lovers exist.”
Miss Wilmington and Miss Webb waited until Lady Eloise looked away from them before they shot Loretta a pointed look. Jealous, the secret message said. She’s jealous of what you have with Tad.
If Lady Eloise understood what Tad’s financial situation had been before she married him, she might not be jealous. Though Loretta was tempted to reveal this information, she resisted the urge. She would never embarrass Tad that way. She suspected one of the reasons Lady Eloise’s father even saw Tad was because he believed Tad had a lot of money before she married him. And he would have if his steward hadn’t squandered it.
Lady Eloise spent the next hour continuing her longwinded chatter about what she’d learned about other countries and why she wanted to visit each one. As much as Loretta tried to pay attention, her mind kept wandering to other things. At least when Lady Eloise took over the conversation at Ladies of Grace, the topic was on something she was interested in.
When the evening finally came to an end, Loretta breathed a huge sigh of relief. Maybe if Celia had been there to share the evening with her, she might not have been so eager for it to end. Being alone with Lady Eloise, Miss Webb, and Miss Wilmington wasn't something she wanted to go through again. She couldn’t recall a time in her life when an evening had been so awkward…and boring.
After going through this, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in Ladies of Grace anymore. What was the point when she couldn’t trust anyone in the group? They all spoke poorly about each other when certain members of the group weren’t around. They were only together for the sake of their reputations. Their association with one another had nothing to do with friendship. They were only together so they could look good to everyone in London.
But if she left Ladies of Grace, would Tad be disappointed? Who knew if Lady Eloise’s father would want to associate with him if she was no longer in the group? She didn’t know much about the duke, but she assumed he was just as petty as Lady Eloise. She wasn’t the only one who would be affected by the decision. Tad would be, too. After all he’d done for her, she owed it to him to take him into consideration. She would hav
e to ask him if he wanted her to stay in the group. If he did… Well, she would deal with that if he wanted it.
Chapter Twenty-One
When they finally left the Duke of Silverton’s townhouse, Tad settled beside Loretta in the carriage. He had to tell her about Lady Eloise. There was no getting out of it. He couldn’t act like nothing had happened. Surely, Loretta would pick up on the fact that something was bothering him. He needed to tell her the truth, and he was going to have to do it tonight. The longer he waited, the worse it was going to be.
As the carriage moved forward, he opened his mouth to tell her, but the words refused to come. In all his years, he’d never been afraid to come out and say anything. So why now? When he really needed to do it?
“I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t seem all that happy after you talked with the gentlemen in the den,” Loretta said. “You don’t need to worry. I don’t think anyone else knows it. I just got used to how you are when you’re happy, and you were stiff and guarded as we were saying good-bye to everyone.” She paused then added, “I think we both had a miserable time this evening.”
He didn’t expect this. He shifted so he could face her. “You didn’t have a good time tonight?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and sat back in the seat. “Those ladies really don’t like each other. You should have heard the way Miss Webb and Miss Wilmington spoke about Lady Eloise when she wasn’t in the room. I bet they say equally unflattering things about me when I’m not around. When I heard that a couple of members from Ladies of Grace went to one of Lady Eloise’s private dinner parties, I thought they had an exciting time. But it wasn’t anything of the sort. Tad, if I decide that I don’t want to be in the group anymore, will that hinder the good relationship you have with Lady Eloise’s father?”
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