Marriage by Arrangement: Book 2

Her

Devilish

Marquess

Ruth Ann Nordin

Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC

Her Devilish Marquess - Smashwords Edition

Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Ann Nordin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Coming Soon in the Marriage by Arrangement Series

Other Regencies Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

All Books Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

Where To Find Ruth

Join Ruth’s Email List

Dedication: To Bonnie J. Schuster for sticking with me through the years. Thank you for your encouragement along the way!

Chapter One

July 1817

Dr. Derek Westward stared at his older brother who was in bed. If only his brother would have let him tend to him. Derek knew he could have prevented the infection from getting worse. But the cut had given way to an infection, and the doctor his brother believed to be much more capable of healing him didn’t live up to his expectations.

Derek sat in the chair next to his brother’s bed and watched as the once vibrant gentleman slowly slipped from this world into the next. He’d seen too many people die to know his brother wouldn’t survive the week.

His brother grimaced.

“Ronald, will you at least let me give you something for the pain?” Derek asked.

His brother glanced at him then snorted. “I wouldn’t take anything from you.” He gritted his teeth, clutching the blanket covering him. “The only reason I asked you to see me is because you’ll inherit the title once I’m gone. This visit is borne of necessity.”

It wasn’t like Derek looked forward to visiting with him either, but at least he managed to hold his tongue. His brother was dying, after all. The least he could do was be pleasant.

“Unfortunately,” Ronald began, “it is up to you to take care of the estate. I urge you to hand over the financial matters to the steward. He is good with money and won’t let it go to waste like you would. I also need you to marry a reputable lady. I don’t have any hope you’ll amount to anything, but the very least you can do is give your son a good mother. Then there might be a chance he’ll live an honorable and decent life.”

Ronald closed his eyes for a moment and groaned. Derek got up and retrieved a bottle from his medical bag. He was ready to pour the medicine in a spoon when his brother threw the bottle out of his hand. The medicine spilled onto the rug. Derek hurried to grab the bottle, saving what little he could. The medicine wasn’t cheap, and he had patients who might need it.

“I told you,” Ronald said, “I won’t take anything from you. Everything you touch is tainted.”

Derek let out a long sigh, put the lid back on the bottle, and set it back into the leather bag. “All right, be in pain. If that’s the way you want to spend the next day or two, then so be it.”

“Listen to me,” his brother replied, ignoring Derek’s comment. “If you manage to only do one thing right with your life, you need to marry. Finding a wife should be your first order of business. If you wait like I did, you might not live long enough to have a son. You have a responsibility to the estate. You have failed in every other area of your life. Don’t fail in this one.”

“Am I to assume you believe your life is a failure because you have no heir?” Derek snapped before he had time to stop himself. Good heavens, but his brother could push him past his limit.

“Yes,” his brother said, surprising him. “I spent so much time acquiring money that I forgot what really mattered. Here I am, about to die, and all I have to show for my life is a lot of money. What’s worse is that you,” he grimaced, “will be the one who’ll run the estate. This isn’t how it should have been. And you better take note of that. None of us know how long we have. Get that wife and have a son.”

His brother grimaced again and clutched the blanket to his chest.

Derek leaned over him. “I’ll make you a deal, Ronald. If you take my medicine so you can enjoy the last moments in this life without pain, I’ll make finding a wife my first deed when I inherit your title. Deal?”

Though still in pain, Ronald managed a nod.

With a shake of his head, Derek poured another dose into the spoon. Why did his brother have to be stubborn to a fault? Why did it have to take him making Ronald a deal on his deathbed for him to accept his help?

“Here,” Derek said, doing everything he could to hide his frustration.

His brother wouldn’t be alive for long, and the last thing he wanted was to live with the guilt of doing anything unpleasant before his death.

Thankfully, his brother took the medicine this time. Relieved, Derek put the medicine and spoon back in his bag. “It’ll start to work in ten minutes.”

“Even if it’s poison, I don’t care at this point,” his brother replied. “As long as you marry and get an heir to pass on the title to, anything you do will be worth it.”

Reminding himself this was the last time he’d see his brother while he lived, Derek gave his brother a hug. Just as he’d expected, Ronald stiffened.

“We didn’t always get along,” Derek began.

“Because you consistently made fun of the Ton,” his brother was quick to interrupt him.

“But,” he continued, undeterred by his brother’s foul mood, “we did get along as children. Those are the moments I choose to remember when I think of you, and they’ll continue to be the ones I’ll recall after you’re gone.”

His brother shook his head. “You had such potential, but you consistently wasted it.”

“I am a good physician. You’ll find out soon enough when the pain goes away.” He picked up his bag and gave one last look at his brother, figuring he wouldn’t see him again until it was time to bury him. “The medicine wasn’t poison, but it will make you sleepy.”

“In that case, let me see Lord Steinbeck before I fall asleep,” Ronald said.

Derek left the bedchamber and hurried down the steps. When he reached the bottom, he told the butler Ronald was ready to receive another visitor. The butler nodded and went to the drawing room to invite Lord Steinbeck up the stairs.

The footman opened the front door, and Derek thanked him, knowing full well the footman would soon be under his employ. Once he became the Marquess of Dodsworth, this would be his new residence. And he wasn’t the least bit excited about it.

***

“Danette, please give marriage another chance.”

Miss Danette Everson let out a frustrated sigh before she set her teacup on the saucer and turned her gaze to her friend. “Regan, I’ve already been through two failed engagements. What makes you think another one will do me any good?”

Regan’s smile widened. “That’s the beauty of going with the Duchess of Ashbourne. There will be no engagement. You’ll go straight to the marriage. By the time the gentleman promises himself to you, it’ll all be done, and you don’t have to worry about him running off with someone else.”

Danette groaned. “Just because the duchess picked the right gentleman for you, it doesn’t guarantee she’ll pick the right one for me.”

“Of course, she will. Besides, it’s not just the duchess. She has two other ladies helping her. Together, they ask questions and pair up couples based on their compatibility. If you’re compatible with someone on paper, it stands to reason you’ll be good together in person.”

Of all things, Danette wouldn’t have thought her friend was so naïve. “No one can know who is perfect for someone simply by asking questions.”

“Sure, they can. You knew how important it was for me to have a good father for my son. If the duchess and her friends hadn’t known Malcolm liked children, we would never have been matched.”

Danette smirked at her friend. “I give you credit for trying, Regan, but they picked Malcolm because his sister happened to be one of the ladies in the group of matchmakers. And she knew you wanted him.”

“It most certainly did. However, his sister also knew we’d be good together, and she was right. We are. I’ve heard they’ve done well with the other marriages they’ve arranged. You ought to give them a chance.” Then, with eyes wide, Regan clasped her hands together and put them under her chin. “Please?”

“I don’t understand why this means so much to you.”

“Because I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.” When Regan shook her head, Danette asked, “When have I ever said I wasn’t happy?”

“You’ve never said it.”

“There you go.”

“But I see the longing in your eyes when you watch couples dance and when you see children at the park. Danette, you didn’t say yes to those gentlemen’s proposals because you wanted to be a spinster. You said yes because you wanted to be married.”

Danette closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. It wouldn’t do to wake her mother from her nap in the other room. When she opened her eyes, she asked, “If I agree to let the duchess arrange a marriage and,” she quickly added before Regan could yell for joy, “if this engagement ends as horribly as the others, will you never speak of marriage again?”

After a moment, Regan nodded. “Yes. I promise. If this time doesn’t work, you may remain a spinster for the rest of your life, and I won’t say a single thing about it.”

Sure she was going to regret it, Danette relented. “All right. I’ll see the duchess.”

“Oh good!” Regan clapped her hands.

Unable to believe the extent of her friend’s enthusiasm, Danette picked her cup back up. “It’s always better when you bring your son over for a visit.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. He interrupts you enough so you don’t have a chance to become annoying.” Noting her friend’s gasp, Danette smiled and took a sip of her drink.

***

Three days later, Derek stood outside the door to the Duchess of Ashbourne’s townhouse, the heavy weight of his impending title pressing down on his shoulders. If he wasn’t so sure his brother was ready to die, he’d wait it out, but he’d seen too many people die over the years. They always had the same resigned expression on their faces. Maybe not right away, but eventually, they gave into the inevitable. And his brother was making his peace with the world.

Of all the things Derek had done in his life, this was the one he was going to regret. God help the lady who ended up with him. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door then clasped his hands behind his back.

The footman opened the door, and Derek said, “Greetings. I’m Dr. Westward. I have an appointment with Her Grace.”

“Yes. I was told to expect you.” The footman stepped aside and waved him in. “I’ll tell her you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

Feeling more like a gentleman about to go to war than one about to take a bride, Derek entered the townhouse. He followed the footman to the drawing room where two ladies were sitting on the settee and laughing. One of them, Chloe Emmett, the Lady of Reddington, whose son he’d just delivered in May, glanced up at him and rose to her feet.

“Dr. Westward,” Chloe said, coming over to him, “I didn’t think you wanted to get married. In fact, when I asked about it, you said no lady in her right mind would marry you.”

“Let’s just hope there’s a lady in London who isn’t in her right mind,” he replied, unable to stop himself from making the joke.

She giggled and turned to her friend. “What did I tell you, Melissa? He has a marvelous sense of humor, doesn’t he?”

Melissa chuckled and nodded. “Indeed, he does. What brings you here if you don’t think a lady will be better off married to you?”

“Duty,” he replied. “My brother will pass on to the next life in a matter of days, and since I’m next in line for the title, it’s up to me to have an heir. I only hope there’s a lady out there who wants a child badly enough she’s willing to overlook my reputation.”

“Oh, you have more to offer a lady than you think,” Chloe told him. “Any lady would be fortunate to be married to you.”

“You better not let your husband hear you say that,” Melissa quipped.

“Orlando knows there will never be another but him in my life,” Chloe said. “I’m speaking of other ladies.”

“Hmm… If I were to tell Orlando, would he believe it?” Melissa asked with a sparkle in her eye.

Chloe lifted her chin indignantly. “Of course, he would. He knows my affections are only for him.”

“Are you two fighting again?” came a female voice.

Derek turned in time to see the duchess come into the room, her hand on her pregnant belly. “I didn’t realize you were in a delicate condition,” he told her. “If you’re tired, I can come back at another time.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” the duchess assured him. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Dr. Westward. I’m the Duchess of Ashbourne, but you may call me Helena.”

“And you may refer to me as Derek.”

“But he’ll be the Marquess of Dodsworth soon,” Chloe interjected, her gaze going to Helena.

“Yes,” he told Helena. “That’s what prompted me to come here today.” Noting her pale complexion, he asked, “Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”

“Yes. My condition has nothing to do with the baby. It’s lack of sleep. When I lie down at night, sometimes it feels as if my food wants to come back up. It leaves a burning sensation in my throat. I actually prefer to be busy. It helps me not to dwell on it.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “This doesn’t happen to all ladies who are with child, but some do experience this. It’s nothing to worry about. Take a small handful of almonds the moment you notice any discomfort.”

“Almonds?”

“Do you ever eat them?”

“Well, yes, from time to time.”

“Good. Then you have some on hand. Almonds have oil in them, and this oil suppresses the acid in the stomach. Just make sure you don’t eat so much of your dinner that you get full. Eat until you’re comfortable. Then you’ll have room for the almonds.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll try it.” She gestured to the chair. “Shall we get started?”

Chloe hurried to sit next to Melissa, and the duchess chose to sit at the desk. “Dr. Westward knows what he’s talking about when it comes to things that ail us,” Chloe told Helena. “He does wonders for my brother.”

“Then Alexander’s health has improved?” Derek asked.

She smiled. “Yes. He barely coughs anymore.”

“Splendid.” He sat in a chair and folded his hands over his stomach. “Now that we have the formalities done, I suppose I should get to the reason for this appointment. I need a wife, and I’d like her to be one who doesn’t mind my reputation.”

“Oh, you’re not that bad,” Helena told him. “There are gentlemen much worse.”

“But I mock the Ton,” he said. “That makes me less...deserving…of a wife.”

Helena smiled in a way that indicated she thought he was being too hard on himself. “Since I can’t change your mind, we’ll get to it. Why don’t we start with something easy?” She picked up her quill and dipped it in the inkwell. “What type of lady would you like?”

“Someone who can stand the thought of spending the rest of her life with me,” he said, not sure how else he could better explain it.

“No. I mean her personality. Her interests. Her looks. If you could have the lady of your dreams, who would she be?”

The question was simple. Really, it was. But for the life of him, his mind drew a blank.

After a long moment of silence, Helena said, “Do you prefer a brunette, a blonde, or a redhead?”

Again, a simple question. And again, he wasn’t sure how to answer it.

“What about eye color?” Helena pressed. “Her figure? Her height or lack thereof?”

At long last, he shook his head. “There’s beauty in every lady. I’d say as long as she doesn’t have two heads and three arms, I won’t have any problem being attracted to her.”

“You’re not making this easy for me.” Though Helena shook her head, there was a hint of pleasure in her tone.

“What about money or her father’s business connections?” Melissa asked.

“I have enough money, and as for business.” Derek shrugged. “I prefer to stick to what I love most: tending to my patients. The best wife I could have is one who’s not particular about the gentleman she weds. If she can accept me as I am, I don’t anticipate there being any problems.”

Helena tapped the edge of her quill on the parchment for a few seconds before smiling. “All right. We won’t worry so much about the lady then. Let’s talk about you. We’ll start with your interests and work from there.”

Relaxing, he answered the rest of her questions. It was much easier to describe himself anyway. Perhaps the ladies Helena talked to would have a vision of their perfect husband. Granted, he wouldn’t fit that description, not with his past. But, perhaps one would be willing to settle for someone like him. At least that was his hope in doing this. Only the future would tell him if there really was a lady somewhere, out there, for him.

Chapter Two

Danette turned away from the front door of the Duchess of Ashbourne’s townhouse. “I can’t do it,” she told Regan.

Regan stopped her before she could run down the steps. “Nonsense. You’ll be fine.”

“The duchess will think I’m pathetic.” Even now, Danette could see the lady’s beautiful face forming a look of pity. Who else had endured the shame of two failed engagements?

“She’ll think nothing of the sort.” Regan steered her back to the front door and knocked on it. “I’m with you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Danette clutched her stomach. She was going to be sick. She just knew it!

The door opened, and the footman gestured for them to enter.

Regan had to practically drag Danette into the hallway. “Everything will be all right,” Regan whispered. “Relax.”

“I can’t,” Danette whispered back.

“Try.”

“I can’t.” In fact, trying only made her stomach roil. “I’m a horrible match for anyone. That’s why those gentlemen didn’t marry me.”

Danette made another attempt to turn on her heel so she could leave, but Regan wrapped her arm around her shoulders and kept her facing forward. Danette groaned. “Why do you have to be so demanding?”

“This is for your own good,” Regan assured her. “You’ll thank me when you’re happily married.”

The butler came over to them, a concerned expression on his face. “You look faint,” he told Danette. “Would you like me to escort you to the drawing room?”

“She’s a tad bit shy,” Regan told him. “She’ll be all right once she sits and has some tea.”

Though he didn’t seem convinced, he nodded. “Very well. What would you like to drink?” he asked Danette.

“Something wet,” Danette blurted out before she had time to consider how silly those words sounded.

Regan chuckled. “She’s got a wonderful sense of humor.”

The butler relaxed and laughed. “That’s a good joke. You mind if I use it some time?”

Relieved Regan had been quick on her feet to save her from further embarrassment, Danette smiled. “No, I don’t mind.”

“Miss Everson’s favorite drink is green tea,” Regan told him.

“I’ll bring that at once,” he replied then headed down the hall.

“There,” Regan whispered. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Without waiting for a response, Regan led her into the drawing room. “Oh, good. They’re all here.” In a louder voice, she called out a greeting to the three ladies, who were gathered around the settee. “Danette, you recognize the duchess, of course. She’s Helena. Then there’s Lady Reddington, who goes by the name Chloe. And last, but not least, this is my sister-in-law, Melissa, also known as Lady Toplyn.”

Danette knew all of them, of course, from having seen them at the balls. They’d all danced with gentlemen, except for Helena, who’d been busy instructing her protégés on how to attract a member of the opposite sex.

“Come and sit,” Helena urged, patting a spot on the settee next to her. “You’re among friends here. There’s no need to be scared of us.”

How did Helena know she was scared?

With some prompting from Regan, Danette went to the settee and sat down, glancing at Chloe and Melissa. Did they think there was something wrong with her because she wasn’t as outgoing as Regan? She knew they’d helped Regan arrange a marriage with Malcolm. Most likely, Regan was a much more ideal candidate for marriage. Not only was she attractive, but she had no trouble when it came to talking to strangers.

“Perhaps it’d be easiest if we started asking questions,” Chloe suggested.

The others nodded in agreement, and Danette took a deep breath, not sure what they were going to ask her. Questions such as, “Why should anyone consider marrying you?” or “What benefit can you bring to a marriage?” might be among them, and she couldn’t answer those. Indeed, her mind would go blank if they asked such things.

The first question Chloe asked her was, “What type of gentleman would you like to marry?”

“One who’ll say yes on the wedding day,” flew right out of Danette’s mouth before she had time to think. She brought her hand up to her cheek, feeling the heat of her embarrassment. Good heavens. Could she sound any more pathetic?

Regan laughed. “My friend has a marvelous sense of humor.”

The others chuckled.

“A gentleman who says yes is definitely a good one,” Melissa agreed. “Though, I gather from your answer you’d like someone who has a sense of humor. Would that be an accurate statement?”

“Well…” Danette thought it over. It would be nice if she ended up with someone who didn’t take life too seriously. Someone who wasn’t uptight might possibly agree to bear with her faults. “I do like to laugh. What I’d like is for him to be able to accept me. I’m not perfect, and as you’ve probably gathered, I’m not exactly graceful in social situations.”

“No one’s perfect,” Regan was quick to interrupt.

“But I’m not charming and talkative like you are,” Danette told Regan.

“You don’t need to be like Regan,” Helena said. “Our goal is to match you up with the gentleman best suited for you. You’d be surprised at how different people are. Different personalities mix better than others. It’s the nature of things. Not every gentleman would do well with your friend.”

Danette had a hard time believing that. She thought for sure Malcolm Jasper, who’d married Regan, would never accept her, given the fact that he hadn’t wanted a lady who enjoyed scandalous behavior. But Regan managed to make him fall in love with her, and Danette would never understand how Regan pulled off such a feat.

“Regan can get anyone to fall in love with her,” Danette told the others. “Malcolm was completely different from her.”

“Sometimes differences can work well for couples,” Helena said. “Melissa said Regan would help him relax and enjoy life more. Perhaps you might do well with a gentleman who can make you feel good about yourself. He’d be someone who is confident. Confident people can help bring out the best in others.”

“So maybe,” Chloe thoughtfully inserted, “your ideal match is a gentleman who isn’t afraid to be himself around others. Also, if he has a sense of humor, then he’d get your jokes and find you delightful.”

“Oh, I don’t know how delightful he’ll find me,” Danette slowly replied. The two she’d been engaged to hadn’t found her delightful at all. Too ashamed to admit that, she settled for, “I’m afraid I’m not all that interesting.”

“That’s not true, Danette,” Regan said then looked at the other ladies. “She’s just shy. Once Danette gets comfortable around someone, she has no trouble talking to them. I have known her since we were children, and I wouldn’t be with her today if I didn’t think she was a lot of fun to be around.”

Melissa smiled at Regan. “I think I see how you managed to get my brother wrapped around your finger. You have a way of building people up.”

“I only told the truth,” Regan said.

“I know, which explains why my brother is so happy,” Melissa replied. She turned her gaze to Danette. “Perhaps we should match you with someone who can bring you out of your shell, much like Regan did for Malcolm.”

Chloe bit her lower lip. “Would you mind marrying a gentleman who does things his own way? He doesn’t let others dictate what he should think or do.”

“I see nothing wrong with a gentleman who knows what he wants and does it,” Danette consented, “as long as he is kind and thoughtful.”

Helena’s smile widened. “Since you’re not particular about the kind of gentleman you marry, we’ll have no problem finding you a match. But we should find someone who will appreciate you. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll ask you some questions about yourself.”

Danette nodded and proceeded to answer all their questions.

***

Derek poured Mr. Christopher Robinson and Ethan Silverton, the Lord of Edon, brandy as the two gentlemen sat down. Derek still didn’t feel comfortable in his brother’s townhouse. He’d have to remove all the portraits of his brother and send them to the estate where they’d be locked in a room that few people would ever see.

Even now, he could feel the heavy weight of his brother’s disapproving stare glaring down at him from the painting hanging in the den. With a glance at his brother’s portrait, Derek rolled his eyes. It was a shame the only good memories he had of his brother were from their childhood. But that was all before his brother got obsessed with impressing the Ton.

Forcing his attention off his brother, Derek collected the glasses and handed them to his friends. He could have the butler do the task, he supposed, but he rather enjoyed doing things himself. God help him if the day ever came when he was much too important to pour himself a glass of brandy!

“I really wish you’d come to the balls again,” Christopher told him. “It’s not the same without you there.”

Derek snorted as he went back to the decanter to pour himself a glass. “I’m sure it’s not.”

“Things get so boring now whenever I go to them,” Christopher said. “It’s the same boring people doing the same boring things in the same boring way.”

“Indeed,” Ethan added after he sipped his brandy, “there’s hardly a whisper of a scandal at any of the balls recently.”

Derek shot them a wry grin then settled into his seat. “What a travesty.”

“Well, it certainly was more entertaining when people did more than kiss,” Christopher said. “That’s all they seem to do anymore. A simple kiss at a ball, and that’s supposed to be exciting? At least, he fainted.” He gestured to Ethan.

“Not on purpose,” Ethan replied.

“But it wasn’t a kiss. It was something different. These days the most you can get is a kiss. I tell you,” he shot Derek a pointed look, “once you’ve witnessed that a few times, it’s no longer shocking.”

“The Tittletattle would disagree with you,” Derek replied.

“The Tittletattle is in desperate need of better scandals.”

Derek shook his head. “If you’re hoping I’ll go to a ball in order to upset another prominent member of the Ton, it’s not going to happen. In fact, I have to be on my best behavior now that I have a title.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I’m afraid not. I promised my brother I’d get an heir, and the only way I can secure a bride is to be worth marrying. To do that, I must close my mouth and ignore what people are saying.”

“But you can get a bride regardless of how you behave. Titled men do it all the time. Why, even Ethan got married, and he used to be London’s most notorious rake.”

“Being a rake isn’t as fun as you make it sound,” Ethan told Christopher. “It’s a lot of work to keep people talking about you all the time. Maybe Derek’s looking forward to fading into the background for a change.”

“I never had to work at upsetting people,” Derek replied. “I’m also not a rake. I’m simply someone who can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“Christopher can’t keep his mouth shut either, and he hasn’t been harmed by it,” Ethan said.

“Yes, but Christopher is still allowed to attend your father-in-law’s balls. He has the sense to keep his shirt on.”

Christopher threw back his head and laughed. “I remember that evening! I meant to ask you why you did that.”

Despite the trouble he got into with the Duke of Rumsey, Derek felt a smile tug at his lips. “A couple of wealthy people were being critical of a lady of limited means. They thought her dress inappropriate because it was poor in quality. I told them it was in bad taste to laugh at someone who couldn’t afford the things they could and removed my shirt in protest.” He took a sip of his brandy then added, “Then I let the onlookers know I despised their hypocrisy. All the Ton does is judge people, and I happen to know some of the people they judge behave much better than they do. Being a doctor, you get to find out things about people you wouldn’t ordinarily know.”

Christopher leaned forward in interest. “Oh?”

“I keep all of my patients’ information to myself,” Derek replied. “But I will say you avoid unnecessary illnesses by simply keeping yourself to your wife instead of seeking pleasure elsewhere.”

“And if the wife seeks pleasure elsewhere?”

“If you make her happy, she shouldn’t feel the need to do so. For ladies, it’s what happens outside the bed that makes the most difference.”

Ethan laughed. “If only you knew my wife.”

“I’m not saying ladies don’t want a good love life,” Derek amended. “I’m just saying if they had to choose between a husband who makes her the center of his world and one who’s a great lover, they’d choose the one who makes her the center of his world. The bed means little if the husband doesn’t care about her feelings.”

“That is definitely true,” Christopher replied. “Which leads me to wonder why you don’t believe you’re suitable for marriage. You understand ladies more than most gentlemen.”

“I have a tendency to upset prominent members of the Ton,” Derek reminded him. “I’m not sure a lady can be happy married to someone like me.”

“Oh, sure she will,” Christopher said. “Taking off your shirt and insulting people aren’t that bad.”

“They aren’t that bad to a lady who doesn’t mind if her husband’s reputation with the Ton is ruined,” Ethan interjected. “Some ladies are mindful of what others think of them and their husbands. You seem to forget that your wife happens to be such a lady.”

“Oh my wife manages just fine.” Christopher waved his hand to dismiss Ethan’s admonition. “Besides, she wanted me to get my cousin married, and the only way that was going to happen was by forcing a scandal. He’s happy now, and he has an heir. I say the scandal was worth it.”

“It could have happened without a scandal,” Ethan argued.

Christopher let out an exasperated sigh. “If you knew Perry as well as I do, you’d know how ridiculous you sound.”

The butler chose that moment to come into the room, and Derek couldn’t help but feel relieved. Yes, he enjoyed talking with Ethan and Christopher, but sometimes they could get into the most senseless debates. And those debates could go on for hours if no one interrupted them.

“You received a missive from the Duchess of Ashbourne,” the butler said. “Where would you like me to put it?”

“I’ll take it now,” Derek replied.

The butler handed it to him then left.

Christopher’s eyes grew wide with interest. “It looks like she found you a wife.”

“This could be telling me she found no one,” Derek said, waving the neatly folded missive toward Christopher. “You can’t assume it’s good news. I might be a hopeless cause.”

“Or she might have found someone for you,” Ethan replied. “You can’t assume it’s bad news. Though I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Do you want to get married?”

Derek shrugged. “The lady wouldn’t benefit from it.”

The edge of Ethan’s mouth curled up. “That’s not what I asked. I asked if you wanted to get married.”

“To be honest, I hadn’t given it any thought beyond the promise I made to my brother on his deathbed.”

“Why is it any time a titled gentleman marries it’s out of duty?” Christopher asked. “They either want an heir or money. Meanwhile, gentlemen like me, who have no title at all, marry because we want true love with a wonderful lady. Except for Perry, I can’t think of a single titled gentleman who rushed to the altar.”

“There’s been a couple,” Ethan said. Then, with a smirk, he added, “You just don’t pay attention because you’re too busy looking for scandals to talk about.”

Christopher opened his mouth, and for a moment, Derek thought he was going to protest. But after a pause, Christopher said, “I think you’re right.”

Derek couldn’t believe Christopher admitted it so quickly. Ethan’s jaw dropped, proving Derek wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

Turning his attention to the missive, Derek opened it up, fully expecting a formal apology along the lines of, I regret to inform you there is no lady suited for a gentleman of your social standing with the Ton. He expected it so much, in fact, that he read the thing three times before he realized it wasn’t an apology after all. It was a notice that the duchess and her two friends had found him someone.

“Well?” Ethan asked, finally breaking the silence. “Are you doomed to be a bachelor forever, or will you get to pass on a title to your son?”

“I have a match,” Derek said, still in shock.

“You do?” Christopher jumped up from his chair and came around so he could read the missive. After a moment, he turned his gaze to Ethan. “Do you know who Miss Danette Everson is?”

“Miss Danette Everson?” Ethan repeated, as if testing the name on his tongue. He shook his head. “I can’t say I do. Is this her first Season?”

“The missive doesn’t say anything about her age,” Christopher answered for Derek. “It just says she’s been notified he’s her match and they’re both encouraged to meet before the wedding.”

“Does that mean you have to marry her?” Ethan asked Derek.

“No,” Derek replied. “I don’t have to marry her, nor does she have to marry me. I could request to be paired up with another lady if I wish.” Not that he’d opt for that. It was astonishing enough the duchess had even found one lady in all of London brave enough to marry him. “I will meet her, though.”

“That’s a good idea,” Christopher agreed as he sat back down. “You don’t want to go to the wedding and walk up to the wrong lady.”

Ethan snickered. “It was funny when Lord Haynes did that.”

Christopher chuckled. “I heard his face was as red as a tomato from embarrassment.” He glanced at Derek. “Definitely meet Miss Everson. You don’t want to end up with your name in the Tittletattle. You have enough of a reputation to contend with.”

“He was probably nervous,” Derek said.

“It would have been all well and good,” Christopher began, “but he went on and on about how beautiful the wrong lady was. I don’t think the actual bride was all that happy with him after that.”

“I should say not,” Derek replied. “That’s what I mean by making your wife happy. Have the sense to compliment her instead of someone else. Fortunately, I won’t make the same error Lord Haynes did. I’m going to meet this courageous Miss Everson and assure her I’ll do my best not to make her sorry she married me.”

“As long as she’s not crying on her wedding day, you’re off to a good start,” Ethan quipped.

Derek folded the missive. “It’s not the wedding day I’m worried about. It’s what happens after the wedding.” A lifetime with him, after all, was a long sentence to endure.

Chapter Three

Danette traced the edge of the missive in her hand. The Marquess of Dodsworth was to be her husband. Well, he would be if he made it to the altar and said yes when the vicar performed the ceremony. It was hard to tell what he’d do when the time came. She tried to recall what she’d heard about the Marquess of Dodsworth, but her mind drew a blank.

Honestly, she didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. For one, it could mean he had a good reputation. But then, it could mean he was so horrible no one dared speak his name in public. She shook her head. No, that was silly. The Ton would definitely be vocal about a scoundrel. The gossip would be too hard to resist.

Danette glanced up from the missive to her mother, who came into the small drawing room. “Mother,” she began, standing up from the settee, “do you know of a gentleman whose title is the Marquess of Dodsworth?”

Her mother gasped. “The duchess matched you with a titled gentleman?”

“I’ve been engaged to titled gentlemen in the past, and none of those did any good.”

Her mother’s enthusiasm dimmed. “That’s true. I’d forgotten.”

“How could you forget I was rejected twice after securing proposals?”

“Oh, I didn’t forget that part. I just forgot they had titles. I don’t even remember who they were.”

“I do. Lord Garrett and Lord Simpleton.”

“That’s right.” Her mother chuckled and then shrugged. “I suppose they weren’t all that memorable if I forgot their titles. All I remember is one had a large nose. Every time I saw him, I couldn’t stop staring at it. In some ways, it was hypnotizing. When he laughed, I swear those nose hairs swayed.”

Out of respect to Lord Garrett, Danette forced back the urge to laugh. He was a titled gentleman with a good reputation after all.

“Did you just get the missive from the duchess?” her mother asked once she stopped laughing.

“Yes. It came while you were resting. I was reading.” Though it wasn’t necessary, Danette motioned to the settee where a copy of the biography of the Roman Caesars was resting.

“It’ll be good for you to marry so you can do more than read.”

“I don’t read all the time. I go to balls.” Not that she ever danced. After being jilted the second time, she didn’t see the point. Dancing wasn’t all that fun when the gentlemen had no romantic interest in her. “I also visit with Regan, and you know she’s anything but boring.”

“Yes, I know. She’s a sly one, always trying to create mischief.” Her mother’s eyes twinkled. “She brought you out of your shell. When you were a child, you didn’t dare speak to anyone until she came along.”

Danette smiled. “Well, she likes to involve me in her schemes. You know it’s because of her I even went to see the duchess about getting a husband.”

“And I applaud her for that,” her mother said. “It’s about time you gave love another chance.”

“This isn’t a love match, Mother. None of them were going to be love matches.”

“I knew you were settling for Lord Garrett and Lord Simpleton. Maybe they knew it and decided not to marry you because of it.”

Danette hadn’t considered that before, but then, did it really matter when titled gentlemen were far more concerned with getting an heir than a wife who’d love them? “At least with the Marquess of Dodsworth, it’s understood the marriage is one of convenience.”

“Is it?”

“Why else would a gentleman go to the duchess?”

Her mother shrugged. “I suppose it makes sense. The quickest and easiest way to secure a marriage is to have one arranged for you. It could very well be he doesn’t want to deal with the hassle the Season brings. But I rather fancy the idea he’s looking for a love match. The duchess would best know the lady who’d lead him down that path, what with her pairing up couples based on mutual interests and all. I think when a gentleman and lady share a lot of things in common, they can’t help but fall in love.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”

“I can’t help it,” her mother replied and sat on the settee. She picked up the book and thumbed through it. “I loved your father. He was a good gentleman. Because of him, I have you, and every time I look at you, I think of the love we shared because it was that love that created you.”

Danette grimaced. She would rather not think of her parents together in that way. It seemed sacrilegious somehow.

“I want you to have what your father and I had,” her mother said. “There’s no sense in settling for second best when you can have the best. I think this has promise. The duchess selected this gentleman for you. It’s fate.”

“If it is, you can thank Regan for it.”

“I will. Perhaps you should name your child Regan if you have a girl as a way to thank her.”

Danette sighed. Her mother was ever the optimist, believing this engagement would be different from the others. “Let’s wait and see how things go before we start naming children that might be born.”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so glum. You were always a sad child.”

“I wasn’t sad.”

“You’d look at the bad in everything. It could be a nice sunny day, and you’d worry your hat would blow off your head and the sun would make you burn. If it was cloudy, you worried it would rain. For once, I’d like you to see the good in things.”

“That’s not fair. I do see the good in things. It’s just that I can see the bad, too. There’s nothing in this world that is all good or all bad.”

“Maybe I should clarify.” Her mother took a moment to think over her words before saying, “For once, I’d like you to anticipate the best. Pretend things will actually work out.”

“And be disappointed when they don’t?”

The words flew out of Danette’s mouth before she had time to think, and by the exasperated expression on her mother’s face, she could tell it wasn’t what her mother wanted to hear. But what else was she supposed to say? Did her mother really want her to lie?

Her mother finally shot her a pleading look. “At least give the marquess a chance. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

“I don’t willingly push any of the gentlemen away.” Danette wasn’t sure what she did—or didn’t do—to make them end engagements with her, but there had to be something wrong with her. She’d be surprised if the marquess would actually marry her. But, to set her mother’s mind at ease because she could tell her mother worried she might do something to intentionally push him away, she said, “I’ll be nice when it comes time to meet him. I promise. I won’t say a single negative thing.”

“Good.” Her mother patted her hand. “We should get you a new dress. Something pretty. Maybe a nice pink color to bring out the color in your cheeks.”

Well, Danette did love getting new dresses. Browsing through the designs at the seamstress’ shop was one of her favorite pastimes. It was so enjoyable, in fact, she had a difficult time seeing anything that could possibly go wrong. No, it wouldn’t be until she met the marquess that she might spill something on the new dress or rip it. How could she be a marchioness if she was clumsy enough to ruin a beautiful dress?

As if her mother could read her thoughts, she frowned at Danette.

Face growing warm, Danette hurried to tuck the duchess’ missive into the writing desk. “I’d love to get a new dress. Can we go now?”

“Yes, but I want you to remind yourself this dress will not get ruined when you meet your intended. It will remain as beautiful as the moment you first put it on.”

“It’s absolutely frightening you know me so well, Mother. One would swear you can read my mind.”

“You can’t hide things from a mother. A mother knows her children better than she knows anyone else. Now, come along. We’ll have a good day, and this will be only one of many good days you’ll have in the future.”

“Yes, Mother.” And Danette promised herself she would try to believe this. Really, she would. Or, at the very least, she’d do her best.

***

A panicked Danette found herself knocking on Regan’s townhouse door two days later. Usually, Danette didn’t come uninvited to anyone’s home, even that of her dearest friend’s. But the missive she’d just received led her to it. She clasped the reticule in her hands and prayed Regan was there. At this time of day, her friend should be, but who knew if she’d be out with her husband on a nice day like this? Sometimes she hated sunny days. All they did was make people want to spend the day outside.

The footman opened the door, and before she could speak, he smiled and said, “Lady Cantrell will be glad to see you. Please, follow me.”

Relieved, Danette went with him to the drawing room.

“It seems you two have a special connection,” he told her. “She’s upstairs getting ready to visit you.”

“Then it’s a good thing I came when I did.”

“Indeed.” He chuckled. “What may I have the butler bring you today?”

“Nothing to eat.” She didn’t know if she’d ever eat anything until after the whole ordeal with the Marquess of Dodsworth was over. “I’ll just have Earl Grey tea.”

“As you wish.”

He left the drawing room, leaving her alone to fret over the missive that just came to her door. With trembling hands, she undid the strings of her reticule and pulled out the piece of parchment with an elegant design along the edges. The marquess had wonderful taste. From the swirls in the design, she surmised he was a pristine and detailed gentleman. He probably fancied beautiful things and was full of charm and grace.

Oh, he was going to meet her and decide she wasn’t for him. She just knew it. This piece of parchment was nothing like her. Her place was in the background, not at the center of attention. She was the type who was plain and ordinary. This missive was anything but that.

The butler brought the tea and asked if she needed anything else.

“No, I’m fine,” she replied. “Will my friend be much longer?”

“I don’t think so. The footman’s announced your arrival just moments ago.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed her stomach. Would the butterflies never stop their persistent fluttering? “I don’t mean to be impatient.”

“No one thinks you’re impatient,” he assured her with a kind smile.

She tried to return his smile with one of her own, but she was far too nervous to make it work. She settled for nodding instead.

After he left her alone, she finally managed to make her legs move so she could sit on the settee. There. That was better. Maybe now she could relax, even though it was only a little bit. She released her breath and read through the missive for what had to be the twentieth time. The gentleman had nice writing. Nice writing on nice parchment. Everything about him seemed too good to be true.

Hearing footsteps approaching the drawing room, Danette looked up from the missive, and Regan came breezing into the room as graceful as always. Everything came so easy for Regan. She wouldn’t worry one bit about an impending marriage to someone as perfect as the marquess. But then, she didn’t worry about anything. She merely did whatever she wished, and things naturally turned out in her favor. If only Danette could do the same.

“I was wondering if you met your betrothed yet,” Regan said, sitting next to her and picking up the teapot. As she poured tea into their cups, she glanced at the missive in Danette’s hand. “Is that from him?”

“Yes.” Danette cleared her throat. “He wants to meet me before the wedding.”

“Lovely!” Regan turned to her, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

“It’s not lovely. It’s awful. What if he decides he doesn’t want to marry me after finding out how boring I am?”

“Don’t be silly. You’re not boring.” When Danette frowned, she added, “Would I have a boring friend? Me? Regan? The lady who prides herself on keeping life interesting? Believe me, I wouldn’t waste my time on boring pursuits.”

“I didn’t mean I was boring to you. I meant I might be boring to gentlemen. There’s a reason why the two who proposed left. I think they didn’t find me all that interesting.”

“I forbid you to talk this way. Now, let me read the missive. It’s the only way I can get an idea of who he is.”

“You mean, you don’t know anything about the Marquess of Dodsworth?” Danette asked, doing her best to hide her disappointment.

“No. Malcolm said he knew who the Marquess of Dodsworth used to be, but he died of his injuries.”

Danette hadn’t heard anything about this. “When did he die?”

“I think a little under a month ago. The title went to his next of kin.”

“Who is that?”

“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t have the vaguest idea. All I know is that Malcolm’s friends thought the world of the gentleman who was the Marquess of Dodsworth. In fact, Lord Steinbeck even took an entire week to mourn his passing.” Regan rolled her eyes. “If you knew Lord Steinbeck, you’d be amazed he has the capacity to experience any compassion. I suppose it means the old marquess was good enough to meet his standards.”

Danette took a sip of her tea as she considered her friend’s words. Then, lowering the cup to her lap, she asked, “Doesn’t Lord Steinbeck think highly of Malcolm?”

“Oh, he does. And the feeling is mutual. The two practically worship each other.” Her eyes lit up, and she grinned. “This is wonderful! When you marry the Marquess of Dodsworth, we can go to dinner parties at Lord Steinbeck’s together.”

“But you just said the Marquess of Dodsworth that Lord Steinbeck liked died.”

“Yes, but the title has been passed to someone who was related to him, and that means the new marquess is probably just as arrogant as Lord Steinbeck.”

Danette’s stomach tightened in dread. “Arrogant?”

As if realizing her mistake, Regan’s face went red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound horrible. Malcolm can be arrogant, too. He has a tendency to think everything he does is of the utmost importance. But even with that being the case, he has a sweet side to him. He treats me very well. I’m sure the marquess will be the same for you.”

Danette wasn’t all that thrilled with her friend’s attempt at making up for the slip, but she did have a point. Her friend’s husband did believe he was one of the most important people in London. However, as her friend had pointed out, he was good to her. Danette didn’t think it was possible the two would have enjoyed a happy marriage since Regan had been deceptive in the whole matter, but theirs was one of the few love matches in London.

Regan read through the missive while Danette sipped her tea. The marquess hadn’t written much. He’d been short and to the point, simply letting her know the duchess had paired them up for an arranged marriage and that being the case, he wished to meet with her so they would have a chance to get to know one another before the wedding. She didn’t know how much Regan could deduct from it. Danette thought there was more to gather by his choice in parchment and his script.

After a couple minutes, Regan put the missive down. “He doesn’t sound arrogant. You are relieved of that trait in your husband.”

Surprised, Danette asked, “He doesn’t?”

“No. He sounds like a humble gentleman who doesn’t mince words but is considerate of others. What a shame. I don’t think he’s Lord Steinbeck’s type.”

Amused, Danette smirked. “I thought the marquess was to marry me, not Lord Steinbeck.”

“You know what I mean. I was hoping Lord Steinbeck would like him enough to invite him to dinner parties so you and I could spend the evening together.”

“You see me often enough as it is. You don’t need me going to dinner parties with you.” She glanced at the hallway. “Where is Malcolm?” She knew Leonard napped this time of day, but she thought Malcolm should be up and about.

“Oh, he has another investment plan, so he ran off to White’s to tell Lord Steinbeck, Lord Dunnaby, and Sir Willoby all about it.” She rolled her eyes. “Those four are like children with candy when they discuss money. I hope your husband will be able to restrain himself every time he sees a pound.”

“I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”

“When will you tell him to meet you?”

“I suppose any time before the wedding will work.” Ideally, it would be right before the wedding, but from the missive, it was apparent the marquess had his heart set on meeting her sooner. She exhaled. “I think I’ll tell him to pick a day and time, and I’ll be ready to meet him.”

“That might be best. Who knows if he’s busy?” As an afterthought, Regan asked, “Did the duchess tell you what he did before he became a marquess?”

“No. I don’t know anything about him except he’s the best match of all the gentlemen she’s met with.”

“Well, she probably figures it’ll give you two something to talk about if he has to tell you what he’s been doing up to now.”

“Probably.”

“Besides,” Regan added, “it doesn’t hurt to have a little mystery. If you know everything ahead of time, where’s the adventure? Isn’t this exciting? You get to meet the perfect gentleman for you, and you have so many wonderful things to learn about him.”

Danette couldn’t share her friend’s excitement for embracing the unknown. She’d rather jump ahead to next year and find out what was going to happen. Then she’d be adequately prepared for what was to come.

“Will you let me know how things go after you meet him?” Regan asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Danette nodded. “Yes. Of course, I’m going to come right over here after I meet him. You have to make sure you’re not doing anything the day I meet him.”

“I promise to wait patiently for you right here.”

“Good. And make sure Malcolm and Leonard aren’t around. I’d rather it be just the two of us, in case I do something to embarrass myself and need a shoulder to cry on.”

Regan shook her head. “Danette, how many times do I have to tell you it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect? No one is perfect. We all do things to embarrass ourselves at one time or another.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You see the humor in everything. If you tripped in front of an entire room full of people, you’d laugh it off.” Danette wished she could be more like her friend, but she didn’t know how to be carefree and easygoing about things.

“At least you’ll be meeting the marquess in the safety of your own home. No one else will see you trip, and if you trip just right, you can end up in his arms.”

Unable to resist the urge to chuckle at her friend’s joke, Danette did so, and she felt much better. Was it any wonder why she came right over here to see Regan when she got the marquess’ request to meet with her? There was no one else who could make her feel better, no matter the situation.

“What would I ever do without you?” Danette asked.

Regan smiled and gave her a hug. “I often think the same when it comes to you. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ll always be there for each other. I have a feeling things with the marquess will work out.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. I have a keen sense about these things. The duchess and her friends know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t match you up with him if you weren’t an ideal match. Just promise me you’ll give him a chance.”

“I will. I promise.” And in a very short period of time, she’d be meeting him face to face. With a glance at the missive, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of gentleman was her ideal match.

Chapter Four

Two days later, Derek released his breath and knocked on the door of Miss Everson’s residence. Here went nothing. At least she’d get a chance to meet him and decide whether or not she could tolerate a life with him. Either way, it was her choice. He’d do whatever she wanted. If it didn’t work with her, then perhaps Helena, Chloe, and Melissa could find someone else.

The butler answered the door, and Derek smiled. “Greetings, my good man. I’m here to see Miss Everson. I was told she’d be expecting me today.”

“Yes.” The butler waved him into the entryway. “She’s in the drawing room.”

“Thank you.”

Derek gave him a nod then stepped past him so he could enter the house. He glanced down the hallway to the door on the left that the butler gestured to. Without further prompting, he went into the room, ready to meet the possible future Marchioness of Dodsworth.

He glanced around expectantly. Though there was a tray with tea and scones on it, he didn’t see a single breathing person in the room. Surprised, he went back out into the hallway as the butler closed the front door.

“Which room did you say Miss Everson’s in?” Derek asked.

“The one you just entered.”

Derek peered back into the room, and still, he saw no one. “Are you sure she didn’t say she was going to be somewhere else?”

“I brought the tea and scones in here, and she was on the settee.”

The butler stepped into the room, and Derek followed. The butler gave a good look around the room then turned to Derek and chuckled under his breath. He pointed to the drapes at one of the large windows. The drapes were made of a nice thick material, and they were long enough to hide someone, if she chose to go behind them. Upon closer inspection, Derek saw a pair of slippers peeking out from under them.

Thank you, Derek mouthed.

The butler nodded and hurried out of the room, probably so Miss Everson wouldn’t hear him laughing.

Derek clasped his hands behind his back as he debated the best way to proceed with a lady, who was so shy she ran and hid when her betrothed came to the door. After a moment, he went over to the drapes and asked, “Miss Everson?”

She stiffened from behind the drapes, and he had to resist the urge to chuckle.

He cleared his throat. “Miss Everson, you are the most peculiar looking lady I’ve ever met. You resemble drapes more than an actual person. I’m afraid this will make dancing with you awkward when we go to a ball.”

From behind the drapes, he heard her giggle. His lips curled up into a smile. Well, at least she had a sense of humor. That was good.

He took a step forward and poked his head around the drapes so he could see behind it. He wasn’t surprised when she looked away from him, but he was surprised her hair should be so dark. Pulling aside the drapes to get a better look at it, he couldn’t help but think she had the most attractive hair color of any lady he’d seen. It was the most beautiful shade of black, and it fell around her shoulders in gentle waves. Indeed, it was a nice contrast to her creamy white skin.

Now, if he could just get a look at her face…

He gently placed his finger under her chin and turned her face so he could see it. Her cheeks grew pink, but she looked at him, showing him the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. They seemed to sparkle like the emeralds Lady Cadwalader liked to weigh herself down with. His gaze went to her flawless skin, the gentle slope of her nose, and her rosy lips, which almost formed a heart when they were closed.

He then turned his attention to the rest of her. She wore a pink dress that flattered her hourglass figure. In fact, her breasts were so ample he got a nice view of her cleavage simply by looking down at her. It certainly wouldn’t be difficult to slip into her bed and work on an heir. He guessed he’d even want to linger there and try several times. Ideally, on multiple nights. Just the thought was arousing him, but they weren’t married yet. He shouldn’t give into such fantasies. It wouldn’t do to get an erection right at this moment.

He cleared his throat and forced his attention back to her face. “It would be easier to talk if we sat down. I could sit here behind the drapes, but I don’t think either of us would be comfortable.”

“Well…no, we wouldn’t,” she said, a slight hesitation in her voice.

“I hear the settee is nice to sit on. If you’d rather, I can sit in a chair, though I’d rather sit next to you.”

To his amusement, she peeked around the drapes and glanced over at the settee as if she’d forgotten that piece of furniture was even in the room. She was adorable. Really, she was. He’d never come across anyone so terribly shy before, but it only spoke of a sweet innocence he wasn’t accustomed to in London. This wasn’t a lady who’d flatter someone to get her way. She was much too timid for that. No, with her, what he saw was what he’d get. And so far, he was enjoying her very much.

After a few seconds, she stepped around the drapes and went over to the settee. He waited to see if she’d invite him to sit next to her or ask him to sit in a chair. She left room for him on the settee and turned expectantly to him. Deciding that was an invitation, he hurried to sit next to her.

“Mind if I pour the tea?” he asked, thinking it best to relieve her of that duty since he saw that her hands were trembling.

She shook her head, and he picked up the teapot. Once they started talking, perhaps she’d feel more at ease.

As he poured their tea, he glanced over at her, still unable to believe she was so beautiful. He hadn’t expected to be attracted to the lady the duchess had picked for him. He’d thought someone who needed the duchess’ help securing a husband would be unattractive.

“Pardon me for asking such a silly question, but why would someone as lovely as yourself need help finding a husband?” he asked.

“What?”

Noting the shock in her voice, he said, “I honestly didn’t think you’d be beautiful. Don’t misunderstand me. I would’ve been willing to marry you if you weren’t beautiful. I’m not the type of gentleman who bases a lady’s worth on how she looks. But really, you are,” for lack of a better word, he said, “stunning. Why aren’t you married yet?”

She accepted the cup of tea he offered her but set it on her lap. “Well, I almost married. Twice.”

“You did?”

She nodded. “Neither worked out. Each gentleman decided he’d rather marry someone else.”

“Why?” For the life of him, he couldn’t imagine anyone choosing someone over her. Unless….? “Is it because you’re shy?” But then, if she was shy, how did she manage two engagements to begin with? Were all the marriages arranged? Maybe the other gentlemen didn’t think to look behind the drapes to find her.

After a moment of silence, she said, “I hate to tell you since you’re my last hope of acquiring a husband, but both gentlemen found me dull.”

“Dull?”

“I have a hard time knowing what to say. Other ladies are far more exciting than I am. I tend to sit and listen rather than talk.”

“Well, I’ve been around enough ladies to know it’s better if most of them learn to practice some silence.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because they can get their husbands in trouble. Believe me, it’s far better to have a wife who can manage some restraint.”

He noted the way her eyebrows furrowed. Either she was tempted to ask him for an example or she didn’t believe him. Instead of asking, she sipped her tea.

“I wager,” he began, turning toward her, “that though you are shy, you aren’t dull. I further wager that once you open up, you have a lot to say. Tell me, what are your interests? What kind of things do you do for fun?”

She took another sip of tea then set the cup back on her lap. She also licked her bottom lip in apprehension. How he envied that lip. He could think of many things her tongue could do, and all of them excited him way too much. Here, he’d thought the process of getting a wife would be a chore, but this was turning into something he could thoroughly embrace.

“You’ll think this is silly,” she began with a hint of a smile, “but I like to watch people.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I go to balls and sit while they talk and dance.”

“I’m surprised you get a chance to do that between all the dancing you do.”

“Oh, I don’t dance. I just watch.”

He laughed. “Now I know you’re teasing me. You must have a long line of gentlemen waiting to dance with you. I bet that line goes from the ballroom to the sidewalk outside.”

“I think you’re the one who’s teasing me, my lord. No lady has ever had that many gentlemen waiting to dance with her, no matter how pretty or entertaining she is.”

“Surely, you’ve had gentlemen who’ve asked you to dance.”

“Yes, but I think it was because my father had a hand in it.” She hesitated for a moment, but since he suspected she wanted to say more, he kept quiet and waited for her to continue. “My father passed away a year ago. My mother’s still alive, and I live with her.”

“Will I be meeting your mother today?”

“She said she’d be coming down to meet you, but she’s taking longer than I expected.”

Ah, so maybe part of why she was hiding was because her mother hadn’t shown up yet. Maybe the only reason she’d had the courage to agree to meet him was because her mother had promised to be with her. However, her mother had decided to take her time in coming to the drawing room, something he was sure was done on purpose.

With what he hoped was an assuring smile, he said, “I think she wanted to give us a chance to get acquainted without any interruptions.”

“Yes, I think so, too.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” he asked when he noticed the way her eyebrows furrowed. “I’m enjoying this opportunity to talk to you alone.”

Her gaze went to the cup in her lap.

Curious about her reaction, he ventured, “I understand you’re shy, but you have a sweetness about you that’s refreshing.”

She looked at him then, and he caught the hope in her eyes. That hope made him wonder just how deeply hurt she must have been when those two gentlemen ended their engagements with her.

“Mind if I ask who they were?” he softly asked.

“Who?”

“The gentlemen you were engaged to.”

She broke eye contact with him again and paused, as if debating whether or not she really wanted to tell him. But then, she said, “Lord Simpleton and Lord Garrett.”

He thought over all the gentlemen he’d heard about, but those two weren’t familiar to him. It’d be easier to know what’d been wrong with them if he could place a title with some reputation. His mind, however, drew a blank, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Usually, he had an idea of who most people were, especially given his association with so many patients who needed his care.

“You want to know more about them?” she asked.

Was his expression that obvious? He thought he’d been doing a better job of masking his emotions. In the past, others, particularly his brother, had warned him it was in bad form to be so transparent with his thoughts. “A gentleman,” he’d said, “maintains a pleasant disposition at all times, regardless of how he feels.” Being a gentleman, however, had never been Derek’s strong point. But that was going to change. He’d inherited a title, and he had a responsibility to not do or say anything to embarrass Danette or their future children.

After thinking over a good response, he finally settled on saying, “It’s not my business what Lord Simpleton or Lord Garrett are like. Forget about it.”

“Oh, I don’t mind telling you. I just didn’t think you’d want to know about them. I wouldn’t want to know about any ladies you’ve been engaged to, if there are any.”

“There aren’t. You’re the first. I’m just wondering what was wrong with them.” Then, to lighten the mood, he added, “You don’t strike me as the type of lady who’d scare potential husbands away.”

As he hoped, she chuckled at his joke. “They were my father’s choice. My father was a likeable gentleman, and they got along with him. I think they agreed to the arrangement because of him. They were good gentlemen. Very honorable with pristine reputations. Maybe you haven’t heard of them because there’s nothing remotely scandalous about them. Lord Simpleton married Lady Cadwalader’s niece last year, and Lord Garrett went to India to pursue adventure.”

“So it’d be safe to say Lord Garrett ended your engagement because you would have stayed in London?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

“Well, regardless of the reasons your past engagements didn’t work, their loss is my gain. I’m very happy to be engaged to you, and I hope you’ll be able to say the same about me.”

Before she had a chance to respond, he heard footsteps and looked over in time to see a middle-aged lady entering the room. The resemblance between the two was much too obvious to mistake this lady for anyone except Danette’s mother.

He rose to his feet and bowed. “Mrs. Everson, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m the Marquess of Dodsworth, the gentleman the Duchess of Ashbourne arranged to marry your lovely daughter.” He glanced between the two. “You both may refer to me as Derek.”

“I’m glad you came by,” her mother said with a smile. “We were excited about making your acquaintance. Thank you for sending the missive asking to visit.”

He waited for her mother to sit before settling back on the settee. “I thought it only fair to let you know what I look like.” He glanced at Danette and winked. “That way you don’t marry the wrong gentleman by mistake.”

Her mother laughed and waved her hand at him. “You’re a sly one, my lord. All we’d have to do is call you by your title, and you’d look over at us. Then we’d know who you were.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted. “But seeing as how I only recently acquired the title, I might have thought you meant my brother and failed to acknowledge the greeting.”

“I’m sorry to hear your brother died,” her mother replied. “He must have been young.”

“He received an injury that didn’t receive a doctor’s attention right away.” Even thinking about it upset him. His brother and his foolish pride. It wasn’t a weakness to seek help when one needed it. “Nevertheless, I promised him I would do right by him and honor the title he left me.”

“That’s a wonderful gesture,” Danette said, her voice almost so soft he barely heard the compliment.

“It’s what he requested on his deathbed,” he replied.

“I’m sure you miss your brother,” Mrs. Everson spoke up. “Danette’s father and I wanted to give her a brother or sister, but it wasn’t meant to be. She’s an only child. We’ve always been proud of her.”

Though Danette blushed, Derek caught the pleased smile on her lips at her mother’s words. Derek was glad for her. Not all parents thought so well of their children. He didn’t often envy anyone anything, but in this one regard, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret at displeasing his parents. Danette was very fortunate, indeed, but not knowing anything else, she didn’t understand the significance in her mother’s statement.

“Lady Cantrell is the closest lady Danette has to a sister,” her mother continued. “The two did everything together while growing up, and even as grown ladies, they are close. You’ll be seeing Lady Cantrell at the wedding.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting her next week.” Then, as an afterthought, he asked Danette, “Is next week all right with you, or would you prefer we read banns?”

“I’ve read banns with two other gentlemen,” Danette said. “I’d rather not this time.”

“She’s a bit superstitious,” her mother added. “But I assure you, the broken engagements weren’t her fault. She was a lady at all times.”

He offered a comforting smile. “I have no doubt she was. She’s been that way since I came into this room. You did a good job in raising her.”

Her mother grinned in pleasure. “Flattery will get you everywhere, my lord.”

“In that case, I’ll make it a point to offer lots of flattery in the future,” he teased. “I want to make sure I stay in your good graces.”

She giggled and waved his comment aside. “I bet you have a bit of mischief in you.”

“Not too much. I want to make sure I don’t do anything to embarrass your daughter,” he promised, just in case either of them worried about it. He glanced at Danette. “You mentioned that you enjoyed watching people. Would you both be interested in going to Hyde Park? We could sit and watch people stroll by. If you feel inspired, we could even guess what people are talking about.”

“Guess what they’re talking about?” Danette asked, a hint of intrigue in her voice.

“Don’t you ever guess what the couples dancing are talking about when you watch them at the balls?” he replied.

“I hadn’t thought to do that,” Danette said. “I mainly overhear what others are saying.”

“But wouldn’t it be fun to make up things they might be talking about?”

Even as he asked the question, he caught the spark of interest in her eye. Yes, she was shy, and she most likely was insecure about her worth. But he suspected she had a bit of mischief hovering beneath the surface of her controlled exterior.

“I don’t mind doing that as long as they don’t know we’re doing it,” Mrs. Everson said.

“We’ll be discreet,” he assured her.

“Why not?” Mrs. Everson looked at her daughter. “It sounds like an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. What do you think?”

Danette didn’t answer right away. Though she seemed very interested, Derek caught that part of her which held her back. He was about to suggest they go to the museum instead, something that would be a safer, albeit boring, choice.

But then Danette said, “I don’t see the harm in it. Let’s go to the park.”

“Splendid!” Derek thought this would be a game she’d like once she started playing it.

Plus, he was anxious to see if it would help her get to know him better. He was definitely looking forward to getting to know her. He just hoped the feeling was reciprocated. It’d be nice if they might be one of the few couples who enjoyed a love match.

Chapter Five

Danette hadn’t seen Derek since that day he took her and her mother to Hyde Park. Granted, he was a doctor and he had a lot of patients who needed him, but she had hoped to see him again before their wedding day, which was in two days. The time seemed to drag on, however, as she waited to see whether or not he’d end things at the last moment.

She went to the Duke of Rumsey’s ball in hopes she’d see him again. Surely, there wouldn’t be patients to tend to so late in the evening. But he wasn’t anywhere, so maybe he did have someone to visit after all. People did get sick at all hours of the day. Though she kept telling herself this, she couldn’t deny how disappointed she was.

Of the gentlemen she’d been engaged to, he seemed the most promising. Not only was he much more interesting to listen to, but he seemed to genuinely care for her.

A silly notion, she chided herself. She wanted him to care for her, and as a result, she fancied the idea he returned her new feelings.

Despite her disappointment, she turned her attention to the couples dancing. She decided to play the game Derek had taught her. She imagined what they might be saying, and while the game was amusing, it was much more fun when she’d done it with him and her mother. Having them add their comments had made the thing a lot more fun. So she stopped doing it, and instead, she turned her attention to the people talking nearby.

Most of it was the usual. The ladies fretted over which gentleman might ask them to dance or tried to figure out ways to get the attention of the most viable bachelors in the room. This alone made Danette grateful the Duchess of Ashbourne had a service helping people find their ideal matches.

Danette had never been good at the whole courting thing, nor did she enjoy the process of trying to attract gentlemen. It had been much easier to let her father do the work for her. This time, the duchess had done it. Hopefully, the duchess was better at pairing couples up than her father had been.

“Once again, you’re sitting at a ball all by yourself,” a familiar voice said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Danette grinned and turned her attention to Regan as she sat next to her. “I’m surprised you left your husband to talk to me.”

Regan shot her an amused smile. “What kind of friend would I be if I left you alone all evening?”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I enjoy sitting here and watching people.”

“So you keep telling me.” After a moment, Regan asked, “Have you met your betrothed yet?”

Despite her best intentions, she felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I did. It was a couple days ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I tried, but you were hard to reach.”

“You’re right. I’ve been distracted. Malcolm and I have been spending time with his parents so they can get better acquainted with me and Leonard. Then I had to attend one of Lord Steinbeck’s boring dinner parties. And when we were home and I thought about paying you a visit, Malcolm found ways to distract me.”

“How? Did he start telling you all about his business plans?” Danette knew Regan was trying to get Malcolm to open up to her by asking him questions about his business dealings, but she didn’t think those would truly be of interest to her friend.

Regan giggled. “No. He had a much better way of distracting me.”

“Really? What way is that?”

“I think I’ll let your soon-to-be husband show you that on your wedding night.”

That was the first time Regan hadn’t ever come out and answered her question. Why was her friend being so mysterious about this? And if Danette was right, she caught a mischievous spark in her eye, as if her friend was excited that Danette would soon learn the very thing she was being so secretive about.

“Tell me,” Regan continued, not the least bit disturbed she’d withheld information from her, “how did your visit with the Marquess of Dodsworth go?”

Just hearing Derek’s title made Danette’s skin tingle with excitement.

“Ah, I see it went much better than you thought it would,” Regan said.

It wasn’t surprising Regan could read her expression so well. Danette didn’t know if Regan was able to do that because she was so transparent in her emotions or because Regan had known her since childhood. Either way, no one understood her better than Regan. She was beginning to suspect Regan pushed so hard for her to get married because she knew, deep down, Danette wanted a husband.

This was something Danette had kept a secret from everyone. She’d kept it such a good secret, in fact, that even she hadn’t been aware of it. It wasn’t until Derek teased her about gentlemen lining up to dance with her that she realized she’d hoped someone would venture over to her during one of the balls, whisk her off her feet, and spend the rest of his life with her. She’d rather die than admit such a thing to anyone, even Regan, and she shared everything with her friend.

“Is he handsome?” Regan asked. “Were you attracted to him?”

Danette chuckled. Leave it to her friend to think of the physical side of a relationship. “Yes, I was. He’s very good looking.”

“That’s a promising start. It’s hard to kiss a gentleman you’re not attracted to.”

Danette couldn’t argue that. She’d tried with all her might to kiss Lord Simpleton when he asked for one, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she’d made up an excuse about not wanting to kiss a gentleman until she married him, thinking, of course, that it would buy her some much needed time to gather up the strength to do so. She bit her lower lip. Perhaps Lord Simpleton had realized that and decided to end the engagement. Maybe that one was her fault.

“What does Lord Dodsworth look like?” Regan pressed.

Forcing her attention back to their conversation, Danette said, “He’s tall with dark hair and a well-trimmed beard. I don’t usually like any facial hair on gentlemen. I think they look much cleaner without it, but in his case, it makes him all the more…” Unable to think of the right word, she shrugged.

“Sexy?” Regan filled in.

Though Regan had kept her voice low, Danette glanced around to make sure no one else overheard her.

Regan laughed and clapped her hands. “I just knew the duchess would do a marvelous job.”

“There’s more to marriage than attraction.”

“I’m well aware of that, but attraction always helps. Now, tell me what you think of him as a companion? You’re obviously taken with him.”

“This will probably sound wrong in some way, but in many respects, he reminds me of you.”

Regan’s eyes grew wide. “Why would that be wrong? I happen to think I make a delightful companion.”

“You are. As a friend. But I never thought I’d want to be with a gentleman who has a sense of humor.”

“He makes you laugh, does he?”

“Yes. Just as you do. Really, it’s uncanny. One would swear you two were separated at birth.”

“In that case, I adore him already. I must send the duchess a gift to thank her for making such a good match. You could use someone like him. It wouldn’t hurt you to laugh more and worry less.”

“I know. My mother says the same thing.”

“Your mother is a wise lady,” Regan replied with a twinkle in her eye. “What did you and your handsome betrothed discuss?”

“Now that I think about it, we talked mainly about me. I mean, he told me he made a promise to his dying brother he’d do well with the title. I thought that was a lovely thing for him to do. He must have thought very well of his brother to do such a thing.” Even as she thought about it, her heart warmed. “He has a caring soul. He wants to do what’s right and noble. It’s hard not to like a gentleman like that.”

“The important thing is, he’s not boring. Since he makes you laugh, I’m assured he’s not all business.”

“Oh, even if he was serious, I’d like him.” She smiled. “He paid me some nice compliments. It seems gentlemen are often interested in money and heirs, but with Derek, I think he sincerely wants someone to spend his life with. You know, to share its joys and sorrows. I don’t get the feeling I’d be just his wife. I’d also be his friend.”

Regan returned her smile and pressed her hand to her heart. “I never thought I’d see the day when you fell in love.”

Surprised, Danette gasped. “It’s too soon for love.”

“No, it’s not. I loved Malcolm the first time I talked to him. Sure, it took him longer to return my feelings, but I assure you, with me, it was instant. I think love is one of those things that doesn’t take time to develop for everyone.”

“But you don’t know the person enough to love them when you’ve only talked to them one time.”

Regan shook her head in amusement. “When will you learn that it’s all right to think with your heart? Throw caution to the wind and enjoy the moment. Put down your wall, and live life to the fullest. You’ll get so much more enjoyment from it.”

“I understand what you’re saying.” Then when Danette caught the flicker of disappointment in her friend’s eye, she added, “Really, I do. But I can’t separate my mind from my heart like you can. We’re two different people. What works for you doesn’t work for me.”

“If being with Malcolm has taught me anything, it’s that there’s always room for compromise. Just because you’ve done something a certain way, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it another way.”

“Let’s agree that this is a very promising match the duchess has put together.”

“See? Already you’re compromising. I like Derek. He’s exactly what you need.”

Danette nodded, thinking her friend could very well be right. The question, however, was whether she might be what he needed. If so, they would compliment each other very well, and perhaps, they might enjoy a love match.

***

The next morning, Derek arrived at Mr. and Mrs. Boyle’s residence to check on eleven-year-old Alexander. As soon as he entered the drawing room, he examined the lad, who stood in front of him, his face lit up with excitement.

Derek resisted the urge to chuckle. Of all his young patients, this particular lad was the most enthusiastic one. And because of that, Derek couldn’t help but oblige him with the lad’s favorite game.

“Let’s see if you have any coins today,” Derek said.

As he expected, Alexander stood up a little straighter. “I think I do.”

“Oh? What makes you think that?”

“I helped my mother when she needed it, and I was nice to my brothers and sisters. You said I would gain more money that way.”

Surprised Alexander had taken his words to heart, Derek laughed. “In that case, I have a feeling you might be correct. All right. We’ll take a look and see if you’re good works have paid off.”

While Derek allowed some coins to slip from his sleeve and into his hand without Alexander noticing, Mrs. Boyle came into the room. “I think we’ll have the tea and scones by the window,” she told the butler.

Derek put his hand behind Alexander’s ear and produced a coin for him. Reaching up to his other ear, he glanced at Mrs. Boyle as the butler left the room. “You don’t have to go through all this trouble for me,” Derek said.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Mrs. Boyle replied. “Besides, my daughter wished to speak with you today.” She shot him an apologetic smile. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t.” It was because of Chloe that business was even better for him. Who knew a lady’s word could have such an impact on so many people? He produced two coins from the lad’s ear. “Hmm…”

“What is it?” Alexander asked, inspecting Derek’s hand.

“It seems two coins came from this ear,” he replied. “I wonder what we’ll find under your armpits.”

Mrs. Boyle shook her head and walked over to them. “I don’t understand why you always check under his armpits,” she told Derek.

He shrugged. “Sometimes coins can drop from his head, roll down his neck, and slide to his armpits.”

Alexander chuckled. “Check them. I’m seeing if I made more money this month, Mother. Remember how I helped you calm Gretchen down after her nightmare? Then I let Bethany borrow my comb.”

Mrs. Boyle frowned. “What did she want with your comb?”

“I don’t know.” Alexander lifted his arms. “She didn’t say.”

“Bethany already has a comb. There’s no reason why she should need to borrow yours,” his mother insisted.

“I didn’t think to ask why she wanted it,” Alexander replied. “I told her she could borrow anything if she needed it, and that’s what she chose.”

“I’ll have to talk to your sister about this later.”

By the expression on her face, Derek suspected Bethany had used the comb for something other than her hair, but not having children, he couldn’t begin to guess what that something was. However, since the lad would probably need a new comb after this, Derek decided to give him three coins from one armpit and two from the other.

“Well, look at that,” Derek said, showing him the coins. “Your good works have paid off. Maybe you should refrain from letting your sisters borrow anything. Maybe you can compliment them instead.” He winked at Mrs. Boyle and handed Alexander the coins. “Good job on making so much.”

The lad gasped and took them. “I made all of this?”

“Yes, you did.” Derek patted his shoulder. “Now, let’s get down to the reason I’m here. How have you been feeling?”

“Good.”

“You haven’t had any bad coughs?”

“No.”

Mrs. Boyle smiled. “He hasn’t. He’s only had the occasional cough, but it’s been very manageable.”

“Since that’s the case,” Derek began, “I want to try a different prescription. This one will be less potent. If this makes his cough worse, let me know at once, and I’ll get him back to the one he’s currently on.”

“That’s wonderful news.” Mrs. Boyle hugged her son. “You may go.”

As Alexander left the room, Derek said, “I recently moved my things to a new townhouse. I’ll write my address down so you have it in case you need to alert me about his health.”

With a nod, she gestured to the desk. “Help yourself.” While he did, she added, “Chloe said you inherited the title of a marquess.”

“Yes, I did,” he replied as he wrote the new address on the parchment. “My brother had an unfortunate accident, and the Good Lord took him before his time.”

“I’m sorry. It’s never easy to lose someone you love.”

He kept quiet and turned his attention to writing the prescription. Often, he wished he could feel something over losing his brother. Despite their differences, they had been brothers, after all, but he didn’t feel anything. It was strange to experience such apathy for another person, and it was getting harder and harder to play the role of the mourning brother.

Society had many expectations. Those expectations were the reasons there was so much hypocrisy, especially among the nobility. The middle class was right to make fun of them.

Stifling a sigh, he finished the prescription and handed it and the new address to her. “Life goes on,” he said.

“I suppose being a doctor, you’ve seen your share of heartache and death,” she replied.

Fortunately, it was at this moment Chloe arrived with her two-month-old son. He turned his attention to her and bowed. “Lady Reddington, it’s a pleasure to see you. How are you and your son, Clifford?”

“We’re doing well, thank you,” Chloe replied.

“Splendid!” Mrs. Boyle held her arms out. “I was hoping you’d bring my grandson.”

“I wouldn’t dare come here without him.” Chloe gave him to her mother then glanced at Derek. “Helena won’t be able to attend your wedding. I’ll be there instead.”

“Is she doing all right?” Derek asked.

“She’s fine,” Chloe assured him. “It’s just that since she’s close to giving birth, she’d rather restrict her activities.”

“As long as she’s doing well, that’s the important thing.” She bit her lower lip in a way that indicated she was having a hard time not asking him what was on her mind, so he pressed, “Is there something you’d like to ask me?”

Chloe’s gaze went to the chairs near the window.

“Your mother didn’t go through the trouble of providing something to eat and drink just to have us say hello.” He smiled. “I’m sure she was hoping we’d discuss how things went when I met the lady you helped the duchess match me up with.”

With an excited cry, she clapped her hands. “You don’t mind telling me?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. It’s the least I can do for all the work you and your friends went through. I’m very pleased with the match.”

Chloe’s face beamed with pleasure. “You are?”

“I am. Miss Everson is a lovely lady, and I’m looking forward to the marriage.”

“In that case,” Chloe took his arm and guided him over to the chair, “tell me everything.”

Derek glanced at Mrs. Boyle, who probably would have been shocked by her daughter’s bold action had she not been preoccupied with cooing at her grandson. Derek, however, didn’t mind Chloe’s openness.

If only more people would just come out and say what they wanted, the world would be a better place. There’d be no guesses. There’d be no misunderstandings. Things would be much simpler. Happy to oblige her, he sat down and told her all about the afternoon he spent with Miss Everson.

Chapter Six

Danette shifted from one foot to the other in her bedchamber. The day of the wedding was finally here, and she couldn’t bring herself to go to the drawing room where the small ceremony would be held. What if Derek decided not to come? She didn’t think she could live down the horror of being rejected three times. Two had been hard enough.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go down and see if he’s here?” Regan asked.

Danette almost shook her head when she remembered her lady’s maid was still putting flowers in her hair. The flowers had been her mother’s idea. Her mother had said the yellow flowers would bring good luck. “Yellow is a happy color,” her mother had said. “That means this will be a happy day.”

Stupid superstition. Danette didn’t know why her mother had to be so hopeful about everything. It was hard enough to face the day as it was without her mother’s continual optimism.

“I’m going to see if he’s here,” Regan said and headed for the door.

Gasping, Danette hurried after her, ignoring her lady’s maid’s protest as she did so. She grabbed Regan’s arm. “No. You can’t.”

“You have to find out if he’s here sooner or later,” Regan reminded her.

“I know, but I don’t know if I can do it right now.”

“Danette, everything will be fine. I saw Chloe’s carriage pull up to this very townhouse a half hour ago. She wouldn’t be here if the wedding wasn’t still going to happen.”

“Maybe she’s waiting down there to tell me bad news. I haven’t heard anything from Derek since that day he came to visit.”

Regan let out a frustrated sigh. “That was only last week, and you said the visit went well.”

“I thought it did, but he hasn’t said anything to me since. He hasn’t even sent a missive.”

“Malcolm didn’t even want to meet me before the wedding, but he showed up and made his vows. At least Derek took the time to meet you.”

“Maybe I said or did something to upset him without meaning to.”

“Danette, he’s a doctor. Maybe he wanted to meet with all his patients before this wedding so he’d be able to set aside time to get to know you for the next couple weeks. That was Malcolm’s plan. Gentlemen who are committed to their work are busy. They don’t spend all their days at a gentlemen’s club gossiping and playing games.”

“You’re right.” Danette wiped her palms on the skirt of her gown. “I did say that.”

Regan’s expression softened. “I know it’s hard, but it’s not going to do you any good to keep expecting bad things to happen.” She hugged her. “I’m going to check on things downstairs, and I will come back with good news. Let your poor lady’s maid finish getting you ready, all right?”

Danette nodded and went back to her lady’s maid. Her friend and mother were right. She needed to stop seeing the worst in everything.

Regan had just put her hand on the doorknob when someone knocked from the other side. After giving a slight jump, Regan laughed and glanced at Danette. “I think your anxiety is affecting me.”

Danette grinned at the joke but remained still so her lady’s maid could finish putting the flowers in her hair.

Regan opened the door, and Danette heard Chloe from the hallway. “Mind if I see how the bride’s doing?”

Danette indicated it was fine to let Chloe in, so Regan moved aside and waved her in. Chloe was smiling. That was a good sign. She wouldn’t be smiling if Derek had decided not to go through with the wedding. But even as she told herself this, she held her breath and waited for Chloe to speak.

“You look beautiful,” Chloe told her, glancing her up and down. “Derek will be pleased when he sees you.”

“So he’s here?” Regan asked on Danette’s behalf.

“He’s been here for about twenty minutes,” Chloe replied. With a smile at Danette, she added, “He’s very happy with the match.”

“I’m not surprised,” Regan said. “You, Helena, and Melissa did very well with me. It stands to reason you’d do well with Danette, too.”

Chloe’s face beamed with pleasure as she turned back to Danette. “Helena wanted to be here, but with her being so close to giving birth, we thought it best for her to stay home. I hope you don’t mind that I’m here instead.”

Mind? Why would Danette mind? As long as Derek was here, that was all that mattered. And more importantly, he was looking forward to being married to her. What could be better than that?

“When is she due to have the baby?” Regan asked.

“It can be another week or two, but the baby will be here soon.”

“How exciting. I remember how wonderful it was to hold Leonard for the first time. Danette, just wait until you feel a baby move inside you, and then you get to hold him or her in your arms. It’s one of the best things about being a lady.”

“I agree,” Chloe added. “It is. Are you expecting yet?”

“No, not yet,” Regan replied. “But I think Leonard will enjoy having a little brother or sister when the time comes.”

“He will,” Danette interjected with a chuckle. “Then Malcolm can explain how to properly use money with chess pieces to someone else for a change.”

“He uses chess pieces to teach a child about money?” Chloe asked, glancing at Regan.

Regan laughed. “It’s adorable. Leonard is more interested in what the pieces look like than he is about attaching monetary meaning to them.”

“Let me guess,” Chloe began, “the Queen is the most expensive piece?”

With a nod, Regan said, “You guess right. The Queen must be protected at all costs.”

“It’s hard to argue that a lady is the most important thing a gentleman should worry about,” Chloe mused. “It seems like Malcolm’s learned a great deal about being a good husband.”

“If only all gentlemen learned that,” Danette said.

Chloe turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, you have no need to worry about your intended. He knows the value of a good lady. I have no doubt you two will be happy together.”

Danette suspected Chloe was telling her this in hopes of easing her nerves. And it worked. Danette felt much better. She had thoroughly enjoyed Derek’s visit. He had struck her as a kind and sincere gentleman, but it was still nice to hear Chloe speak of him in such a good light.

Danette’s lady’s maid went to get a hand mirror and gave it to her. “Is there anything else you wish for me to do?”

Danette inspected her reflection and then let her gaze drop to her gown, finally taking note of the soft yellow color that was a close match to the flowers in her hair.

Her mother had picked the dress. Since Danette had picked the others that led to a broken engagement, she figured it was best to let her mother do it. Her mother had picked yellow, saying it not only complimented Danette’s complexion but that it was also a color of hope. And, apparently, luck. Derek had shown up. More than that, he hadn’t told anyone he couldn’t go through with the wedding.

Danette handed the mirror back to her lady’s maid. “You did a perfect job.” Just as she had the last time Danette attempted to wed someone. This time, however, really was different. This time, she would be married by the end of the day.

“It’s about time you came around,” Regan said, picking up on Danette’s change of mood. “I’m sure everyone is eager for the wedding breakfast, so let’s get downstairs.”

Picking up the edge of her gown so she wouldn’t trip, Danette followed her friend. As they left the room, Danette caught sight of her mother, who was waiting for them by the stairs.

“You weren’t waiting here for long, were you?” Danette asked her mother, not hiding the surprise in her voice.

Her mother shrugged but smiled. “I thought it’d put your mind at ease if I didn’t go into your bedchamber. You might be afraid you’d end up with another broken engagement since I was with you last time.”

Danette wished she could tell her mother she didn’t give herself over to such superstitious nonsense, but her mother knew her too well. She’d never believe the lie. But still… “I heard the marquess came a half hour ago.”

“Yes, I got a chance to talk to him,” her mother said.

“I don’t understand. If you talked to him, why didn’t you come and see me?” She gestured to the open door of her bedchamber.

“Because Lady Reddington was on her way to see you,” her mother replied. “I assumed you’d feel much better hearing it from her.”

Again, her mother was right. Just as Regan had been right. How was it possible they knew her better than she knew either of them? She didn’t think she could ever figure them out so well.

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” her mother continued as Regan and Chloe went down the steps.

“No, it doesn’t.” Danette offered her mother a smile and hugged her. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so predictable.”

Her mother tucked Danette’s hair behind her ears and patted her cheeks. “Your husband will like not having to guess what you’re thinking. It’s a cause of frustration to many gentlemen when they can’t figure their wives out.”

Well, that was one way of looking at it, Danette supposed.

“Come. Let’s not keep the groom waiting.” Her mother slipped her arm around hers and guided her down the steps. “It’s a shame your father isn’t here to see this day. He had hoped to see you wed before he passed on to the next life.”

“I know.” When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she asked, “Do you think he might be watching us right now?”

“I’d like to think so.”

Danette would, too, which was why she decided she’d envision him stopping everything he was doing and looking down from Heaven. She often wondered what people in Heaven did. Did they attend balls and gather together to talk like so much of the nobility did? Or did they choose to spend their time working? And if they did work, what would someone do for work up there?

Her mother squeezed her arm. “Danette?”

Danette turned her attention back to her mother. “I’m sorry. I got distracted.”

Her mother chuckled. “You may daydream later. Right now, we need you here.”

Her mother’s words, though laced with humor, weren’t all that fair. Danette didn’t often give herself to such thoughts. She did spend most of her time in the moment, or at the very least, in a good book.

Chloe stood at the doorway of the drawing room and waved for Danette and her mother to come over. “Everything’s ready.”

Danette took a deep breath and forced her feet forward. This was it. She was finally going to get married! Holding her breath, she followed Chloe and her mother into the room.

***

Regan almost believed her friend wasn’t going to show up to the drawing room since she’d taken so long, but she finally walked through the doorway. Regan thought she made a beautiful bride and was glad she could witness her friend’s special day.

She was even gladder to see that the new Marquess of Dodsworth was none other than the one gentleman in London who had the courage to stand up to the Ton. And as if that alone wasn’t enough to commend him, he was also the one she’d seen take off his shirt in the middle of the Duke of Rumsey’s ball and shouted London had more hypocrites than rats infesting it. Well, to be fair, she couldn’t remember exactly what he’d shouted. She’d been too busy staring at the nice muscles on his chest. The doctor did much more than tend to patients. He did physical labor, or at least he had at some point in his life.

“Why didn’t you tell me Dr. Westward was the one who creates a lot of scandals?” Malcolm whispered in her ear.

She forced her eyes off the gorgeous doctor so she could look at her dear husband. “I didn’t realize he was the one who did all those things to upset people,” she whispered in return.

“How could you not know? I thought you delighted in scandals?”

She shot him a pointed look. “I’ve made it a point to stop all that after we married.” When he seemed appropriately contrite, she added, “I remember him now that I see him, but I forgot he was the one who did all that. With Frederick’s death and helping Leonard mourn his passing, it just got pushed to the side.” She shrugged. “You can’t blame me for not remembering exactly who he was. It was years ago when he did that.”

And if he had looked that good without a shirt on back then, who knew how he looked now? Danette had suddenly become one of the most fortunate ladies in all of London. On this very night, she was going to get the chance to see what most of the ladies fantasized about, even if they were too polite to say so.

Malcolm frowned. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at him.”

Heat rose to her cheeks. She never should have stared at the doctor too long. It did no good to do such a thing, especially with her husband right next to her. Not that she would ever do anything to hurt either her friend or her husband. She’d do well to not even let her mind stray to that evening at Rumsey’s ball.

She took Malcolm’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “There’s only one gentleman I want, and that’s you.”

“When we get home, I’ll make you forget all about him.”

The promise of making mad passionate love made her heart leap in anticipation. If there was one thing Malcolm excelled at, it was lovemaking. Perhaps letting her gaze linger on the doctor hadn’t been so bad after all.

“I demand you watch your friend instead,” Malcolm whispered in her ear.

Regan couldn’t help but smile. Her husband, for all his preoccupation with making money, could be incredibly sweet when he was jealous. “You’re the only one I want,” she assured him and squeezed his hand again.

The two remained quiet during the vows, and Regan, considerate of Malcolm’s feelings, kept her gaze on Danette, who was glowing with the pleasure of new love. The ceremony went smoothly, and soon, Danette was the Marchioness of Dodsworth.

Just as Regan was going to run over to congratulate her friend with the others who gathered around the bride and groom, Malcolm stopped her. He pulled her aside to the corner of the room, and Regan giggled.

“Oh seriously, Malcolm, I’m not going to do anything with the marquess. The only gentleman who’ll ever be in my bed is you.”

“It’s not about that,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I just remembered something important.”

“What is it? Does he write for the Tittletattle?”

He hesitated. “I don’t think so, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he does.” He shook his head. “Anyway, what I remembered is that he’s the brother of the Marquess of Dodsworth who just died.”

She had to hold her hand over her mouth so no one would hear her as she burst out laughing. “Goodness, Malcolm. I already told you that. It’s not like you to forget something.”

“Regan, I’m being serious. My friends liked the Marquess of Dodsworth. They didn’t like his brother. I didn’t understand why until now.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“A lot. You wanted me to bring Danette and her new husband to one of my friends’ dinner parties. I thought I could talk them into giving him a chance before I realized who he was. They’ll never stand for it. They’re irrational enough when it comes to propriety.”

Regan hadn’t expected this. It was hard enough going through those dull dinner parties, especially since the ladies his friends invited were just as boring as they were. She’d been hoping with Danette marrying a titled gentleman, she could convince them to extend an invitation to Danette and her husband. Then she’d have someone interesting to talk to while Malcolm and his friends created their business plans.

“Maybe Dr. Westward isn’t scandalous anymore,” she told Malcolm. “I’ve been a perfect lady ever since we married.” At least she was in public where others could see her. But to be fair, Malcolm had a wicked streak in him, too, though it was well hidden.

Malcolm sighed and glanced at Danette’s new husband, who was saying something that made the others laugh. Yes, having Danette and Derek at one of Lord Steinbeck’s boring dinner parties would be a much needed reprieve.

“Maybe I can convince Warren and Robert he’s a better gentleman now that he’s married,” Malcolm said. “A good, reputable lady can have a positive influence on a gentleman. Danette meets with their approval already. She might be the reason they’ll give him a chance.”

Whatever Malcolm needed to tell them to get Danette to a dinner party would be fine with her, but that meant she had to talk to Danette—and soon.

Chapter Seven

No matter how hard she tried, Danette couldn’t slow down the rapid beating of her heart. Somehow, she managed to remain standing as her mother, Chloe, and her mother’s friends congratulated them. She noticed that Regan and Malcolm were talking in the corner of the room and wondered about it. But more than that, she wondered where Derek’s friends were. Certainly, he had them.

She glanced up at her husband as he told them how he performed a trick where he collected coins from the children who were his patients.

“I tuck a few coins into a small pocket I have sewn on the edge of my sleeve,” he told them. “That way they don’t see me pulling them from my pocket. I don’t want to spoil the illusion of magic.”

“They love it,” Chloe said. “My brother looks forward to all of his visits so he’ll see how many coins he made while the good doctor was away.”

“And the better behaved he is, the more coins he makes,” Derek added.

“What a creative thing to do,” Danette’s mother said. “You must like children.”

“I do.” Then he turned his gaze to Danette and smiled. “I’m looking forward to having them.”

Danette was sure her face became a shade of bright red at that moment, especially when the ladies around her giggled. There was no doubt about it. Derek was just like Regan. Both had no trouble speaking their minds.

Regan and Malcolm stopped talking and headed in their direction. Curious about the conversation the two had just been sharing, Danette studied her friend’s face to see if she could guess if it’d been good or bad. Unfortunately, her gift wasn’t reading people’s expressions. She’d just have to be content with asking Regan about it when they had a moment alone.

For now, Chloe was telling them about the first time Derek went to see her brother. “My mother and I weren’t sure what to make of him as he went around Alexander, scanning him up and down,” Chloe said. “We thought he was an odd gentleman. Then he announced he knew what was wrong with him, and you’ll never guess what he said. He said Alexander was a bank!”

This time Danette joined the others as they laughed.

“To be fair,” Derek began, “the lad did have a lot of coins stuck in him.”

Danette’s mother waved at him and said, “You’re a sly one. I can see that you and my daughter are going to get along wonderfully.”

“I think so, too,” he agreed, surprising Danette. “I knew from the moment I met her that this was a good match.”

Regan gave Danette a wink, and Danette quickly glanced away. Yes, her friend had told her that, and her friend had been right. Things were ending up much better than Danette had ever dreamed possible. It almost seemed like it was too good to be true. Surely, at some point, something was going to sweep in and bring her back to reality.

Since there was a lull in the conversation, Danette gestured to Regan. “This is my childhood friend, Lady Cantrell, and her husband, Mr. Jasper.”

“Oh yes,” Derek replied with a bow. “Danette briefly mentioned you while we were playing a game at the park.”

“What game was that?” Malcolm asked.

“We were guessing what the other people were talking about.” Derek chuckled as he gave a playful pat on Danette’s lower back. “You wouldn’t think it to look at her, but Danette can be witty once she opens up to someone.”

Regan’s smile widened. “I noticed that with her when we were younger. You won’t have any trouble getting her to talk soon enough.”

“I was wondering about this game you were playing,” Malcolm began after he cleared his throat. “What is the purpose of it?”

“There is no purpose, really,” Derek said. “It was simply a nice diversion. I still laugh when I think of some of the things Danette and her mother came up with.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Danette’s mother told Derek. “Both of us couldn’t stop laughing for the rest of the day after some of the funny things you came up with.”

Malcolm’s eyebrows furrowed with worry. “I don’t understand how guessing what someone is saying is funny.”

Regan nudged him in the side. “Not everyone finds the pursuit of making money as fun as you do.”

“I just don’t see the point,” Malcolm told her.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Derek said. “There is no point. We were only having a relaxing day.”

“Exactly,” Regan agreed then turned her gaze back to Malcolm. “Sometimes people do things for the sake of enjoyment. It’s no different than the times you’ve counted the money in your ledger.”

Malcolm offered a nod as if he accepted her reasoning, but Danette sensed he was only doing it to appease her. And that was when Danette knew what the dark cloud overshadowing her marriage was going to be. She’d known Malcolm was more serious than most people, but she’d underestimated just how serious he was.

Early on in Regan’s pursuit of him, Danette had sympathized with him. Regan had thought little of potentially causing a scandal. Had he known Regan’s first husband, Frederick, her actions would have made more sense. Frederick had been sheltered his entire life. The moment he met Regan, he’d wholeheartedly embraced her tendency to do whatever she wanted regardless of what others thought. Regan, wishing to make up for the fun he’d missed out on during his childhood, had been eager to do all the risky things he’d wanted to try.

Malcolm was so different from Frederick. His goal was to avoid anything remotely scandalous, and from what she’d gathered, he distanced himself from anyone who might threaten his reputation.

Since the marriage, though, the two had found some common ground, and Danette had assumed Malcolm had loosened up. But now she was beginning to think Regan had been the one who’d changed. Maybe Regan was more inclined to stay away from scandals now.

Under normal circumstances, Danette would have been relieved. She didn’t care for being the object of a scandal any more than Malcolm did. If Regan was right, then Derek probably didn’t mind scandalous activities. And that could very well pose a problem.

While one of her mother’s friends asked him about a certain pain she’d been dealing with, Danette decided to talk to Regan. “Malcolm, do you mind if I talk to my friend?” Danette asked.

“Of course not.” Malcolm stepped aside, so the two could make their way to the other side of the room.

Once they were out of everyone else’s hearing, Danette focused on her friend. “Something’s wrong. Malcolm doesn’t like my husband.”

Regan shook her head, her gaze going heavenward. “Now that you know the groom is happy, why do you insist on looking for something bad to happen?”

“I’m not looking for something bad to happen.” All right. She might be prone to looking for the downside in all things, but this was different. She didn’t ask for Malcolm to respond to Derek the way he had. “I could tell Malcolm didn’t like Derek’s answer when he asked him about the game.”

“Danette, I love Malcolm with all of my heart, but it doesn’t mean I always agree with him. There was nothing wrong with the game you played at the park. In fact, it sounds like a lot of fun. We should try that at one of the balls. That is,” she added with a teasing gleam in her eye, “if you have the time now that you have one of the most handsome gentlemen in London to spend the evening with.”

Despite herself, her lips curled up into a smile. “Derek is good looking, isn’t he?”

Regan nodded. “And just wait until you see him without his clothes on. It’s a shame you missed the Duke of Rumsey’s ball when he ripped off his shirt in front of everyone. But then, you’ll get to see him tonight, so maybe the surprise will be even better.”

She gasped. “He didn’t.”

“He did. Remember, I told you he was banned from most of the balls because of that.”

Banned from most of the balls? Danette briefly recalled hearing a scandal about a gentleman deliberately going around to create scandals. Oh dear. It couldn’t be… What were the chances that the gentleman would be the one she just married?

“Are you sure the gentleman who did that at the Duke of Rumsey’s ball was Derek?” Danette asked, hoping Regan was mistaken.

“I didn’t realize he was Dr. Westward until I saw him, but there’s no mistaking that wonderful physique. Even with clothes on, he makes a good impression.”

Danette could understand why her friend was thrilled to learn she had just married one of the most devilish gentlemen in London. Regan thrived off the excitement of going against the Ton’s expectations. But this was horrible. She glanced at Derek, who seemed to be holding all of her mother’s friends captive with one of his stories about being a doctor. If he was banned from most people’s balls, did that mean she was banned, too? Would people assume she was just as scandalous as he was?

“Your husband wants to be with you,” Regan said, touching her arm to get her attention. “That’s what matters. Don’t mind what other people think.”

Danette couldn’t help but notice that Malcolm looked uncomfortable, even though he listened to what Derek was saying. Danette’s gaze went back to her friend. “What if one of those people is Malcolm?”

“I already talked to Malcolm. Yes, he’s shocked to learn you married someone with Derek’s reputation, but I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Malcolm isn’t as uptight as he seems. He learned to fall in love with me, faults and all. I’m sure once we get him and Derek together, he’ll want to befriend him. We’ll invite you and Derek to a dinner party. A nice, private dinner will ease a lot of tension.”

Danette wasn’t so sure her friend was right. Things couldn’t be that simple. Things were never that simple.

“Everything will be fine,” Regan said. “Remember, you promised to suspend your doubts for once.”

Danette sighed. Her friend was right. She had promised that, and she was determined to follow through on that promise. “All right. We’ll have the dinner party and see how things go.”

“Wonderful!”

“But don’t expect too much,” Danette warned before her friend could get too optimistic. “As much as I seek out the bad, you seek out the good. Things can’t be good all the time.”

“Well, I know Malcolm. When it comes down to it, he’ll choose what’s right.”

“Or what he thinks is right.” Before her friend could argue, Danette added, “They’re probably wondering why we’ve been talking for so long.” Plus, Malcolm looked uncomfortable by himself. Without waiting for Regan to reply, she headed back to the group.

***

Derek noticed a considerable difference in Danette after she talked to her friend. He’d spent his life watching people, and he’d gotten pretty good at figuring out what they were thinking. This gift had also gotten him into some serious trouble when he chose to confront them about it, especially if they said one thing but meant another.

In this case, Danette’s conversation with Regan had left her feeling insecure. It wasn’t something he faulted Regan for. The conflict, Derek guessed, stemmed from Malcolm’s reaction to him.

Derek didn’t know the first thing about Malcolm, beyond his relationship to Danette’s friend, but since he was Danette’s husband now, he had a responsibility to do whatever he could to ease any possible tensions that could arise between them. Without knowing the cause of the conflict, however, he wasn’t sure how to best proceed with things. The safest bet, he figured, would be in talking to Danette. It was Danette’s feelings, after all, that mattered.

So after the wedding breakfast was over and he took Danette to her new home, he led her to the drawing room and shut the doors to ensure their privacy. He urged her to sit on the settee and settled next to her.

“Danette, I’d like for our marriage to start out in a good position. Would you be willing to tell me the truth about a certain matter?”

“I will if I know the answer to your question,” she slowly replied.

He couldn’t help but note the way she clasped her hands in her lap as if she expected something horrible to happen. He placed his hand on her back, hoping the soft contact would help her loosen up. The poor thing worried much more than she should. He really wasn’t all that hard to please, despite what his brother believed.

“I sense something is troubling you,” he finally said after carefully weighing his words. “Will you tell me what it is?”

She didn’t answer right away, and he wondered if she felt comfortable enough with him to tell him. It was hard enough she was shy, but he was also asking her to be vulnerable, which was a tricky thing for any lady who’d just married a gentleman she hardly knew.

“Well, I…” She unclenched and then clenched her hands. “Regan said she recognized you from the Duke of Rumsey’s ball. She said you were the gentleman who took off your shirt.”

“Ah, I see.” So that was the problem. She’d heard of his reputation. Since he’d heard nothing of her, he knew she had a pristine reputation. He just assumed she knew who he was. It seemed as if all of London knew of his reputation. “I thought you recognized me when we met.”

She shook her head. “I attend a lot of balls, but I was sick the night of Rumsey’s ball.”

“I haven’t been to many since then.” Now that he thought about it, he could count all the balls he’d been to on one hand. “I’ve only been to three of them.” He debated on how he might best proceed from here. His brother had admonished him to be mindful of what he said instead of blurting out the first thing that came to mind. Finally, he opted for, “When I inherited my brother’s title, I promised I wouldn’t do anything else to upset the Ton.” Then, hoping to add some humor to the situation, he continued, “You needn’t worry I’ll go out to the park and remove any clothing.”

She chuckled, and the mood lightened considerably.

“I know my reputation has left a lot to be desired,” he added, “but I won’t do anything to embarrass you. I promise.”

“It’s probably silly I let gossip bother me as much as it does,” Danette replied. “I mean, what people say shouldn’t have such a strong hold on me.”

“I think it’s different for ladies than it is for gentlemen. Ladies have much more to worry about.”

“I know some ladies who aren’t bothered by scandals.”

“Everyone’s different. Some ladies are more sensitive than others.” He offered her a smile. “I like you just the way you are.”

“You do?”

“You’re a refreshing change from the prominent ladies of the Ton. I’m happy to be your husband.” And he was. He couldn’t think of anyone better. She had a refreshing sincerity so few did. “Is there anything else you wish to tell me?”

She shook her head. “No. That was the only thing on my mind.”

“Well, that was easy enough. Why don’t I show you around this place? I’m sure you’re curious about it.”

She glanced around the room. “I am, but I’m wondering where your portrait is. I see several gentlemen.”

“Oh those.” He’d meant to put them in another room, but with all the activity over moving his things in and getting rid of his old residence, it’d slipped his mind. “Those are my ancestors, especially those who held the title. The older ones are in the den, but in here are my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brother.” He pointed to each one respectively.

“Oh, that was your brother! I remember seeing him a few times at some balls. He didn’t dance much. It seemed he was more interested in sitting and talking to his friends.”

“He thought he had all the time in the world to get a bride and have a child to pass the title to. As it turns out, he didn’t. It was his greatest regret.”

“Because he realized that all the things in the world couldn’t make up for the love of a lady and child?”

He studied her expression. If he was right, then it was her secret longing for a love match and children that compelled her to make that deduction. He didn’t know if he should reveal the truth to her, but then he decided if he couldn’t be honest with her, then he couldn’t be honest with anyone.

“Actually,” he began, “he regretted it because it meant the title was going to me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Noting the sympathetic expression on her face, he hurried to assure her, “It’s the way things were between us. There’s no going back and changing any of it. I’ve made peace with it. The important thing is we make the most of the time we have. Life is short. I don’t want to waste it on regrets, and I do like the idea of a love match and children. I just never thought any lady would be brave enough to marry me, given my reputation.”

She laughed, and her cheeks went back to the pretty pink color he’d become accustomed to. “I never thought a gentleman would show up to the wedding and say all the vows. I expected you to bolt for the door at any moment.”

“No, I had no intention of doing such a thing.” He reached for her hand and took it in his. “If no one else was brave enough to marry us, then it makes the most sense we end up together.”

She lowered her gaze from his. Her smile still lit up her face, assuring him she was pleased by his words. Yes, she was shy, but she was already coming out of her shell. In no time at all, he figured she’d feel free to talk to him.

“Let me show you your new home,” he said.

Still holding her hand, he helped her up and led her out of the room.

Chapter Eight

That night, Danette drank some sherry, as Regan had recommended. “It’ll help you relax,” Regan had whispered.

Danette put the empty glass on the small table by her bed and released her breath. How long would it take for her to feel relaxed? As it was, she was far too nervous to even sit. Clearing her throat, she went back over to her vanity and studied her reflection in the small mirror.

Her cheeks were flushed, but she didn’t know if it was from anxiety or because the sherry made her feel warm. Maybe it was a little of both. Either way, at least she didn’t look so scared that she was pale. She was hoping Derek wouldn’t come into her bedchamber and decide she was too frightened to go through with the wedding night. The longer she waited, the harder it was going to be to go through with it. At least she knew what to expect. She’d hate to come to bed not having any idea of what was going to happen.

She brushed her hair and let the tresses fall over her shoulders, thinking it gave her a softer look. Then she adjusted her robe and turned away from the mirror. There was nothing else she could do except wait. And since she was unable to sit, she ended up pacing the length of her bedchamber.

She tried not to think of how much time was passing. Instead, she thought over the things she wanted to do over the next week. She’d have to visit her mother and, of course, Regan. Regan had her heart set on the dinner party. Danette wasn’t sure Malcolm would be all that happy with Derek, but even if he wasn’t, she was. She didn’t often see Malcolm anyway, so his opinion had little bearing on her life. Regan and her mother were happy with the arrangement, and that was all that mattered.

The knocking at the door connecting her bedchamber with Derek’s brought her back to more pressing matters. She took a moment to gather her courage and headed for the door.

She opened it, and Derek stood on the other side, smiling at her in a way that made her heart skip a beat. Maybe the sherry was finally doing its job or maybe it was the assurance he wanted to be with her, but she found herself relaxing a bit.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come here,” Derek said as he entered her room. “After you came up here, there was someone at the door who needed a prescription. He was the only person who was brave enough to have me as a doctor when I first started. He referred me to his friends, and from there, I had more people under my care. I felt it was only right I take a moment to help him.”

“I didn’t mind waiting,” she replied.

“I’m glad to hear it. I kept worrying you’d only get more nervous the longer I made you wait. I heard when ladies are virgins, the wedding night can be filled with a lot of uncertainty. Uncertainty with anything can lead to anxiety.”

“Gentlemen don’t get nervous when it’s their first time?” All right. That had to be the sherry at work because she never would have asked the question under any other circumstance.

With a smile that made her weak in the knees, he said, “Gentlemen are much too excited to be nervous.”

“Oh.” Then did that mean he was excited? All the sherry in the world would never compel her to ask that question. Besides, maybe it was implied.

“Being a doctor, I’ve been privy to more conversations than you can imagine. I took the liberty of bringing something to help ease things for you.” He pulled out a small bottle. She couldn’t make out what was written on it. “It’s in Latin. The apothecary I do business with feels more professional when he uses Latin on his labels. But this is a blend of herbs with some oil to help you relax, be more sensitive in the area that matters most, and will help lubricate you. I haven’t had a need to use it before, but he swears by it.” As an afterthought, he added, “Some of the wives swear by it, too. Would you like to use it?”

Touched he gave so much thought to easing her transition from virgin to married lady, she nodded. “Yes, I’ll use it.” Then, before she could stop herself from making the joke, she blurted out, “I’ll let you know if the apothecary and those wives are right.”

He grinned and lowered his head to kiss her. “I knew you were a fun lady the day I met you. It’s nice to see you open up to me.” His fingers brushed her cheek, almost a whisper against her skin. “I suppose getting things started will be awkward no matter what we do. Do you want to go to bed, and we’ll start things by just holding each other and talking?”

That was probably the best way to go about it. She glanced at the candelabra. At the time, she had decided to keep the candles lit, thinking he’d need the light to find his way to the bed. Now she was beginning to think she should have blown out the candles so she wouldn’t have to remove her robe where he could see her. The notion was silly, of course. They both had to be naked for what was going to happen. If he was going to touch her, he might as well see her.

Unable to look at him, she went over to the bed, pulled back the blanket, dropped her robe, and then slipped under the blanket. She hastened to bring the blanket up to her shoulders. She expected him to join her, but the room went dark, and a startled cry escaped her lips.

“I blew out the candles,” came Derek’s voice from the dresser where the candelabra was. “I thought it might make you feel more comfortable.”

It did, though she wished she’d thought to blow them out before she disrobed right in front of him. She released her breath. The sherry had made her skin warm and tingly, but it hadn’t relaxed her as much as she’d expected.

She heard him walk over to the bed, and in the next moment, he was crawling under the blanket. It took all her willpower not to edge away from him. Wives didn’t run away when their husbands approached them. According to Regan, some wives even approached their husbands. Danette couldn’t imagine ever doing something that bold.

Derek shifted next to her, and she finally looked in his direction in time to see him turning to face her. He lifted himself up on his elbow and surprised her by asking, “If we have a child, what name would you prefer?”

“Pardon me?” she asked, not sure she heard him right.

“I thought if our activity results in a child, then we should be prepared to name the girl or boy. Not many people think to come up with the name ahead of time. They often wait until their baby is almost born. I’ve met a couple who waited a week after the baby’s birth to give their son a name. If we decide on a name now, we won’t have to go through the entire nine months agonizing over choosing one.”

“But…but I haven’t thought of having children.” Sure, he’d mentioned it during the wedding, but she didn’t bother to take it seriously.

“Not many people do when they’re in bed. We, however, will do things differently. What can be more exciting than coming up with a name for a baby? Think about it, Danette. We can pick whatever we want, and that name will be what others will call the child for the rest of his, or her, life.”

“I-I don’t know what to name a child.”

“It can be anything you want.” After a moment, he asked, “Isn’t there a name you wished your parents had called you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t like my name?”

He chuckled and rubbed her arm reassuringly. “That’s not what I’m saying. I love your name. It’s just that while growing up, I often thought Piers would have been a better name. I like it more than Derek. Didn’t you ever, at any time in your life, wish you had a different name?”

“Well, my mother has a friend whose name is Thalia. I always thought it was pretty.”

“Would you like to have a daughter by that name?”

“I think I’d rather have her be Lysandra.”

“Then if we have a girl, we’ll name her Lysandra. Now, what would you like to name a boy?”

“You don’t want to name him Piers?”

He shrugged. “It could be a good middle one. I don’t know if I’d make it the first name.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem to fit.”

Curious, she turned toward him. “Don’t you want to have any say in the child’s name? I thought gentlemen, especially titled ones, cared a lot for what their son was named. We could name him after you. It’d be a legacy.”

“The legacy I wish to leave all of our children will be a happy and healthy childhood. I don’t need one named after me.”

“You’re an unusual gentleman,” she replied as she got up on her elbow so she could make eye contact with him. The moonlight filtering through the drapes lit up the room enough so she could see him. “I can’t recall a time when a gentleman didn’t want a namesake.”

“If we have a son, I want him to have his own name, something uniquely his. He shouldn’t have to share it with someone else.”

She thought over all the male names she knew then said, “What about Roman?”

“Roman?”

“I think it sounds distinguished. I imagine a boy with that name would be intelligent, thoughtful, and considerate of others.” Her face growing warm, she chuckled. “I know names are just names, but it’s easy to attach meanings to them, isn’t it?”

“It is. Tell me,” he scooted closer to her and put his arm around her waist, “what does the name Lysandra make you think of?”

“I suppose when I think of that name, I imagine a girl who’s beautiful, graceful, and poised. She’d be easy to like, and people would be drawn to her. Things I wish were true for me.”

“They are true for you, Danette. I could see how beautiful you were the moment I peeked at you behind those drapes.”

The memory, along with the sherry, was probably what made her giggle. “It was silly of me to hide in the drawing room when you came to visit, wasn’t it?”

“You were shy. I was a stranger. You had no idea what to expect. But, despite being shy, you didn’t bump into anything or trip, so I’d say you were both graceful and poised. I’ve found you to be an easy lady to like. If we have a daughter and name her Lysandra, then she’ll be a lot like you.”

She was so touched by his words she couldn’t think of a single response. But he saved her the trouble of trying to come up with one when his lips brushed hers. The kiss was softer than she’d expected. It took her a moment to realize he was asking her for permission to continue. Despite her uncertainty, she returned his kiss, her skin flushed with her bold move.

The move, however, paid off, for she felt his arm, which had been resting on her waist, relax. Maybe he wasn’t nervous about the actual act of lovemaking, but he had definitely been nervous about the prospect of initiating it. And knowing this, she felt considerably more at ease.

He slid closer to her, though their bodies still weren’t touching. Instead, he seemed more intent on kissing her. This was nice. Her mother had told her she’d know if she had a caring husband if he didn’t rush into the lovemaking, and if she’d had any doubts before, now she knew Derek would be considerate of her in all things. This thought led her to realize she was already in love with him. She hadn’t believed love could be possible this soon, but there was no other explanation for the way her heart warmed.

Derek urged her to settle back on the pillow. She followed his lead, and soon, she was immersed in the world that separated her and Derek from everyone else. It was wonderful to lie down with him and get lost in his kisses. When his tongue brushed her lower lip, it only felt natural to part her mouth and let his tongue interlace with hers.

He made no move beyond kissing for the longest time. From time to time, his mouth would leave hers so he could kiss her cheeks and her neck, the neck being the most sensitive by far. She especially enjoyed it when he left a line of kisses from the bottom of her neck up to her ear. The action made her shiver in pleasure, something she hadn’t been anticipating.

She didn’t become aware of the pleasant sensation building up in her core right away. She’d been too engrossed by the thrill of his kisses to concern herself with much else. But when she shifted closer to him, she became aware of the moisture between her legs. And from there, she realized it felt strangely pleasant down there. She’d never experienced something like this before, but she was eager to find out where it was leading. If it was anything like the kissing, it’d be most enjoyable.

When Derek finally made the move to touch her, it seemed as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He caressed her shoulder first and then let his hand go down to one of her breasts. He cupped her in his palm, and then he traced the curve of her breast with his fingers until he settled at her nipple. His thumb circled it, making it harden, before he brushed the tip.

This intimate touching was much more arousing than the kissing had been, and it only served to make her core ache all the more. She let out a moan and shifted against him. This time she felt a part of him that was hard. It shocked her for a moment since she hadn’t expected it, but then she recalled what her mother had told her about the differences between gentlemen and ladies and how these differences led to children.

She wasn’t sure if she was hurting him by pressing so close to it, and she thought about scooting away from him—just in case he was in pain. But then he drew her into his arms and pressed himself more firmly against her. Well, he wouldn’t do that if she’d hurt him. So she was relieved of that worry.

With a groan, he shifted away from her and retrieved something from his side of the bed. She was ready to ask him what he was getting when she remembered the small bottle he’d brought with him.

“I didn’t realize how much self-control this whole thing was going to take,” he whispered, his voice taking on a husky quality that made her breath catch in her throat.

In the dim light, she saw him open the bottle and pour a small portion of the liquid on his fingers. After sealing the bottle, he put it back then turned back to her.

“I didn’t mean to break the mood,” he apologized.

“It’s not broken,” she assured him, closing the distance between them.

She was far too aroused to stop now. The ache between her legs was demanding to be satisfied, and if those herbs he’d brought worked half as well as he said, then she was eager to experience what was coming next.

This time she kissed him, quickly renewing their connection, and he made no qualms about following her lead. Soon, she was settled on her back. She fully expected him to touch her breast again, but he brought his hand between her legs. The moment his fingers touched her entrance, she spread her legs wider to invite him inside of her.

He caressed the folds of her entrance first, an action which made her that much more excited for what was to come. She lifted her hips, urging him inside, and he obliged her.

She wasn’t sure who groaned the loudest, but there was no doubt he was receiving pleasure from this, just as she was, though she didn’t think he could possibly be enjoying this quite as much as she was. It was her core, after all, that clenched around him, pulling him in deeper. And when he stroked her, he rubbed a part deep within that made her cry out for more.

He followed her prompting and was soon stroking her core in earnest. Her hips rose to meet him with each thrust. The tension mounting within her grew stronger, and before long, the need for release was so overpowering her body left all sense of propriety and acted on its own accord. She’d never, in her entire life, acted with such abandon. But at this moment, she was given over to her passions. Crying out in pleasure, she moved her hips faster to aid him along, and she was sure she grew even louder right at the moment she reached the peak. Her body stilled, and her core clenched around his fingers. In waves, the pleasure peaked and waned, each one less intense than the first. When her core finally slowed its persistent clenching and unclenching, she relaxed, lightheaded.

His fingers slid out of her, and he settled between her legs. Still weak, she could only manage to lift her hips to take him into her. He thrust into her, and the initial sting surprised her. Too late did she remember her mother’s warning about a lady’s first time. But he remained still, allowing her time to accommodate him, and it wasn’t until she urged him to move that he did. She relaxed once more as she was assured the pain was gone for good. Her focus, at that point, went to the feel of him as he made love to her.

He filled her core completely, and she recognized the part deep within her that had given her the most pleasure just moments before. He was stroking it now, something that made her moan along with him. If this was how it was going to feel from now on, she would have no trouble looking forward to the bed.

He continued with his thrusting, his actions growing more urgent, his body getting tense. And then, there was the moment when he went still and let out a cry. She became aware of the pleasant warmth inside of her as he filled her with his seed and held him tightly to her to better savor the moment. They were connected now. From this moment forward, they were truly husband and wife, and her heart beat with excitement. Yes, it was so soon after they met, but she loved him. She’d never been more sure of anything in her entire life.

Chapter Nine

When Derek woke up late the next morning, his bride was still beside him. There was that brief moment upon waking that he thought he’d dreamt the entire thing—the arrangement, the wedding, and the wedding night. But as soon as he opened his eyes, Danette was sleeping on her side, facing him.

Her black hair was spread across the pillow. Her rosy lips were slightly parted. The blanket only came up to her waist, but her arm was settled on her breasts, blocking a full view of them. The result was absolutely alluring.

Content to watch her, he didn’t dare disturb her. It wasn’t every day he got the chance to wake up to such a pleasant sight. Would he spend the rest of his life waking up next to her, or would they eventually retire to their own bedchambers as most of the nobility did? He liked to think they would still want to share a bed after many years together.

For now, he decided he’d enjoy the moment for what it was. There was no sense in thinking so far off into the future. He’d witnessed enough people dying to know a long life wasn’t a guarantee. The important thing was to take each day as it came and spend it with people who mattered. Danette was going to be one of those people. He had no doubt about it.

Content, he continued watching her for about fifteen minutes until she stirred from sleep. She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw him.

Laughing, he wiggled closer to her. “Your reaction isn’t something I was hoping for,” he teased as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms. “I had imagined you might cry out in delight that you really did marry me yesterday.”

She giggled and snuggled against him. “I am glad we’re married. I just didn’t expect to see someone staring at me.”

“I was admiring your beauty. I couldn’t help it. I can’t get over how pleasing you are to look at. For the life of me, I’ll never understand why you didn’t have gentlemen lining up to propose to you.”

“You needn’t flatter me. I’m already yours.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze around the waist. “I’m not flattering you. I mean it. You have a natural beauty most ladies don’t. I can’t count the number of ladies I’ve seen who went to all the fuss of prettying themselves up with jewelry, elaborate hairstyles, and fancy gowns. You take all those things away, and there’s not much to appreciate. But with you, it’s different. You’re just as honest as you look.”

“You keep talking like that, and we may never leave the bed.”

He grinned. It was nice to see her emerging from her shell. “We could spend all day here.”

“I don’t think we can.”

“Of course, we can. I’m not due to see any of my patients for an entire week. That leaves me free to spend seven days in this bed if I want to.”

“But we’ll go hungry.”

“Not if we have the servants bring the food up.”

“Surely, they’ll talk if we don’t leave the bedchamber.”

He shrugged. “Let them.”

“I don’t know. Don’t you think they’ll say bad things about it?”

“They’ll think I’m an exquisite lover.” He glanced at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “It would be one of the few times the rumors were in my favor.”

Catching the blush on her cheeks, he rolled on top of her and kissed her neck with kisses so light they tickled her. He liked it when she laughed. She had a nice, full laugh. The pitch wasn’t annoyingly high, nor did she hold back. She simply expressed her pleasure, and it was even better since he was the one who gave her a reason for the moment’s enjoyment.

A knocking at the bedchamber door stopped him from proceeding further. “Maybe the servants are wondering if we want something to eat,” he told her. “Believe it or not, it’s already eleven.”

“I didn’t realize it was so late,” she replied as he got off of her.

“I’m afraid you kept me up most of the night.” He grabbed his robe and glanced over his shoulder so he could wink at her. “I’m not complaining. You were worth every sleepless hour.”

Noting the way her face went bright red, he chuckled. From time to time, he’d get a patient’s request to visit them in the middle of the night, so she really hadn’t exhausted him. Once he secured the robe, he went to the door and opened it, making sure the footman didn’t see Danette in the bed.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but Mr. Robinson and Lord Edon said they must speak with you at once. It sounded urgent.”

Derek couldn’t imagine what could possibly be such an emergency his friends had to pay him a visit, especially so early in the day. Perhaps someone they knew needed a doctor. If it was pressing, he didn’t want to make the person wait.

“See them to the den,” Derek said. “I’ll be down there shortly.”

The footman indicated he would do as told and headed for the staircase.

Derek closed the door and turned to face Danette, who hadn’t budged from her spot in the bed. “I suppose we might as well get dressed. I have a couple of visitors. While I didn’t set up any visits this week with a patient, sometimes I’m asked to help at a moment’s notice.”

“You think it’s serious?” she asked.

“Honestly, I’m not sure, but I don’t dare take the chance in not finding out. Do you mind?”

“No, of course not. Your job is to take care of people. I understand that.”

With a smile, he went over to the bed, leaned forward, and kissed her. “You’re a wonderful wife. I’ll let you know what the matter is once I find out.”

From there, he went to his bedchamber, cleaned up, and got dressed. He hadn’t been one to spoil himself with a valet. His brother had been into that sort of thing, loving to be fussed over every moment of the day, but Derek preferred to do as much for himself as possible.

Once he was presentable, he hurried on down the stairs in time to see Christopher and Ethan standing in the den, talking quietly to one another.

Christopher was the first to notice Derek. “I told Ethan you’d be here today,” he said, a triumphant smile on his face. “Even a doctor as busy as you would make time for your wife.”

Derek noted the relaxed posture in both gentlemen and knew there had been no emergency after all. This was to be a social visit. Well, he supposed that was fine. Danette was probably hungry and would prefer to come down to eat rather than have a meal brought up.

Derek proceeded further into the room and picked up the decanter. “Knowing full well I was here with my wife, you came over to interrupt us?” he asked, his tone light.

“To be fair, it is the middle of the day,” Christopher replied. “We didn’t realize you were going to stay in bed all day.”

Derek poured brandy into three glasses. “Why shouldn’t I? I told all my patients I’d be indisposed for an entire week so I could get better acquainted with her.”

“You can’t do that out of bed?” The knowing smirk on Christopher’s face told Derek he was joking.

“I can talk to her while in bed as well as I can out of bed, but why not mix the two together?” Derek put the decanter down and held out a glass to each gentleman. “I happen to think a lady is far more interesting to listen to when she’s naked.”

“It’s hard to argue with you on that point,” Christopher said.

“You’re inclined to argue with me about other things?” Derek asked, taking a seat across from them.

“Not often, but there is one thing I wish to argue.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Christopher glanced at Ethan, who indicated his silent agreement in whatever Christopher had planned to say. When Christopher turned his attention back to Derek, he continued, “We want you to reconsider membership at White’s.”

Derek nearly spit out his brandy. After taking a moment to wipe his mouth with a handkerchief, he cleared his throat and set the glass down. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“You know very well ‘why not’.”

“But we need people like you. White’s is becoming dull. Too many stuffy gentlemen have joined recently, and they’re starting to hinder us from having a good time.”

“Sadly,” Ethan finally spoke up, “it’s true. Lord Steinbeck is leading the whole thing. Not only is he gathering support among half of White’s members to stop gambling, but he wants to stop us from talking about the latest scandals.”

Christopher nodded and gestured to Ethan. “He’s right. If Lord Steinbeck has his way, we won’t even be able to read the Tittletattle there. It was bad enough he almost got Ethan’s book banned. You know the one. We gave you a copy shortly before your wedding.”

“The one on how to pleasure a lady,” Derek said with a nod. “I found it helpful. Why would Lord Steinbeck have such a problem with that book?”

“Because he doesn’t believe ladies should enjoy the bed?” Christopher guessed with a shrug. “If it hadn’t been for one gentleman voting in our favor, we would have lost. I wish I knew who that gentleman was. I’d go right up to him and shake his hand.”

“We’ll never know who did it,” Ethan said. “All the votes were secret.”

“I know, but I still wish I had a way of finding out.” Christopher let out a long and heavy sigh. “It’s too bad my cousin Perry didn’t take a peek at how the gentlemen were voting.”

“That’s why he was chosen to collect the votes,” Ethan replied. “Everyone else would have peeked.”

“My cousin is always ruining things.”

“He could have lied and said the book was banned. As I recall, he didn’t want a copy when you dumped one in his lap and told him if he didn’t read it, he’d lose his wife.”

“I didn’t dump it in his lap. I gave it to him wrapped in brown paper.” Christopher looked at Derek and added, “I might have mentioned the possibility of him ruining his marriage if he didn’t read it.”

“You have a big heart, Christopher,” Derek teased then picked up his brandy and took a sip.

Christopher’s eyes grew wide. “Why is it wrong for me to care about the happiness and wellbeing of the gentleman who practically raised me?”

Ethan snorted. “You were tired of your wife nagging you about finding him a good wife. There was nothing selfless about it.” Before Christopher could protest, Ethan directed his gaze to Derek. “We could use someone like you at White’s. One of the gentlemen recently died, and we’ll be voting in a new member soon. Why don’t you let us nominate you?”

Derek finished his brandy and shook his head. “I’m not popular with the Ton.”

“Neither are we,” Ethan replied.

“But you two aren’t banned from the balls,” Derek reminded him. “When people hear my name, they get a strange twitch in their eye. You know the kind of twitch I’m talking about. It’s the same kind you get when your father-in-law wants to engage in fencing with you or when,” he looked at Christopher, “Lord Roderick laughs about that time he made you clean out stalls and chamber pots.”

Ethan cringed, and Christopher shuddered. All right, so their eyes didn’t twitch. But their reactions still proved his point.

“You two would be the only ones who’d vote me in anyway,” Derek added. “Why waste your time on even bringing me up at the vote?”

“Because some of the gentlemen are getting tired of Lord Steinbeck bullying everyone,” Christopher said. “Granted, some agree with him, but most don’t. Most are going along with it because they’re afraid of him. He has some influence, and some gentlemen stand to lose something if they lose his favor. Mark my word, some would vote for you just to see him get taken down a notch.”

“So what you’re saying,” Derek began, “is that people would vote for me as a way of voting against him.”

“Exactly!” Ethan snapped his fingers. “You are the extreme opposite of Lord Steinbeck. He’s uptight and overbearing. You are entertaining and fun. You’d be a breath of fresh air, and that’s exactly what White’s needs.” He leaned forward in his chair and stared Derek squarely in the eye. “Now, more than ever, you are needed to come to the aid of your fellow gentleman.”

Derek chuckled. For goodness’ sakes! By the way Ethan talked, one would swear Derek was being recruited to join a war, not merely upset the balance of power at a gentleman’s club. “This is ridiculous. I won’t get voted in. You’re fighting a lost cause. You’d be better off finding someone else to go against Lord Steinbeck.”

“There is no one else,” Christopher argued. “Not anyone who’s as well-known as you are for creating trouble.”

What a shame that was Derek’s reputation. He had a lot to do to make up for it. “I’m married, and I have a title. I have a responsibility to be an honorable marquess.”

“Don’t let others destroy what’s great about you,” Christopher said. “We love the fact that you aren’t afraid to speak your mind. And it wasn’t like you ever spread falsehoods. You pointed out things to people when they deserved it. You weren’t willing to let them get away with mistreating others.”

Ethan nodded. “I, for one, often wished I had your courage.”

“Courage doesn’t give a gentleman a good reputation,” Derek said.

After a moment, Ethan ventured, “What if we voted you in on the basis you would be a different gentleman than the one you used to be? Marriage can change a gentleman. It changed me. I went from being a rake to a loving husband and devoted father. The same could be true for you.”

Encouraged, Christopher smiled. “That’s an interesting way of looking at it. Maybe this could be a fresh start. If you can get into the good graces with the gentlemen at White’s, maybe you won’t be banned from any more balls.”

Drats. Just when Derek thought he’d won his argument, they spun things around to suit their side of things. But really, what were the chances he’d ever get voted into White’s? Rare to none. So why not let them suggest a vote for him? The vote would be no, and they’d leave him alone about the matter. There would be no harm done. Then they’d stop this pointless conversation.

“All right,” Derek relented. “I’ll join White’s if I’m voted in.”

Christopher jumped up and cheered.

“I’m not so sure I’d get excited,” Derek commented.

“Why not?” Christopher asked. “We finally have something to wage war against Lord Steinbeck. After you get voted in, he won’t be able to bully us around anymore.”

“If I get voted.”

Though Derek had offered the warning, neither Christopher nor Ethan seemed to be paying him attention. They were too busy making plans on how they would nominate him at the next meeting at White’s.

Well, there was no stopping them. When they got excited about something, they didn’t listen to anyone.

“If you don’t mind,” Derek finally said as he collected their glasses, “I want to get back to my bride.”

“We don’t mind at all,” Christopher assured him then patted him on the shoulder. “Do everything I would.”

“Don’t you mean, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do?” Ethan corrected.

“No, I mean do everything I would.” Christopher gave Derek a knowing grin. “The more adventurous, the better.”

“I enjoy the bedchamber as much as the next gentleman, but I don’t obsess over it like you do,” Ethan told Christopher. With a glance at Derek, he added, “It will be nice to have you at White’s. Lord Steinbeck and his kind are dampening all the fun. We’ll let you know how the vote goes.”

Derek indicated he understood and saw them out. He’d just shut the door when Danette came down the stairs.

“I thought the footman was supposed to get the door,” Danette said in surprise.

“I don’t mind doing it from time to time.” Derek went over to her and cupped her elbow with his hand. After he gave her a kiss, he said, “Your timing is perfect. I was about to ask you if you wanted to join me in getting something to eat?”

“I’d be delighted.”

His footsteps feeling light, he escorted her down the hall.

Chapter Ten

A week passed before Regan came to visit Danette. Danette had been getting ready to pay her friend a visit when the butler announced Regan’s arrival.

Danette encouraged her lady’s maid to hurry in finishing with her hair, and then she hurried down to the drawing room where Regan was sitting on the settee, sipping tea.

“I was going to go to your townhouse to see you,” Danette greeted. “It’s positively spooky that you read my mind.”

“That’s the second time we’ve done this, if you’ll recall,” Regan quipped. “Last time, you came to my townhouse.”

“I did.” She sat next to her friend and turned to face her. “I was so nervous because Derek wanted to meet me. You were the first person I thought of to talk to. You’re more patient with me than my mother is. She wouldn’t have understood why I was so nervous.”

“It was a long time since she married. I think the older we get, the harder it is to remember the uncertainty of being young.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Where is your handsome husband?” Regan asked.

“He has a couple of patients to see today. It was wonderful of him to spend all of last week with me. He really seems to care for me.”

“That’s terrific, Danette.” Regan’s gaze went to the open doorway before she lowered her voice and added, “What did I tell you about his chest? Isn’t it magnificent?”

Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, Danette admitted, “He is very well built, but I have no gentlemen to compare him to.”

“I do, and I can tell you he has a marvelous build. When you find out how he managed to acquire all those muscles, let me know.”

“He chops wood and carries supplies for people in need. He does this with no pay.”

“He does?”

Danette nodded. “He mostly does this for people who are old or have a physical reason that hinders them from doing the work themselves. He says he was fortunate to be brought up in a wealthy home where he never had to want for anything. Most people in London aren’t so fortunate. I never thought about it until he told me.”

“It’s easy not to think about it when you’re preoccupied with our world of balls and dinner parties.” Regan smiled. “You couldn’t have been matched with a better gentleman.”

“I know. Helena, Chloe, and Melissa did a wonderful job in picking him for me.”

“They did. I knew they would.” Regan finished her tea and set the cup on the table. “Now, the reason I came by was to invite you and Derek to a dinner party. It’ll be an informal affair between you, me, and our husbands. Malcolm’s parents will be watching Leonard, so our husbands will get to know each other.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, they come from two different worlds.”

“They’re not all that different. They’re gentlemen who have money and wonderful wives.”

Danette’s lips curled up at the last part of her friend’s comment. “I agree we are wonderful. However, you know how much scandal Derek created in the past. I know he’s changed all that, but doesn’t Malcolm have trouble overcoming that sort of thing?”

“He got over my indiscretions.”

“Yes, but you kept yours tame. You were never mentioned in the Tittletattle or banned from balls.”

“I got fortunate,” Regan said. Before Danette could ask her what she did in the past that might have warranted such a scandal, her friend added, “Malcolm and I would love to have you and Derek over this Saturday evening. What do you say? Will you come?”

“I’ll ask Derek, but I’m sure he’ll say yes.” Her new husband seemed willing to do whatever she wanted. She couldn’t imagine he’d say no, especially since he knew Regan was a good friend.

“Good! In the meantime, would you like to take a walk?”

“That’d be nice.”

Getting up, the two ladies headed for Hyde Park.

***

“Good afternoon,” Derek greeted the twelve-year-old girl of a small residence. “I have an appointment with your mother. Did she tell you I was coming by?”

“Yes.” The girl gestured for him to enter the home. “You’re early. You aren’t supposed to be here for another thirty minutes.”

Derek stepped into the house and said, “Things didn’t take as long with the last patient as I expected. I hope that’s all right.”

She nodded. “I’ll tell Mother you’re here. She’s taking a nap.”

As she hurried off down the hallway, he went further into the room where her younger siblings were. The seven-year-old girl was quietly reading a book. The two, three, and five-year-olds were playing with toys. Well, none of the children seemed to be ill. So the matter involved either Christina Leith or her husband.

He sat on the couch, and the children came over to him, asking if he’d brought any candy. He dug out the small treats from his pocket and handed them to the children.

The twelve-year-old came back out. “I knocked on Mother’s door and let her know you’re here. She said she’ll be out soon.” She turned to her brothers and sisters. “Let’s go to the park. The doctor needs things quiet while he visits with Mother.”

With candy in hand, the children ran to get their shoes, nearly bumping into each other as they did so. Derek chuckled at the sight. Maybe someday, he and Danette would have children who toppled over each other like these did.

A couple minutes after the children left, Christina came into the room, her face flushed and her hair slightly out of place. She was patting it, but no matter how hard she tried, a few errant strands wouldn’t cooperate. Even her skirt showed signs of an afternoon tryst. Derek’s eyes widened in surprise. He had assumed her husband was at work, but apparently, he wasn’t.

“My lord,” she greeted with a bow as he rose to his feet, “I didn’t expect you here so early.”

“First, there’s no need to stand on formality just because I have a title now. Second, I’m sorry I came early. My last appointment was over sooner than had I anticipated,” he replied then gestured for her to sit.

She settled on the settee and adjusted the skirt neatly around her. “It feels so different to have a marquess as my doctor.”

“It shouldn’t,” he replied, returning to his chair. “I’m the same person I always was. Now, I notice your children are doing well, and I take it your husband is, too. You also look to be in good health. Shall I guess why you wanted me here?” he asked, his tone taking on a teasing quality.

“You know me much too well. I bet you can guess.”

“Only because I’ve been taking care of you and your family for years. All right. Since you want me to guess, I will. You’re expecting another child, and you want me to confirm whether or not you’re right.”

“I know it’s silly. I’ve been with child often enough, but I feel better having the assurance. I haven’t lost a single child to childbirth since you’ve been my doctor.”

“I understand. In that case, I’ll ask you the questions I usually do.”

“Ask away.” She shifted and a handkerchief fell out of her pocket.

“I’ll get that for you,” he offered before she could bend over to retrieve it.

As he picked it up, he noticed WBT embroidered on the fabric. It was a gentleman’s handkerchief. There was no mistaking the masculine design.

“Oh, that’s my brother’s,” Christina said, taking it from him and stuffing it back into her pocket.

Derek thought back to a time when she’d mentioned a brother, and after a moment, he recalled it. But he was sure her brother’s name was Maxwell Ford. Those initials didn’t match up with the ones on the handkerchief. And if he recalled right, she only had the one brother.

She was lying. He was sure of it. He debated whether or not to let the matter go. Of all the things he could accept, lying was the hardest one. He might not have cared much for his brother, but at least his brother had been decent enough to be honest with him. But worse than the shock of finding out she was lying to him was the fact that she was one of the few people he trusted…at least up until now.

Pushing aside the unease in his gut, he returned to his chair and forced the pleasant smile back on his face. “All right. Let’s start with the last time you had your lady’s time.”

“Um, I believe it was about six weeks ago today.”

“That being the case, have you been unusually tired lately?”

“I feel tired on most days, given all the running around I do after the children.”

If he hadn’t seen the initials on that handkerchief, he would have chuckled at her joke. The way things were going, however, he could barely manage a smile. “You know the kind of tired I’m referring to. You go through it for a couple months when you’re with child.”

“Yes, I know. I suppose I’m afraid to hope. When I lost my dear Wilma at birth, I decided I wanted to have as many children as the Good Lord allows.”

“I understand.”

And there was nothing wrong with that, as long as she went about it the right way. Her disheveled hair, the blush in her cheeks, and the unkempt skirt, along with the handkerchief, indicated things weren’t as innocent as she’d have him think. If he’d come here when he was supposed to, would she have been presentable? Would he have stumbled upon her secret? How many times had he missed her secret trysts?

He cleared his throat. “How have you been eating?” he forced out.

“Now that I think about it, not all that well,” she replied, her casual tone indicating she’d been doing nothing inappropriate. “The other day when I ate, I thought I got ill because it’s something I often have trouble with anyway, but there might have been something else to it.”

She continued discussing the other things she’d been experiencing lately, and he halfheartedly listened. How long had she been having an affair? Did her husband know? Worse, did her children know?

Should he tell her husband? How would the situation affect her children if he did? How many of the children were even her husband’s?

This was why he hated lies. They only complicated things, and they forced others to make very uncomfortable decisions when they learned the truth.

“I feel much better since you came by,” she finished after rambling for a few minutes.

He blinked, unaware he hadn’t heard most of what she’d been saying. Not that it mattered. She had a tendency to rehash the same things.

She rose to her feet. “Thank you, Dr. Westward. I mean, my lord.”

He slowly stood up and gave careful thought to what he should say. “Christina, will your husband be happy to learn you’re expecting?”

“He always is.”

“Am I right to assume he has a reason to be happy each time you tell him?”

“Is that what’s troubling you? Well, don’t worry about a thing.” Her smile widened. “He loves children as much as I do, and he takes it as a sign of his strength and virility each time I bring him another one.”

Each time she brought him another one? Whether she knew it or not, that could be interpreted different ways. He stopped himself from saying more. He could very well be misunderstanding the situation. Maybe the handkerchief had nothing to do with her afternoon tryst. Maybe it had to do with something else.

Then why lie about her brother? As much as he wanted to find a reason to hold her blameless, he was having a hard time doing so.

“I better go,” he finally told her.

“Of course,” she said. “You have other patients to visit. I’ve been selfish enough with your time. Shall I have my husband send payment, or should I give you some eggs and biscuits?”

“Let’s wait for now,” he decided. “I’ll get back to you later about it, all right?”

“Anything you wish,” she agreed.

Once he was finally outside, he took a deep breath, held it, and released it. He knew full well what his brother would want him to do. His brother would want him to act like nothing happened and go about his life as usual. Discretion was the highest priority. As long as no one knew about the affair, this was perfectly acceptable in London.

Don’t make trouble, his brother would tell him. Husbands take mistresses and wives take lovers all the time. There’s nothing unusual about it.

But even as his brother’s warning played over and over in his mind, he stayed within eyesight of the home and waited to see who might slip out the back. He doubted the gentleman she’d been entertaining would go out the front.

It took a half hour, but the gentleman finally slipped around from the back. His hat was lowered, and he was looking down. The clothes he wore would make anyone believe he was part of the middle class, but the handkerchief told Derek otherwise.

Keeping his distance, Derek followed him. The gentleman took a long walk around a park, even sitting for a good ten minutes, before leaving. From time to time, he glanced around, and Derek wondered if the gentleman suspected Derek had figured out what was going on. To this end, Derek made it a point to be discreet himself, slipping around trees and buildings when possible.

In the end, the gentleman finally went to his townhouse. A very expensive one at that. Derek shook his head. Lord Riggley. Of all the gentlemen who might be having an affair with a lower-middle class lady, it was Lady Cadwalader’s brother, one of London’s elitist members.

Chapter Eleven

“Derek, what’s bothering you?” Danette asked that evening.

She went further into the den but stopped short of approaching the chair where he sat, staring at nothing in particular. If he was one of those gentlemen who needed to be left alone when they were upset, then it wasn’t her place to intrude. However, there were times when she’d been upset and it had helped to have someone with a caring ear listen to her.

Derek glanced over at her and indicated she could sit in the chair beside him. Once she did, he said, “You go to most of the balls and listen to people talk.”

Not sure what he was getting at, she settled for nodding.

“Don’t you ever hear anything that bothers you?” he asked.

She clasped her hands together and braced herself for his answer. “Did you overhear someone say something unpleasant about me?”

“No. No one has said anything unpleasant about you. What I mean is,” he shifted so he could face her, “have you ever overheard someone mention they were having an affair?”

Her face warmed. Those tended to be the things she paid the most attention to because they happened to be the most interesting pieces of gossip. If it wasn’t that, she often listened to people say what they didn’t like about another person. But she didn’t dare tell him any of this.

What she chose to tell him instead was, “I’ve heard of some affairs.” She shrugged and added, “I don’t think people are even aware I’m nearby when they discuss such things.” It wasn’t like she hid behind furniture, plants, or long drapes at the balls. She sat in a chair where anyone could see her.

“What do you do when you hear such things?” Derek asked.

“Well…nothing. I figure it’s not my place to interfere.”

He waited for a moment, probably weighing her words, and she gulped, wondering if she’d said something wrong despite the care she took in choosing her words.

With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes. “I’ve never learned to stay out of things. That’s what has gotten me into so much trouble in the past. Sure, the Ton will call scandal on an affair if it’s exposed, but they really don’t care if someone is having an affair or not as long as no one finds out. What I’ve never been able to resolve is the hypocrisy of it all. What’s the sense in saying something is wrong if you’re going to go behind closed doors to do it?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Are you seeing a mistress?”

He blinked in surprise and shook his head. “No. This isn’t about me. It has nothing to do with either one of us.”

She exhaled, more than a little relieved to hear this.

“This is about someone you don’t know,” he continued. “But that’s not even the problem. If someone knows something is wrong, do they have a moral obligation to warn the innocent person about it? Or, because it’s accepted by Society, does one keep quiet on the matter?”

“I never thought about it,” she said. “I just assumed most married people took lovers, so it’s to be expected.” Though, to be fair, she’d never thought about it happening to her. Then again, she hadn’t expected to ever get married.

“I suppose you’re right,” he replied. “People probably assume their husbands or wives are already seeking out lovers. If the husband knew, he probably wouldn’t be surprised. And who knows if he isn’t engaged with another lady on the side?”

“Not all married couples seek lovers. Regan and Malcolm don’t.” She wished she could think of more examples, but her mind drew a blank. Regan knew many more people than she did. Since she had no other examples to give, she finally offered, “I don’t have a lover on the side.”

At that, his expression softened, and he smiled at her. “I don’t have a mistress. I never have. I’ve had to visit too many gentlemen and ladies who had unpleasant results from such encounters.”

“You did?” Not once did anyone ever mention getting hurt from such activity, but then, why would they when they were bragging about it?

“If people understood the dangers of syphilis and gonorrhea, they’d be more inclined to stick with one partner.”

Unable to stop herself from being curious, she leaned toward him. “What dangers?”

“It can be anything as minor as foul odors, abnormal discharges, and rashes to something more serious like dementia and blindness.”

“Really?” Not one single person had ever mentioned any of this, and honestly, she never would have guessed this type of thing possible.

Derek reached out and took her hand in his. “It’s not always easy to tell what’s happening early on because these things can be mistaken for other illnesses. Most of the time, I don’t even get the right prescription because the patient fails to tell me everything I need to know. It’s been one of the most frustrating things in my profession. I got into this to heal people, but I can’t do my part if I’m not given all the facts.”

“What kind of facts?”

“I’m sure you heard enough at those balls.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to upset your sensibilities. You’ve been spared from the harsher realities of life. It’s one of the things I like most about you, and it’s one of the things I hope never changes.”

She bit back her disappointment. He was right. She shouldn’t be so curious about bad things. She’d be much better off focusing on the good.

“Just so you know,” he added, “I won’t ever take anyone but you to my bed. Or,” he grinned, “go to anyone’s bed but yours, as I’ve been doing every night since we married.”

“I won’t have anyone but you either,” she replied, her disappointment quickly waning.

So what if she didn’t know more about the type of things he’d seen? What mattered was that he wanted the kind of marriage she did, and for that, she considered herself very fortunate.

“I’m glad,” he said. “I don’t want our marriage to be like the others in London. I want ours to be better than that.”

“I do, too.”

“Good, because I’ve never been the kind of person who wanted to do what everyone else is doing.”

She returned his smile. “Do you feel better about that thing you overheard today?”

“I feel better because I have you.”

It wasn’t quite the answer she had expected, but his mood had considerably lightened so that was enough.

***

Malcolm sat next to Warren Beaufort, the Earl of Steinbeck, at the large table at White’s.

“I hope whoever gets voted in is reputable,” Warren whispered. “You know what they say: bad company corrupts good character.”

Robert Byron, the Earl of Dunnaby, sat on Warren’s other side with a glass of brandy in his hand. “Are you still moping about the fact that the gentlemen voted to keep that book in this establishment?”

“No, this has nothing to do with that obscene book,” Warren said, though Malcolm suspected the results still bothered him. “Do you know how difficult it was to get Malcolm voted into White’s? Half the gentlemen want someone like those cads over there.” He gestured to Ethan and Christopher, who were laughing with Malcolm’s brother-in-law, Logan, and a couple of others. “How much do you want to bet they already have someone in mind?”

“You do, too,” Robert replied.

“Yes, but Lord Worsley will benefit the group.”

“Because he’s like you?”

Warren turned his gaze to Malcolm. “Is it my imagination, or does Robert want a reprobate to be voted into the group?”

“I didn’t say I wanted a reprobate to be voted into the group,” Robert argued. “I’m just saying there’s no harm in a little fun from time to time. I see no reason why everything has to be so serious with you.”

Malcolm’s eyes grew wide. He had suspected Robert was developing a more lenient stance on issues that once bothered him, but this only confirmed it.

Apparently, Malcolm wasn’t the only one who noticed because Warren asked their friend, “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Robert said.

Usually, Malcolm wouldn’t press the issue. He had a sister and mother who would claim nothing was wrong all day long, and until they chose to come out and say what it was, there was no getting them to talk. But Robert wasn’t a lady, so maybe Robert could be encouraged to talk.

Malcolm leaned forward in his chair to give Robert a better look. “Something’s troubling you. Come. Out with it.”

In all fairness, Malcolm never would have spoken that way to his sister or mother, but this was Robert he was speaking to. Gentlemen didn’t require all the tenderness ladies did.

And as it turned out, Robert let out a sigh, indicating that he was going to tell them. “All right. But you asked for it.”

Malcolm fully expected Robert to direct that last statement to him, but he gave a pointed look at Warren instead.

“You’re starting to upset me,” Robert told Warren.

Warren blinked in surprise and pointed to himself. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Robert said. “I’ve been seeing Miss Carlisle quite a bit lately. Do you remember her?”

Warren paused for a moment and then shrugged. “I recall hearing the name.”

“She’s a good friend of Lady Iris.” When Warren’s expression remained blank, Robert added, “Lady Iris is the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter.”

“Oh. The Duke of Hartwell! Yes, I know him. He’s a wonderful gentleman. I could talk with him all evening and not get bored.” Warren glanced at Malcolm. “He’s not as good as you when it comes to making money, but he has plenty of it and has kept abreast on the things happening in Parliament.”

Robert groaned. “I’m not talking about him. I’m talking about Lady Iris.”

“Really?” Warren asked. “Why?”

“Miss Carlisle was right. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“Pardon me?”

“Do you even remember the evening I brought Miss Carlisle to your townhouse for a dinner party? Malcolm and his wife were there, and so was Lady Iris. Through the whole evening, you ignored Lady Iris.”

Warren’s draw dropped. “I did not!”

“You most certainly did. I admit I was too stupid to realize it at the time, but Miss Carlisle assured me it was the case. More than that,” Robert gestured to Malcolm, “his wife saw the whole thing, and urged Lady Iris to never speak to you again.”

Malcolm didn’t know this. Why didn’t Regan tell him?

Before Warren could say anything to Malcolm, Robert continued, “You were fortunate Lady Iris didn’t take his wife’s advice right away. It’s not every lady who’ll give someone who treated her so rudely another chance, but she was willing to do that. And how did you act at the next dinner party? Just as abhorrently as you did before. Except, this time it was worse because I noticed it.”

Warren’s jaw dropped, and it took him a full thirty seconds before he could reply. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. If Lady Iris wasn’t happy, she should have said something.”

“If she had, I doubt you would have listened to her.”

Malcolm shifted in the chair. This conversation had been going poorly as it was, but he had the sinking feeling it was going to get worse.

And he was right.

“If you feel I’m such a rude gentleman, then why do you talk to me?” Warren asked.

“You bring up a good point,” Robert said then rose to his feet. “Until you can start treating people like Lady Iris with respect, I don’t have anything else to say.”

Robert headed off to the other side of the table and sat next to Lords Roderick and Clement.

Warren huffed and straightened his cravat. “What did he expect me to do with Lady Iris? Carry her out of the room and have my way with her?” He shook his head. “If he had such a problem with the way I was acting, he should have mentioned it at the dinner party. And honestly, it’s not like there’s not much one can do with a lady at a dinner party. Once the meal is over, the gentlemen go into one room and the ladies go into another.” He looked at Malcolm, as if expecting him to agree.

Thankfully, Lord Clement chose that moment to stand up and clap his hands to get everyone’s attention. “It appears that we’re all here,” he began as soon as everyone grew quiet. “As it turns out, we have two openings.”

“Two?” Ethan asked.

“Yes. Lord Garrett decided to stay in India. In light of the fact that he won’t be returning, we’ll be giving his slot to someone else.”

Warren glanced at Malcolm. “This could be good or bad. Lord Garrett wasn’t much of a member, but at least he didn’t get into trouble.”

“Think of it this way,” Malcolm began, “you have a better chance of getting Lord Worsley into the club.”

At this thought, Warren’s worried frown relaxed. “That’s true. I just know Ethan and Christopher are going to try to get some scandalous cad in. The most we can do is balance it out with someone decent.”

“All right,” Lord Clement said. “If no one has any objections, we’ll start nominating gentlemen we want here.”

Chapter Twelve

Ethan and Christopher stopped Derek the next day as he was passing by the marketplace on his way to a patient’s residence.

“We have good news,” Ethan told him.

“The best,” Christopher added, looking as if waiting to tell Derek was killing him.

“All right,” Derek obliged, gesturing for them to come out with it. “What is it?”

“You’re the newest member of White’s!” both exclaimed in unison.

Derek’s jaw dropped. Surely, he couldn’t have heard them right. “What?”

“The vote was in your favor,” Ethan replied, “and you’re now a proud member of White’s.”

“Thank goodness, too,” Christopher said, “because the Viscount Worsley also got voted in.”

“B-b-but I thought there was only one opening,” Derek stammered, tripping over his words as he struggled to make sense out of all they were saying.

Christopher grinned. “As it turned out, there were two. Worsley is just as bad as Steinbeck, so we need someone like you. If it was up to Steinbeck, we’d only discuss money and the Parliament all day.” He gagged. “Can you imagine anything more boring?”

“No, I can’t,” Derek admitted. He’d spent enough time listening to his brother and father while growing up, and those were the only things they cared about. He used to sneak off to spend time with the servants’ children in order to have something interesting to do.

“You need to come by White’s soon,” Ethan told him. “The sooner we introduce you to the others, the better. Steinbeck is bringing Worsley over today.”

“Are you going to be there when he does?” Christopher asked.

Ethan grimaced. “I’d rather suffer unbearable torment. That’s why I offered to go shopping with my wife.”

Since Ethan gestured to one of the tables in the marketplace, Derek glanced over and saw Ethan’s wife. At the moment, Catherine was selecting pencils and drawing pads. Next to her was Christopher’s wife, Agatha, who seemed more interested in studying a nearby table with reticles and gloves.

“I’m not here because I like to come to the market,” Ethan added, turning his gaze back to Derek.

“Oh come now,” Christopher admonished. “You’re spending the day with your wife. What could be more relaxing?”

“I do enjoy spending time with my wife,” Ethan said. “It’s just that when those two get together, I barely get a word in edgewise. It’s like I don’t exist.”

Christopher chuckled. “It’s good our wives get along so well. It means we get to have a lot of dinner parties.”

Realizing the two were going to start rambling, Derek said, “As much as I hate to end this conversation, I need to get to my next patient.”

“We won’t keep you,” Christopher said. “But please get to White’s as soon as you can. Let one of us know when you’ll go, and we’ll be there to introduce you to the gentlemen there.”

“Yes, do come soon,” Ethan added, a hint of desperation underlying his pleasant tone. “I don’t know how much longer I can bear with Steinbeck. That gentleman doesn’t know when to stop.”

“I’ll see when there’s an opening between appointments and carve out a time to come.” Then, before they could say it again, Derek promised, “I’ll do this as soon as I can.”

Noting they relaxed, Derek bid them a good day and continued his walk.

***

On the evening Danette and Derek were due to go to Regan and Malcolm’s dinner party, Danette thought she just might throw up. It took all of her strength to sit still while her lady’s maid worked on her clothes and hair. Finally, when the lady was done, Danette was able to pace back and forth in her bedchamber.

What if Derek and Malcolm didn’t get along? The two were so different. She didn’t know if they’d find any common ground. What would this mean for her and Regan? Would it be awkward to see her if their husbands didn’t get along? Or would she and Regan have to only see each other when their husbands weren’t around?

She rubbed her stomach. Her mother wouldn’t be at all pleased with her for worrying so much about this. Her mother was right. She looked for the worst. She needed to be positive about things. But even as Danette took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down, her stomach churned in protest.

The knocking between her bedchamber and Derek’s made her sigh with relief. It was easier not to dwell on all the bad scenarios playing in her mind when she was with him. She crossed the room and opened the door.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was good looking as it was, but when he dressed in his best clothes, he was magnificent.

“I heard ladies take longer than gentlemen to get ready to go somewhere, but it looks like I made you wait,” Derek said.

“Oh, I don’t mind waiting,” she replied, stepping aside so he could enter.

“Well, my father used to say the reason ladies take so long is because they need to make themselves beautiful. In your case, you’re already beautiful. It’s no wonder why you had to wait for me.”

Pleased by the compliment, she got ready to thank him, but he brought her into his arms and kissed her. Without any prompting, she relaxed in his embrace and kissed him in return. It was easy to forget all about scandals and trying to please a friend’s husband when it was just the two of them.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t freeze time. All too soon, the kiss was over, and he was leading her to the door. She tried to keep up with his pace, but on their own accord, her steps slowed.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, turning to her.

She hesitated to tell him, but something in his tender gaze prompted her to answer. “You’ll think it’s silly.” Taking her eyes off of his, she pretended to be distracted by some imaginary lint on her gown. “I’m worried this evening won’t go well.”

He put his hand over hers and clasped it, his touch gentle and reassuring. “I know what the Ton expects. I can play the part of the perfect gentleman. You have no need to worry about this evening.”

She turned her gaze back to his and realized he was going to do it for her. She should have felt relief, but instead, she experienced a twinge of guilt. Was it really fair to ask him to be someone he wasn’t for the sake of appeasing other people?

“Come,” he softly encouraged. “We don’t want to be late. I’d like to get better acquainted with your friend and her husband.” When she didn’t make a move toward the hallway, he smiled. “You have nothing to worry about. This evening will go well. I promise.”

***

“This evening won’t go well at all,” Malcolm told Regan as he tapped the edge of his chair in the drawing room fifteen minutes later. “I just know it.”

Regan glanced up from the tea she was pouring. “Why do you say that?”

“Because Warren’s been in a bad mood ever since Danette’s husband got voted in White’s. He worries Lord Dodsworth will influence the gentlemen into moral depravity.”

At her husband’s mournful sigh, Regan laughed. “Oh, that’s absurd. One gentleman can’t have such an impact on an entire group. Besides, who cares what Warren thinks?” Recalling how much her husband idolized the gentleman, she offered an apologetic smile. “I know you respect Warren, but his opinion is only his opinion.”

“You think I put too much emphasis on it?”

“Would you like me to tell you the truth?”

He frowned, seeming to weigh the pros and cons of hearing it. Finally, he nodded. “Very well. Tell me the truth.”

“Warren thinks much too highly of himself. The world doesn’t exist to cater to his every whim. If he keeps it up, he’ll push everyone away from him. I’m surprised you manage to bear with him as often as you do.”

He stopped tapping the edge of the chair’s arm and leaned toward her as she added lumps of sugar to her and Danette’s cups. “Did you really tell Lady Iris she’d be better off if she didn’t continue to let him call on her?”

“I did, and,” she added before he could argue with her, “I won’t apologize for it. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, and a lifetime is much too long to spend with a gentleman who holds you in contempt.”

“He didn’t hold her in contempt.”

She sat back in the chair and gave him a pointed look. “Yes, he did. She knows just as much about money as he does, and yet when she tried to engage in the conversation you, he, and Robert were having at the dinner party, he ignored her. If you ask me, the only reason he invited her was to get in the good graces of her father.”

Malcolm stared at her for a long moment then asked, “You really think he ignored her?”

Only a gentleman too engaged in the conversation would have missed the obvious, and as much as she loved Malcolm, she wasn’t so stupid she couldn’t see his faults. “Yes, he did. I felt sorry for the poor lady. She’s very intelligent. If you and Warren had paid more attention to her that evening, you two might have learned something new about money. Her father is a shrewd businessman. Evidently, he taught her what he knows.”

“I don’t understand it. If my behavior was so deplorable, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because my concern was with Warren. I wanted to protect her from a lifetime of misery.”

“Warren’s not all bad. He does have some good qualities to offer a wife.”

“Sure, as long as the wife prefers a gentleman who only sees her as a brood mare.”

She could tell by the way his eyes widened that she’d caught him off guard, but if she didn’t tell him how Warren was acting, then who else would? She’d been willing to put the matter aside about that evening. In fact, she hadn’t said a word about it to Malcolm out of respect to him. Warren was his friend, after all. However, if he was going to ask for her opinion, then she saw no reason to hold back.

“I make no apologies for telling Lady Iris to run as fast as she could from Warren,” she added. “If I had to do it again, I would. Maybe this way she’ll meet a kind and sensitive gentleman who will appreciate her.”

The butler came into the drawing room and announced Danette and Derek had arrived. Glad for the reprieve from the awkward conversation, Regan hurried to greet their guests.

Chapter Thirteen

Derek thought the dinner went well. Regan did most of the talking, and he couldn’t help but note she made it a point to include everyone in the conversation. Between her and Malcolm, this proved she was the more social of the two. And it was easy to like her. She had an easygoing nature mixed with fun and compassion. It was no wonder Danette considered her a good friend. The two seemed to balance each other very well, and he suspected Regan benefited just as much from their friendship as Danette did.

At the end of the meal, Derek and Malcolm went to the den so the ladies could have time to talk alone.

“Would you like some brandy?” Malcolm asked as he went over to the decanter.

“Yes, thank you.”

Derek sat in one of the chairs and glanced around the room. He didn’t know much about Malcolm, except that he didn’t dare do anything to upset the Ton. But as he examined the books lining the shelves, it occurred to him Malcolm placed a high importance on the acquisition of wealth.

The other items in the room were all neat and organized. The papers on his desk were in a neat stack, and the ledger had been closed with a ribbon to mark his place. Never in his life did Derek see anyone so meticulous. Even Malcolm’s hair and clothes were immaculate. Indeed, he resembled a statue more than an actual human being.

After Malcolm poured brandy into their glasses, he came over to Derek and held one of the glasses out to him. “Congratulations on getting into White’s.”

Surprised, Derek accepted the glass. “Thank you,” he said. Malcolm didn’t strike him as the type of gentleman who’d be particularly thrilled to have him in the club. “No one was more shocked than I to hear the news.”

Malcolm sat across from him and crossed his legs. “You didn’t expect to get in?”

“No. I assumed no one except for a very few would have the courage to be seen with me. My past isn’t exactly the kind of thing gentlemen brag about.”

“Well, your wife seems to be happy with you.”

“Danette is braver than other ladies. I guarantee you no one else would have agreed to the match.”

Malcolm chuckled. “If you made it into White’s, you can’t be that bad.”

“That depends on who you talk to.”

Derek took a sip of the brandy, and he had to admit the rumors about Mr. Jasper serving the best brandy weren’t exaggerated. The meal had been just as delicious. Much as his attire and his home, everything he did was with the desire to be the best. Derek had to hand it to him. At least he knew what he wanted and went for it.

After a moment of awkward silence passed between them, Derek said, “I hope I don’t damage your reputation by being here.”

“My brother-in-law is Lord Toplyn,” Malcolm replied. “If he hasn’t damaged it by now, then you have nothing to worry about.” He took a sip of his brandy. “Do you know Lord Toplyn?”

“No, I haven’t even heard of him. I keep to myself most of the time. That is, when I’m not tending to the sick.”

“Lord Toplyn became my brother-in-law by kissing my sister at a ball. Granted, we were outside by the carriage, but it was enough to secure a marriage with her.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad. I’ve heard of gentlemen who did worse to secure a marriage. Had he been banned from any balls?”

“No, unfortunately.”

“I have. I think Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson are the only gentlemen who invite me to their balls, and we both know what a rake Lord Edon is. If your brother-in-law is able to show his face at other gentlemen’s balls, then he’s more reputable than I am.”

Malcolm raised an eyebrow and grinned, as if he suspected Derek was joking. “Are you trying to tell me I should make you leave my townhouse?”

“I figure your friends at White’s will think the only reason I’m here is because your wife insisted on it. I am her friend’s husband. I just don’t want you to go through the pretense of liking me. I understand you have to be pleasant to me while we’re in the ladies’ company, but you don’t have to do that when we’re alone.”

Malcolm’s smile faltered. “Is that what you think? That I’m only being nice to you because of my wife?”

“Will you deny the only reason you’re allowing me into your townhouse this evening is because of her?”

Malcolm shifted in his chair, a clear sign the conversation was making him uncomfortable.

Derek put his glass down and leaned forward. The sooner they got this out of the way, the better. “I’m not judging you. I don’t mind it if we’re pleasant to each other when we’re with our wives or when we’re at White’s. The one thing I don’t like is when someone says one thing and means another. I grew up with it, and I see it a lot with the Ton. I prefer honesty above all else.”

Malcolm waited for a moment before answering. “I admit I wasn’t all that excited to learn you were the gentleman Danette was marrying. Regan’s talked of little else but finally having Danette over for dinner parties. It wasn’t that we didn’t invite her before. She just didn’t have anyone to come here with, and she didn’t want to feel left out.”

“No one can blame her for that.”

“I agree. I wouldn’t want to go to a couple’s dinner party if I didn’t have a lady with me.” He paused then added, “I love Regan. I’d do anything for her. She asked me to give you a chance. Already, I can say you’re better than my brother-in-law. He does and says things for the sole purpose of annoying me.”

“Does he?”

“One time he was giving me tips on how to pleasure my wife right in front of everyone at White’s. It was so embarrassing. Some of the gentlemen at White’s think I’m awful in bed because of it.”

Malcolm grimaced, and Derek had to force back the urge to laugh. Not that it was a laughing matter. Really, it wasn’t. No gentleman wanted to be thought of as being inadequate in bed. But considering how perfect Malcolm was in appearance, it was startling to see him portray a sincerely human emotion. He no longer seemed like a statue.

“Perhaps,” Derek began, “your brother-in-law tries to annoy you because you respond to him.”

Malcolm frowned. “How do you mean?”

“Well, if the grimace you just gave me is similar to how you react when he does these things, then it’s possible your brother-in-law finds you amusing.”

“You think he’d stop doing those things if I ignored him?”

Derek shrugged. “I’d try it and see what happens. I could be wrong, but what have you got to lose by trying a new tactic?”

Malcolm studied the brandy in his glass for a moment and then nodded. “You make a good point. I’ll try it.”

Since there was nothing else to say on that topic, Derek opted for, “Well, if your friends ask why you let someone of my reputation into your home, you won’t hurt my feelings if you tell them you only did it to please your wife.” He rose to his feet. “Unlike other gentlemen, I’m not so fragile I can’t handle it when someone doesn’t like me.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like you,” Malcolm argued, quickly standing up.

“I know you didn’t, but I’m aware our worlds don’t mix.” He glanced around the room once more. “You obviously have an excellent reputation and are proud of it. I won’t do anything to embarrass you.”

“Did I say something to make you think I thought you would?”

Realizing Malcolm was sincere in the question, he assured him, “No, you didn’t. You’ve done everything you could to make me feel welcome.” Then, without waiting for Malcolm to say anything else, Derek added, “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to go to the drawing room.”

Despite the look of uncertainty on his face, Malcolm nodded and led Derek to the drawing room.

***

“I told you everything would be fine,” Regan told Danette as they reclined in their chairs, sipping tea. “Our husbands got along wonderfully during the meal.”

“Yes, I think they did, too,” Danette admitted, though she truly hadn’t expected them to. The two had seemed to have an easy enough time talking during the meal. “Maybe it won’t be so awkward with the two belonging to the same gentleman’s club.”

“Both you and Malcolm have a tendency to worry too much. I had to remind him it was perfectly fine to have Derek over for a dinner party. You’re my dearest friend. There was no way even Warren could find fault with it.”

Danette lowered her cup to her lap. “Was Malcolm worried Warren wouldn’t approve you of having Derek here?”

“Malcolm worries over every little thing that might upset the insufferable earl. Honestly, I don’t know what’s so wonderful about him. His opinion isn’t as important as either of them believes.”

Danette knew she shouldn’t let what others thought about Derek bother her. But no matter how hard she tried to hold back the question, it came out anyway. “What is Warren’s opinion of Derek?”

“Lord Steinbeck has the same opinion of him that he does for most of the people he meets. It has no bearing on Derek. Warren is the rudest and most conceited gentleman in all of London.” Shaking her head, her friend continued, “I shouldn’t even refer to him as a gentleman. Doing so only pays him too much respect.”

It was on the tip of Danette’s tongue to press her to answer her question rather than avoid it, but at that moment, Derek and Malcolm came into the room.

Regan frowned and turned to their husbands. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Derek said as he sat in a chair next to Danette. “I missed my wife and wished to return to her. Your husband has been a gracious host, Regan.”

Danette glanced at Malcolm, and if she was right, he appeared somewhat bewildered, though it seemed he was struggling to hide it. Her gaze went back to Derek. Did they have a good conversation? By the smile on his face, she gathered they had. But then, if they had enjoyed talking, why did they feel it necessary to join her and Regan so soon?

“I’m not much into sitting around and talking,” Derek continued. “I’d rather be doing something. Does anyone feel like joining me in a game?”

Since the settee was the only place left to sit, Malcolm sat there. “I don’t mind a game. What kind did you have in mind? I take it chess is out of the question since there are more than two players.”

Regan got up from her chair and settled beside him. “We could play charades.”

“I don’t know,” Derek said.

“You don’t like the game?” Danette asked.

Derek shook his head. “It’s not that. I love the game. It’s just that I have my own interpretation of certain notable people, and it’s likely to upset some in this room.”

Though he didn’t come out and mention Malcolm by name, Danette wondered if he was referring directly to him. Regan would have no trouble making fun of some of the elite members of the Ton.

“We could make up rhymes,” Regan suggested.

“Yes, I suppose that would be safe enough,” Malcolm said.

Danette bit her lower lip. Was it her imagination or did Malcolm’s voice sound strained?

“Rhymes would be fine,” Derek replied. “Danette, why don’t you start?”

“Don’t we need a list?” Danette asked.

“We could do this without a list,” Derek said. “Why don’t you come up with a sentence, and Regan can rhyme it? Then Malcolm will do the next one, and I’ll rhyme what he says.”

“That sounds like a lot more fun than using a sentence already written out,” Regan agreed. “Go on, Danette. Come up with a sentence.”

Danette straightened up in her chair and cleared her throat. “All right, but I’m not very clever at this kind of thing.”

“I doubt that,” Derek told her with a smile that made her believe she was capable of anything. “You have a great sense of humor.”

She doubted she could come up with anything funny, but since everyone was waiting for her to start the game, she ventured, “I once read a book about a swan.”

“That was so boring, I had to yawn,” Regan filled in.

She looked expectantly at Malcolm, who thought for a moment then said, “Despite trying to trudge through it, I fell asleep until dawn.”

“And when I woke up, I had no clothes on,” Derek blurted out.

Regan burst out laughing, and Derek shot Malcolm and Danette an apologetic smile.

“It was the first thing that came to mind,” Derek said. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Regan replied. “That was a good one. I enjoyed it immensely. It was funny. Danette, you want to start the next one, or shall I?”

The butler came into the room, followed by Malcolm’s mother who was holding four-year-old Leonard in her arms. The boy groaned.

Though both Regan and Malcolm got up, it was Regan who rushed over to him. “Is Leonard sick?”

“He has a stomachache,” Malcolm’s mother said. She turned her attention to Malcolm. “It’s our fault. Your father and I let him have too much dessert.” She gave Leonard to Regan, and he settled in his mother’s arms. “We knew we should have stopped after he had four gingerbread cakes.”

“How many did you let him eat?” Malcolm asked.

His mother winced. “I think ten.”

Malcolm’s eyes grew wide. “Ten? After he ate dinner?”

His mother shrugged. “He insisted he wasn’t full, and he was so adorable.” She glanced at Regan, her eyes pleading with Regan to understand. “When Malcolm was a child, he looked at me with the same woeful expression, and I couldn’t say no to him either. I’m weak when it comes to children.”

“Father had no trouble telling me no,” Malcolm said.

“He’s gotten soft in his old age,” she replied. “He didn’t have the heart to say no to Leonard any more than I did. I’m sorry, Regan. I didn’t mean to give him an upset stomach. I would have kept him overnight as planned, but he kept asking for you.”

“It’s all right,” Regan assured Malcolm’s mother. “Leonard has a hard time understanding that when he’s full, he needs to stop.”

“Well, I feel terrible about it,” his mother said, wringing her hands. “I’m old enough to know when to say no to a child.”

“There’s no need to fret,” Derek interrupted as he went over to them.

Even as he spoke the comforting words, Leonard groaned in a way that indicated he didn’t believe him.

Derek chuckled and patted the boy’s head. “I assure you, a simple upset stomach is easy to mend. You’ll see soon enough.” He turned to Regan. “Is there any peppermint or ginger in this place?”

“We have peppermint tea,” Regan replied.

Curious, Danette rose from her chair and approached them but kept her distance so she wouldn’t get in their way. She hadn’t seen her husband performing his job before. Already, she was intrigued to see the sudden change in him. He’d gone from being laidback to being serious almost immediately.

“Good,” Derek told Regan. “Have the butler bring half a cup. Not hot. Just warm.” With a glance at Malcolm, he added, “We don’t want to burn the poor lad’s tongue.”

With a nod, Regan had Leonard lie down on the settee and then hurried out of the room.

“Is it all right if he removes his shirt?” Derek asked Malcolm. “Sometimes if a person gets too hot, it only makes them feel sicker. I find cooling someone off helps their stomachs settle faster.”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Malcolm replied.

“Maybe we should also bring in a cool damp cloth to place over his head,” Derek added as he removed the lad’s shirt. “It might speed up the process.” He urged Leonard to lie back down. “Is that any better?” he asked Leonard.

“No,” Leonard muttered.

Derek fanned the lad with his hand. “Any better, or is it the same?”

After a moment, the boy said, “A little better.”

“Is there a fan around here?” Derek asked Malcolm.

“I have one,” Malcolm’s mother spoke up. She moved closer to Leonard, opened the fan, which had been clipped to the side of her belt, and began fanning him. With a pointed look at Malcolm, she playfully admonished, “And you think purchasing extra fans is a waste of money.”

Noting Malcolm’s sigh as she proceeded to fan the boy, Danette inwardly chuckled. Regan had told her he couldn’t understand a lady’s insistence on shopping all the time on frivolous items like gloves and fans when they already had enough of them. Well, maybe this would prove having a spare or two of an item wasn’t a waste.

Regan returned to the drawing room with a small cup. “I have the tea.”

“Thank you.” Derek took the cup and propped Leonard’s head on a pillow. “Only a sip,” he told the boy. “Any more than that, and things will get worse. Understand?”

The boy nodded and took a sip.

“Good,” Derek said, his tone soothing. “That’s the right amount to take each time your mother offers you a drink.” He turned to Regan and handed the cup back to her. “I think he’ll be fine in twenty minutes. If he falls asleep, just carry him up to bed.”

“Is it really that simple?” Malcolm’s mother asked.

“Yes,” Derek replied. “Most people want to roll onto their stomachs or sit through it, but I find this technique is the quickest way to get through it.” He glanced at Leonard. “Are you any better?”

Leonard nodded, and Malcolm’s mother breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Derek gave her a reassuring smile. “Grandparents have a natural tendency to spoil their grandchildren in all matters, especially food. You’d be surprised how often I’m called in for these things.”

“Really?” Malcolm’s mother asked.

“Really.” Then he turned back to Leonard and gasped. “Well, I can see you’re telling the truth, Leonard. Look at this.” He reached behind the boy’s ear and produced a coin. “This is proof you’re getting better.”

The boy’s eyes grew wide, and he took the coin. “How did you do that?”

“I didn’t do it. You did. I suspect when you are back to your old self, you’ll have a lot more of them. Making money is a sure sign your health is improving. When you wake up in the morning, you might find a pile of them beside yourself in bed, and then you’ll know you’re all better.”

At that, the boy smiled as he turned his gaze to Malcolm. “Are you proud of me, Father? I’m making money.”

Malcolm returned his smile. “You don’t need to make money for me to be proud of you. I already am.”

Derek glanced at Danette. “I think we should leave. The lad will do better if there’s not a lot of activity around him.”

“Of course,” Danette replied, taking that as her cue to go over to him.

But he didn’t head out of the drawing room as she expected. Instead, he went over to Malcolm, whispered something in his ear, and gave him a few coins, making sure Leonard didn’t see the exchange.

“Thank you, Derek,” Regan said when Derek turned to Danette.

“I’m happy I could make myself useful,” Derek told her. “Are you ready?” he asked Danette.

Danette accepted his arm, joined him in saying goodbye to everyone, and left with him, thinking her husband had to be the sweetest and kindest gentleman in all of London.

Chapter Fourteen

“Finally, you came,” Christopher called out as Derek walked into White’s a week later. “Ethan and I thought you’d forgotten we voted you in.”

“I didn’t forget,” Derek replied, glancing around at the fine furniture, gaming tables, and abundant supply of liquor. Only when he was with his brother and father had he seen such excess. “I take it all gentlemen do here is play games and get drunk.”

Christopher gasped and put his hand to his chest. “Most assuredly not! We conduct important business here.”

“I don’t know if I consider wagers over ladies and estates all that important. You forget that I read the Tittletattle.” And as it seemed, so did the gentlemen at White’s since there were copies of the scandalsheets on a nearby table.

“I’ll have you know we take this club very seriously. It’s a place where we can say and do whatever we want without reproach from the Ton.”

Derek’s eyebrows raised. “Freedom from the Ton?” Maybe this place had some merit, after all.

“I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. Any place we can be ourselves and not suffer for it is worth being at. This is why Ethan and I thought of you. We would have tried to get you in sooner, but it was far easier to convince the gentlemen to vote for a marquess than a doctor. Some are so particular about titles.”

“I understand. A title, or money, gives a gentleman an advantage.”

“And if you can have both, which you do, then it’s even better.” Christopher nodded toward a group of gentleman playing a card game. “We should start over here and make our way around the establishment.”

Derek followed his friend and stopped next to him. Christopher proceeded to introduce him to everyone at the table, and though Derek didn’t recognize most of them, he did recognize Lords Davenport and Reddington since he tended to their families during his duties as a doctor.

After the pleasantries from the introduction were made, Christopher asked, “Are there any notable wagers going on at the moment?”

“No,” Davenport replied. “We’re playing for entertainment.”

Christopher grimaced. “Playing for the sake of playing is not entertaining.”

“I agree,” Lord Toplyn replied. “I’d much rather make the whole thing a lot more interesting with a wager.”

“That’s easy for you to say since your wife is wealthy,” Davenport said.

“Your wife brought a sizable amount of money into your marriage, too,” Toplyn was quick to point out. “You could afford to lose a little of it in a wager.”

“No thank you. I’m happier to sit back and just play a game.” Then, before anyone might utter a word of protest, he said, “Wagers are nothing but trouble.”

“I can’t believe it,” someone called out from behind Derek and Christopher. “Finally, one of White’s scandal seekers is making sense.”

Derek turned in time to see two gentlemen approaching. He recognized Lord Steinbeck, but he did not recognize the tall, dark-haired gentleman standing next to him.

“I see you brought the gentleman you and Lord Edon begged everyone to vote for,” Steinbeck told Christopher, giving Derek a critical glance from head to toe.

Derek bristled but kept quiet. It wouldn’t do to start his first day at White’s with a brawl.

“We didn’t beg anyone to vote for the Marquess of Dodsworth,” Christopher replied, using the same casual disdain in his tone Steinbeck had just employed. “Enough gentlemen know that if they want to save this establishment from years of boredom, the best thing to do is to vote for someone like him.” Christopher patted Derek on the shoulder. “Besides, a marquess outranks a viscount.”

Steinbeck stiffened. “You think a rank is the only thing that matters? You have no title, you simpleton. If it weren’t for your cousin, Lord Clement, you wouldn’t even be here. No, it’s not a gentleman’s rank that gets him into the club. It’s his connections.”

“Which explains why you two reptiles are slithering through here together,” Christopher replied, smiling as if he came up with the cleverest retort anyone could come up with. “I suppose you’re off to seek out more of your kind. Well, you’re in luck. The menagerie is that way.” He pointed out the west window. Turning to Derek, he added, “I hear they added new vile creatures to their exotic supply of animals. These gentlemen must be on their way to meet them.”

Steinbeck spoke to his friend, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear as he said, “It’s quite sad when someone doesn’t know his jokes aren’t funny. It leaves me in a dilemma. Do I tell him, or do I let him continue on with his delusion?”

Steinbeck’s friend chuckled. “Why waste your time? He’s not intelligent enough to understand you.”

“Unfortunately, you’re right.” Steinbeck gave Christopher the kind of smile one might give a foolish child. “It’s all right. We know you can’t help being what you are.” Then, without letting Christopher reply, his gaze went to Derek. “This is the Viscount Worsley. Your brother had hoped to make his acquaintance, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. We are all sorry to see your brother go before his time. He had much to do and offer the world. It’s not fair someone like that should die while in the prime of his youth.”

“You’re right,” Derek agreed. “It’s not fair. Deaths of the young are the hardest to accept.” He paused then added, “On his deathbed, my brother shared a secret with me. He mourned the fact that he hadn’t married and had an heir. All the money he’d acquired meant nothing to him.”

“That’s understandable since he was a titled gentleman,” Steinbeck said.

“It’s not just the titled gentlemen who say these things. People, regardless of their monetary situation, often think of their loved ones as they depart from this world to go to the next. The real tragedy is in the things they never said or did with the people in their lives while they lived. Money, titles, and the acquisition of things mean nothing at the end.”

“Exactly!” Christopher exclaimed. “I have a wife and a darling little girl. More than that, my wife and I love each other. So it seems to me, I’m better off than you, Lord Bachelor.”

Steinbeck glowered at him. “I didn’t realize we were in a competition.”

“Not everyone wishes for marriage,” Lord Worsley said. “Some gentlemen see it as an inconvenience.”

“Then by all means,” Derek began, “don’t marry. Your title will go to your next of kin. I only hope you approve of him.” Figuring he’d said enough, he turned to leave, Christopher quick to follow him.

“That reminds me of something, Dodsworth,” Steinbeck called out.

As much as Derek wanted to keep on walking, some morbid sense of curiosity bubbled its way to the surface and forced him to stop and turn back to face Steinbeck.

With a knowing grin, Steinbeck continued, “I recall how much grief your brother had in trying to come up with excuses for your crude behavior.”

Toplyn put his cards on the table and rose to his feet, his eyebrows raised in interest. “Crude behavior? From him?” He gestured to Derek. “I don’t remember hearing anything scandalous about Lord Dodsworth, and I like to keep abreast of the latest scandal.”

“How could you not recognize him?” Steinbeck asked. “He’s Dr. Westward, the one gentleman in all of London who’s been banned from everyone’s balls except from those hosted by him,” he pointed to Christopher, “and Edon.”

Eyes wide, Toplyn hurried over to Derek and shook his hand. “Well done, my good man. Up to now, I’ve only heard your name. Now I get to meet the legend.”

Steinbeck rolled his eyes. “Perhaps if you weren’t so busy reading that obscene book of yours, you would have recognized him.”

“Are you still complaining about that book?” Christopher asked. “We voted to keep it at White’s, and that vote was final.”

Steinbeck glowered at him. “You won by one vote.” Then for emphasis, he added, “One vote. That means half of the gentlemen here had the good sense to vote it out.”

“Sure,” Christopher began. “The half that have miserable wives. Or, like in your case, the ones who have no wives at all. And quite frankly, you can tell which gentlemen aren’t reading it. They’re the ones who aren’t happy.” Christopher nodded toward Steinbeck and Worsley. “Like them.”

Steinbeck’s jaw clenched. “The way I see it, there’s a respectable gentleman in this club who voted against common decency, and when I find out who it is, he’s going to have to answer to me.”

Derek decided he’d had enough. “You’re acting worse than a child. Even children understand that when something has been voted on, it’s time to end the discussion.” And since he risked no consequence to what he said in this establishment, he added, “You can’t coerce people into doing what you want. Sooner or later, you’re going to end up alone and miserable just like my brother. Of all the people I’ve ever met, I feel the most sorry for the ones like you. No one truly enjoys your company. They’re only with you for what you can offer them.”

Steinbeck’s eyes darkened, and Derek knew he’d struck a nerve. But the only reason he’d struck the nerve was because he’d spoken the truth. Deep down, Steinbeck knew what he was saying was right.

“I have better things to do than waste my time with you and your miserable friends,” Derek said then left the room.

It wasn’t until he was safely out of Steinbeck’s range that he remembered Malcolm was one of Steinbeck’s friends. No doubt, word would get back to Malcolm about this. That would likely upset Regan, which, in turn, would upset Danette.

He considered returning to the room and apologizing, but he caught the proud expression on Steinbeck’s face and couldn’t bring himself to do it. No matter how much he willed his feet to go back in there, it just wasn’t going to happen.

It was gentlemen like Steinbeck who brought out the worst in him. If they wouldn’t go around spouting off that they were much better than everyone else, he wouldn’t feel the need to say something. And what good did it do to confront them anyway? They never listened. They refused to change their ways. In the end, all it did was frustrate him.

“Derek, where are you going?” Christopher called out as he hurried after him.

It wasn’t until Derek stopped at the door that he realized he’d made a beeline straight for the exit. With a sigh, he faced his friend. “I need to go home and tell my wife what just happened,” he said.

“Why? What happens here stays here. Besides, no one cares what Steinbeck or his friends think.”

“My wife will.” When he saw Christopher’s eyebrows furrow, he decided it was pointless to explain why Danette wasn’t going to be happy with him once she found out what he’d told Malcolm’s friend. “This is why I try to stay away from these types of establishments. I only end up doing or saying something that upsets someone I care about.”

“Steinbeck had it coming. No one can argue that.”

“People who want his connections will argue it. Don’t you understand how this works? His relationships might be superficial, but as long as he can keep giving people what they want, they’ll support him. That’s how the Ton is.”

It’d been a mistake to come here. He should have listened to his gut and stayed away. He didn’t know why he thought he could actually find a place to belong in the proper side of Society. He’d been fooling himself by coming here. Without another word, Derek flung the door open and left.

Chapter Fifteen

“Marriage agrees with you,” Danette’s mother said as the two were sitting in the drawing room, enjoying the afternoon sunlight that filtered in through the windows. “You’re sewing a happy image for a change.”

Danette glanced up from her embroidery and shot her mother a pointed look. “I’ve sewn happy images before.”

Her mother pulled the thread from her own embroidery and clucked her tongue. “Danette, you know very well animals aren’t the same thing as butterflies and bows.”

Danette looked down at the assortment of butterflies surrounded by bows etched in the rectangular fabric she was sewing. “It’s for my vanity,” she said. “My old tablecloth is worn out, and I need a new one. I wanted something more ladylike than what I’d do for another room in the townhouse.”

“You never did butterflies or bows for your vanity before.”

Danette let out an exasperated sigh and set her embroidery down in her lap. “Must you persist in this, Mother?” she asked, sure her mother would end the topic now that Danette had made it clear she didn’t wish to keep on about it.

To her surprise, her mother answered, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

Her mother smiled. “I only mention it because it shows me how much you’re enjoying your new life. Derek has been good for you.”

Returning her smile, she said, “Yes, he has.”

“And he’s good looking, too.”

“Mother!” She glanced around to make sure no servants were lingering in the hallway.

“I might be old, but I’m not blind. A kind and loving husband is important, of course, but it never hurts if he’s attractive, too.”

“All right, Mother. You made your point. There’s no need to continue with this discussion.”

“All I’m saying is that I’m happy for you.”

“I know, and I appreciate it. I just don’t want to get into anything private when others might come by.”

As if to prove her point, the front door opened and a few seconds later, Derek peered into the drawing room. She shot her mother a pleading look to not say anything that might embarrass her. Her mother let out a sigh, indicating she thought Danette worried far too much, and as much as Danette hated to admit it, her mother was right.

“You can come in,” Danette told Derek, surprised he hadn’t ventured further into the room.

“I didn’t want to interrupt anything,” he said, glancing at her mother.

“You’re not interrupting us,” her mother assured him. “I was just having a nice talk with Danette. In fact,” she gathered her embroidery and placed it in the basket next to her, “I think we’re done talking. I can always come by and continue this embroidery another day.”

“You don’t have to leave,” he replied.

“I’m tired. I need to go home and lie down for a while. That kind of thing happens when you get to be my age. Enjoy your energy while you have it.”

Danette didn’t believe her mother for a minute, but she supposed it didn’t matter if she bought the lie or not. What mattered was that Derek didn’t pick up on the fib. Her mother, no doubt, was giving Danette time alone with Derek. Maybe she had picked up on the worried expression on his face just as Danette had.

“I’ll come see you later this week,” Danette told her mother, also rising to her feet.

“I look forward to it,” her mother said. “And let me know when would be a good time to invite you two over for dinner. I don’t want to impose on your schedule,” she told Derek. “I know you work all hours of the day since you’re a doctor.”

“So far my schedule is clear around dinner time,” he said.

Her mother gathered her basket and smiled. “Splendid. I’ll send an invitation in a day or two.”

“Oh mother,” Danette laughed, “you don’t have to be so formal.”

“You’re a married lady now,” her mother said. “I don’t want to be one of those mothers who constantly intrudes on their married children’s lives.” She turned to Derek. “There’s no need to see me out. I know the way.”

Danette waited until her mother left before directing her attention to her husband. “She used to bemoan the fact that my grandmother—that is, her mother-in-law—would come over far too much while I was growing up. I think that’s why she wants to be careful she doesn’t wear out her welcome.”

“That’s considerate of her,” he replied.

“It is. My mother is a thoughtful person.” After a moment, she asked, “Is something bothering you?”

He opened his mouth as if he was about to tell her something, but then, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face, and he shut it.

“Did you have a bad experience at White’s?” she pressed, thinking the question might open him up to telling her the matter.

He stared at her for a long moment before settling beside her on the settee. “Everything went as expected.”

“Is that good or bad?” Because if it was as he expected, then it should be good, shouldn’t it?

“I’ve never enjoyed large gatherings. It was more my brother’s thing.”

“Did you join White’s because it was something he wanted you to do?”

“No. I joined because I have a couple of good friends there, but I never thought I’d get voted in.”

She smiled. “But since you did get voted in, then you can’t be as unpopular with the Ton as you think. That’s good, isn’t it?”

Instead of answering her question, he picked up her embroidery and studied it. “You didn’t strike me as a butterflies and bows kind of lady.”

“Oh?”

“I imagined you more as a lover of flowers. You’re not only as beautiful as one, but you also have a pleasant demeanor. Once you get comfortable with someone, you open to them, much like a flower when it blooms.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “No one can truly appreciate a flower until it opens up. However, I’ve seen butterflies rest on flowers, and I’ve seen people wrap bows around bouquets. So I’d say they complement flowers very well.”

She smiled. “I sense you have a way of making everyone feel better, and I bet that goes for their mood as well as their health.”

“I don’t give compliments unless I mean them. I only hope, given enough time, I’ll deserve you.”

Her smile faltered. “Why are you talking this way? You know I already love you.” In fact, falling in love with him had been the easiest thing she’d ever done.

He cupped the side of her face with his hand and leaned forward to kiss her. “I don’t have anywhere to go for the next two hours. May I spend that time with you?”

“Of course, you can. I enjoy your company immensely.”

“Good. What would you like to do?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to go horseback riding at Hyde Park, but Regan and my mother don’t care for horses. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to do it?”

“Sure, I will. I love horses.”

“You do?” she asked, surprised since he hadn’t mentioned this before.

“Horses are much easier to understand than people, and better yet, they don’t hold grudges.” He gathered her embroidery and put everything into her basket. “What is this for anyway?”

“My vanity. I thought it’d be nice to replace the old covering I have.” Then, feeling a bit playful, she teased, “Would you like me to make one for your vanity?”

He chuckled and turned to face her, his eyes twinkling. “How should I politely decline your offer?”

“Just tell me you’re a gentleman, and gentlemen don’t have feminine things in their bedchambers.”

“All right. I’m a gentleman, and the only thing feminine I want in my bedchamber is you.”

His comment was so unexpected she burst out laughing. “Derek, in so many ways you remind me of Regan. I can never guess what you’ll say next.”

“Since you two are friends, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is. You two are my favorite people.”

“My wish is that it’ll always be that way.”

What a curious thing for him to say. Of course, it would always be that way. But before she could give it any more thought, he helped her to her feet.

“If we’re going to ride those horses, we better get dressed for it,” he said and kissed her nose. “I can’t be late for my appointment with Mr. Ward. There’s nothing serious that ails him, but he feels better when I stop by to assure him he’s not ready to leave this world yet.”

“Do you ever have someone whose condition is serious?” she asked as they left the drawing room.

“Sometimes I do. I never enjoy watching anyone’s situation get worse. What I’ve learned is that it’s important to take each day as it comes and get the most out of it. That’s why I don’t want to waste my time at White’s. I’d rather spend it with you.”

Her face warmed with pleasure. “There’s no one else I’d rather spend the time with either.”

“Then it’s a good thing I came home when I did.”

“It is.”

Together, they went up the stairs and changed into their riding clothes.

***

Late the next morning, Derek took the opportunity between appointments to pay Regan a visit. He wasn’t sure if Malcolm would be at the townhouse, but even if Malcolm was, there was no changing what had happened at White’s.

Undoubtedly, Steinbeck had already told Malcolm what he’d said. If Malcolm told Regan, she might decline to hear him out. Which would be her right. He couldn’t begrudge a wife standing by her husband. But he had to try. So it was with a mixture of hope and unease that he knocked on the door of the townhouse.

The footman answered the door, and it was on the tip of Derek’s tongue to come up with some lie to get out of seeing Regan. He could say he’d come to the wrong townhouse by accident. But when Regan passed by the entryway with Leonard, she took note of him and waved him in.

“Derek! What a pleasure it is to see you,” she said, leading her son over to him. “To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”

“I’m doing well,” Leonard said.

Derek glanced from Regan to the lad.

“Yes, he is,” Regan replied. “Thanks to you, he got over his upset stomach and had a good night’s sleep.”

Since Derek couldn’t think of anything to say, he ventured for a simple, “That’s good.”

“Why don’t you come into the drawing room?” Regan turned to the footman. “Please bring us some green tea.”

“I will do as you wish, my lady,” the footman replied then gestured for Derek to enter the townhouse.

Derek did as they requested. Her seeing him when she did was a sign. He had to tell her the truth about what happened. It might be the only way to help soothe things over so Danette wouldn’t be disappointed with him.

Regan waited until they were all seated before she asked, “Did you come to seek my advice about Danette?”

Derek adjusted the cravat around his neck. Goodness but the thing had a tendency to get restrictive at times, especially when he had to weigh every word he spoke. “Is your husband here?”

“No. Malcolm went to White’s,” Regan said. “Ever since I’ve known him, it seems to be his favorite place. Sometimes I wish I could go into the club and find out what’s so fascinating about it.”

Despite the situation, he felt a chuckle rise up in his throat. “There’s not much to it. All the gentlemen do there is play games, gossip, and read.”

She frowned. “Is that all there is to it?”

“I’m afraid so. You’d get more excitement out of watching people at a ball or Hyde Park.”

“When you put it that way, it’s just as well I’m not there. Malcolm only goes because he enjoys making business plans with his friends. I knew what he was doing wasn’t all that exciting, but it’s unfortunate some gentlemen there aren’t doing anything worth discussing. Though, I hear everything that happens at White’s stays at White’s, so even if something interesting did occur, I would never know about it.”

“But you’re married to one of the members of the club. Surely, Malcolm tells you some things that go on there.”

“Well, he does, but it’s all vague. It’s mostly things about Warren or Robert. Lately, he’s been talking about Anthony.” When Derek’s eyebrows furrowed, she offered an apologetic smile. “You might recognize them by their titles. Steinbeck is Warren, Dunnaby is Robert, and Worsley is Anthony. Anthony is the new member of their very,” she rolled her eyes, “important group.”

“Oh, yes.” Derek cleared his throat. “I met Warren and Anthony yesterday when I was there.”

“Did you?”

He noted the spark of interest in her eyes, but the butler came into the room, carrying the tray of tea and crumpets. Derek waited until the butler left and she had poured them both a cup of tea before speaking. “Did Malcolm tell you anything about yesterday?” he asked, accepting the tea from her.

She poured Leonard a cup and gave him a crumpet. “He didn’t go to White’s yesterday.”

That explained why she was more than happy to welcome him into her home. He shifted in the chair and released a long breath, hoping he would be able to word things in a way that might inspire some sympathy from her.

“Actually, yesterday might have been an exciting day,” he began. “That is, depending on how you look at it.”

“Really?” she asked, turning her attention to him.

“What did you do?” Leonard piped up.

“Leonard, it’s not polite to interrupt adults when they’re talking.” Then, as an afterthought, she added, “Why don’t you go over there and play a game?” She pointed to the corner of the room where a couple of children’s games were neatly stacked along the wall.

Leonard frowned. “Do I have to?”

“You don’t want to hear boring talk,” she told him.

Not fooled in the least, he gave her a skeptical look. “It doesn’t seem boring.”

“Leonard, you need to do as I say,” she replied. “I’m your mother.”

Every child, no matter who their parents were, couldn’t get around this line of reasoning, so Derek wasn’t the least bit surprised when Leonard let out a disappointed sigh as he went to the other side of the room. Derek wished he could tell the lad being an adult really wasn’t all that fun. It seemed children had the best of things. They had few worries and were often distracted by toys. Plus, none had to bother with what others thought of them.

Regan lowered her voice so Leonard wouldn’t overhear them. “What happened yesterday at White’s?”

Derek took a sip of the tea then leaned toward her. “When I feel provoked, I tend to say things to upset people.”

“Yes, I know. Your reputation precedes you.” She laughed and shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, one of my favorite memories was that evening you removed your shirt at the Duke of Rumsey’s ball. I never laughed so hard in my entire life. My husband at the time wished he’d had your kind of courage. You were a hero to him.”

“Your husband at the time?”

“Lord Cantrell. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long after that evening. But that’s not why we’re talking about White’s. Tell me, what could you have done to upset anyone over there?”

“I blurted out that Steinbeck—Warren—and his friends were miserable people.”

She gasped. “You said that to his face?”

“He wasn’t happy when I said it.”

“Oh, I imagine not.” She covered her mouth and chuckled for about a minute. When she managed to catch her breath, she said, “Shame on you, Derek. I thought you said nothing exciting ever happened at White’s.”

“Well, when I went there, things seemed rather boring.”

“But with you there, things got interesting. Oh, how I wish I had been there to see you tell him that.”

He studied her, and there was nothing in her demeanor that indicated she found his behavior insulting. “Just so I understand things correctly,” Derek began, “are you actually happy I told Warren that he and his friends are a miserable lot?”

“I’ve been wanting to tell Warren the same thing, but since I’m married to someone who thinks the world of him, I don’t dare. The last thing I want to do is upset Malcolm.”

“Then you can understand my dilemma. I don’t want to do anything to upset Danette, but since you’re Malcolm’s wife, I’m afraid that’s exactly what will happen if she finds out.”

Her smile widened. “It sounds like you love her.”

He nodded. “I do, and the last thing I want is to give her a reason to regret marrying me. She took a risk in becoming my wife. I haven’t heard of a single thing that’s tainted her reputation, but mine is less than ideal. A person’s reputation means everything in London.”

Regan seemed to consider his words before she offered, “A reputation means everything to certain people, and I do agree the Ton is especially fickle when it comes to what we should say and do. But there’s more to a person than their reputation. What good is a pristine reputation when you’re unpleasant to be around? As you so eloquently pointed out to Warren, some people can be downright miserable. Quite frankly, I pity the lady who marries him.”

“I only hope Danette never feels she ought to be pitied for marrying me.”

“Oh, I don’t think that could ever happen. You’re a wonderful gentleman. You want the best for her, you’re good with children, and you do honest work. Few ladies could ask for more. But,” she added when he opened his mouth to say those traits meant little to the Ton, “I won’t speak a word about yesterday to Danette. If Malcolm brings it up, I will suggest he do the same. You did a good thing by helping Leonard with his stomachache. He owes you one.”

Something in her matter-of-fact tone assured Derek she would manage to smooth things over with Malcolm, if Malcolm insisted on creating a fuss about it. As for Danette, Regan had agreed to keep the matter silent. Relaxing, he returned her smile. “Thank you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” she replied. “Danette’s happier than she’s ever been. As for me, I got the pleasure of knowing someone had the nerve to stand up to Warren. From where I sit, everything’s better because of you.”

If only all people thought this way. But it was more than enough Regan had decided to support him, and he wouldn’t take that for granted.

Chapter Sixteen

Later that day while Leonard was taking a nap, Malcolm trudged into the townhouse. Regan was ready to call out a greeting to him as he passed the drawing room, but he didn’t even look in her direction. He merely proceeded on down the hall, shoulders slumped, his gaze cast down.

Her eyebrows furrowed. That was odd. He’d never done this before. Granted, they hadn’t been married for long and she had a lot to learn about him, but even with how upset he was when they first married, he hadn’t acted in such a way. One would swear he learned he was going to die.

She put her book down and followed him to the den. He didn’t even glance behind him as she closed the door. He only went to the chair in front of the fireplace, put his feet up on the ottoman, and let out a mournful sigh. It took all of her willpower not to give into the urge to laugh. In all her life, she’d never seen such exaggerated despair.

“You have piqued my curiosity,” she said as she went over to the ottoman and sat by his feet. She placed a comforting hand on his thigh and offered him a reassuring smile. “What’s troubling you?”

“I can’t say,” he mumbled. “It happened at White’s.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course, you can tell me.” If she was right, then this matter involved Derek and Warren, but she’d rather hear Malcolm explain the matter. “I can keep secrets. You don’t need to worry I’ll tell anyone.”

“I know you wouldn’t tell anyone.” He rubbed his forehead. “It’s just… I don’t know how things got to be so complicated. A month ago, everything was so clear. I knew exactly where I fit in. Now I don’t know where I belong.”

Not having expected this, she couldn’t hide her surprise. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with White’s?”

“Everything. So much business happens there, and there are influential gentlemen who have important connections. It’s necessary to make the right kind of friends.”

“I thought you had those friends.” God knew she did everything she could to help him with those friendships, even if it pained her.

“I do, at the moment. But,” he finally made eye contact with her, “what happens if I can’t bring myself to agree with a certain friend? What happens if I’ve done something to betray him?”

Her jaw dropped. “You did something to betray Warren?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you assume I’m talking about him?”

“Are you?”

“Yes, but how did you know?”

“Maybe it’s because I know you’re a caring gentleman who is capable of looking at both sides of the issue. Whereas with Warren,” she shrugged, “he acts as if the world revolves around him. He thinks everything he says and does is perfect. He doesn’t have any sense of humility.”

“Logan has said the same thing about me.” His frown deepened. “Do you think I was like that when we first married?”

Her smile softened as she sought to reassure him, “You’re not as bad as Warren.”

“As bad as Warren? That doesn’t seem like a compliment.”

“I know it doesn’t seem like a compliment, but it is. Malcolm, I married you because I knew that, deep down, you would make a good husband. I don’t believe Warren will ever make a good husband. He doesn’t have the capacity to think of anyone but himself. But you cared about Leonard, and from talking to your sister, I knew you were devoted to your family and friends. You’re not like Warren. Warren is only devoted to Warren.”

He straightened up in the chair, looking as if he was ready to argue, but then, he let out a resigned sigh and collapsed back into it. “I know some people find him difficult to like.” Then, his expression growing sad, he added, “And it’s difficult for people to like me, too.”

“You can’t please everyone, Malcolm. You can’t possibly get along with everyone you meet. We all have different interests, and some personalities mix better together than others.”

“But I am a lot like him. I don’t understand how you can love me.”

“You two might share an abnormal pleasure for making money, but when I talk to you during a dinner party, you have the sense to acknowledge me. Besides, you are much more fun than you let on when we’re in public.” Hoping to lighten his mood, she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him. “Just as I sensed you’d be the evening I met you.”

“I did nothing to encourage you that evening.”

“But you danced with me.”

“To be polite.”

She shrugged. “Or perhaps you wanted some excitement in your life but didn’t realize it. Either way, it doesn’t matter. We’re together and we’re happy.”

He finally smiled and took her hand in his. “Yes, we are.” After a moment, he added, “You want to hear a secret?”

His voice was so low she had to scoot closer to him. “What is it?”

“There was a vote at White’s not too long ago, and the gentlemen were voting on whether or not to let Lord Edon bring your book there.”

It took her a moment for her to realize which book he meant. “That book?”

He nodded. “The results were very close. In fact, it was by one vote that the book is still allowed at White’s.”

“Really?” Never in a million years would she have expected the gentlemen to vote on such a thing. She’d thought all gentlemen would welcome it. Well, almost all gentlemen anyway. “I take it that Warren didn’t want the book there.”

“No, he didn’t. He wanted it banned.”

“Why is that considered a secret? I already knew he has no interest in making a lady happy.” And that was in, or out, of bed.

“I voted in favor of it.”

Her smile widened. “You did?”

“Warren doesn’t know. I don’t know if I should tell him or not. He’s greatly upset by it. I know Robert voted against the book because I peeked at his paper.” After a moment, he asked, “You won’t tell anyone how I voted, will you?”

“Of course not. You asked me to keep it a secret, and I will.” She hesitated to question him about the matter that happened between Derek and Warren yesterday, but since he was willing to share secrets with her, maybe—just maybe—he’d share more with her. “Malcolm,” she began, shifting closer to him in an attempt to get him to better open up to her, “did Warren say anything about an incident that displeased him yesterday at White’s?”

“He and Robert are at odds with each other. To be honest, I don’t see how that one will ever be resolved. When Warren introduced Anthony, that is, Viscount Worsley, Robert suggested Warren stop surrounding himself with people who agree with him all the time. He then went on to say Warren will continue to alienate people if he doesn’t start putting other people first.”

Robert and Warren weren’t friends anymore? This wasn’t at all what she’d expected. But then, she remembered Robert had developed an interest in Miss Carlisle, and Miss Carlisle had quickly befriended Lady Iris. Regan had seen the two ladies at the market the other day and had joined them for the afternoon. Regan suspected the two would eventually be as close to each other as she was with Danette.

“The whole thing is very tense,” Malcolm continued. “I don’t even want to go to White’s until it’s resolved.”

She bit her lower lip. Did that mean he didn’t know what happened with Derek? Did she dare ask?

“I can’t choose between Warren and Robert,” he added. “It’d be like asking me to choose between my mother and my father. That’s what Warren did today when I went there. He caught me talking to Robert and demanded I pick a side. I decided to come home instead.”

She tapped her foot on the floor. This didn’t seem to have anything to do with Derek. From all appearances, Derek seemed to be the last thing on Malcolm’s mind. But to be sure, she ventured, “You wouldn’t mind if we had Derek and Danette for dinner again, would you?”

“That would be fine, but Derek and I don’t have much in common. After dinner, we need to go to the drawing room with you and Danette. It’d be less awkward that way.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why, but she supposed it didn’t matter. He was willing to let Derek into their home, and that being the case, he couldn’t be upset with him over what had transpired yesterday. So at least that was settled.

“You and Derek may join us in the drawing room,” she assured him. “There are plenty of games we can play, and we don’t need to do the rhyming game again.”

“I thought you enjoyed it,” he said, sounding surprised.

“I did, but I don’t think you liked the rhyme Derek added.”

He shrugged. “It’s not something I would have picked, but I thought it was funny.”

Surprised, her eyes widened. She moved onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Now see? That right there is a big distinction between you and Warren. Warren would have thrown Derek out and banned him from ever returning.” She kissed him. “You’re a wonderful husband, and I’m very glad I married you.”

Looking happier than he had since he came home, he returned her kiss.

***

A week later, Derek had put the whole matter at White’s completely out of his mind. In fact, he was whistling after leaving one of his patient’s homes when a familiar voice called out his name.

He turned in time to see Ethan running over to him. Surprised, he asked, “What’s the hurry? Do you require immediate assistance from a doctor?”

Ethan caught up to him and shook his head. “No, but we need you at White’s. Warren and that new gentleman he brought in are impossible. They’re trying to get everyone to stop making wagers. Next thing you know, they’ll forbid anyone from telling jokes.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me,” Derek replied.

“It has everything to do with you. You’re the only person who’s been able to take a stand against Warren. Sure, we’ve had a vote that made him back off for a while, but nothing Christopher or I say makes enough gentlemen want to tell him no. They secretly want to, but they’re afraid of him.”

“That’s not my problem.” Derek passed him and continued down the sidewalk. If he’d known this was going to be another plea to go to White’s, he wouldn’t have bothered listening to Ethan.

“I know it’s not your problem,” Ethan allowed, quickly catching up to him and falling into step beside him. “But I’m asking for your help.”

“Well, I don’t want to give it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a married gentleman, and I have a responsibility to my wife. It wouldn’t be fair to put her in a situation where she has to choose between her friend and me.”

“What happens at White’s has no bearing on your wife. We have a strict policy that what happens at White’s stays at White’s.”

Derek shot Ethan a pointed look. “Come now. You know very well it doesn’t work that way, just as Christopher knows it. Sure, Malcolm might not come out and say anything about what occurred, but he will find some excuse why my wife isn’t welcome to his townhouse.”

Derek had been fortunate so far that Danette hadn’t told him she wasn’t allowed to visit Regan because of the outburst he’d had with Warren. He didn’t know what Regan had said to calm Malcolm down, but whatever it was, it had worked. But he couldn’t rely on that method working all the time.

“Surely, there must be something you can do without risking Malcolm’s wrath,” Ethan pressed.

Derek shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Malcolm is good friends with Warren. It’d be as if I said something bad to you about Christopher. Would you like it?”

Ethan looked as if he might protest but then offered a resigned sigh. “I see your point. If only you’d married someone other than your wife. Then we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.”

“My wife is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She looks beyond my faults and accepts me. I doubt any other lady would do that.”

“Wonderful! Then she’ll accept it if you confront Warren.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. The answer is no. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize what I have with her. You’ll have to find someone else to do it if you and Christopher can’t manage it on your own.”

“All right, but if you change your mind, let me know. I can find gentlemen who’ll support you.”

Derek watched as his friend walked away, glad he chose to put the matter to rest. With any luck, this would be the last time anyone would try to get him to do anything else at White’s. Had he known he would actually get voted in, he never would have agreed to let Ethan and Christopher nominate him.

Oh well. This wasn’t his problem. As far as he was concerned, he’d never step into White’s again. He’d be a member in name only.

Chapter Seventeen

Two weeks later, Danette was reading a book when Regan and Leonard came to visit her. Danette could tell right away her friend was excited about something, but it wasn’t until Leonard was eating a tart that Regan finally told her what was on her mind.

“I’m with child,” Regan burst out once she finished sipping her tea.

Danette’s eyes widened. “So soon?”

“Well, it only takes one time,” Regan said.

“I know, but it took a year for you to conceive Leonard.”

“And it wasn’t from lack of trying,” Regan whispered so Leonard wouldn’t overhear.

Now that she was married, Danette understood what the wink Regan gave her meant. Danette’s cheeks grew warm. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Regan she and Derek had plenty of opportunities to get her with child, too, but she decided it was better if she stick with safer topics.

Turning to Leonard, Danette asked, “Are you looking forward to being a big brother?”

Leonard shrugged. “I’d rather have a toy.”

Danette chuckled and turned to Regan. “I hope Malcolm showed more enthusiasm when you told him.”

“He did,” Regan said. “In fact, Malcolm seemed to feel much better after I told him.”

Noting the feel better part of Regan’s comment, Danette asked, “Is something wrong with Malcolm?”

“He’s been moping for the past couple weeks over something that Warren’s been doing.”

“Oh?”

“Warren’s being difficult.”

“Warren?”

“Lord Steinbeck.”

Oh, that gentleman. Danette nodded to let Regan know she recognized his name. “What is he doing?”

“Apparently, he’s trying to tell everyone what to do. I told you how awful it is to be at his dinner parties.”

“Yes, I remember how much you wanted me to join you so you wouldn’t have to suffer alone.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Regan mused. “As it happens, that’s not a problem. Malcolm hasn’t gone to one of his dinner parties for the last two weeks. He hasn’t even been to White’s. For the most part, he’s been holed up at home working on business plans. The only time he leaves the house is when he wants to meet with a prospective merchant.”

“I suppose Malcolm misses Warren.”

“He does. The two were inseparable when I first met Malcolm. He couldn’t wait for Warren to invite him to his dinner parties.”

Danette stirred a lump of sugar in her tea. “Since that’s the case, isn’t it a shame the two aren’t spending more time together?”

“Not really.”

“Regan! I’m shocked. How can you dismiss your husband’s feelings?”

“I’m not trying to dismiss them.” Regan offered Leonard another tart then turned back to her. “I see this as a chance for Malcolm to stop relying on others’ opinions so much. It’s time he stopped worrying about the Ton and started doing what he wants.”

“Are you sure this is what Malcolm wants, or is it what you want?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m saying that sometimes we want something for ourselves so badly that we’ll impose our wants onto someone else. You probably want Malcolm to discontinue his friendship with Warren so much you believe Warren is bad for him.”

“But he is bad for him.”

Danette shot her a pointed look.

Regan groaned. “Don’t look at me like that, Danette. It’s not fair. I didn’t do anything to cause the rift between them.”

“No, but you’re enjoying this.”

“Warren deserves what he’s getting. He can’t keep telling people what to do. People have a right to make up their own minds. Besides, people put up with what they allow, and Malcolm has finally decided he’s not going to let Warren do his thinking for him anymore. I say Malcolm is doing a wonderful thing by standing up for himself.”

“I do think it’s wonderful if Malcolm’s standing up for himself, but I also feel sorry he might lose his friend over this. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t in my life. I bet he misses him.”

“Even if you miss someone, you can’t let them dictate what you do and think. It’s more important you follow your heart.”

Yes, Danette supposed Regan was right. A friendship wasn’t worth much if the person was being forced to do something he didn’t want. It was much better to bear with the loss of it and move on. Even so, she hoped Malcolm and Warren might find a way to resolve their differences.

Regan picked up a cup of tea and studied Danette. “You don’t think I pushed you too hard into marriage, do you?”

Noting the worried tone in her friend’s voice, Danette’s lips curled up ever so slightly. “You did push me awfully hard.” When Regan’s brow furrowed, she added, “But I’m glad you did. I needed a good nudge. Sometimes a little force isn’t such a bad thing.”

Regan relaxed. “Good. I don’t ever want to do anything to ruin our friendship.”

“I don’t want to either. We’ve been through so much together. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

Leonard grimaced. “I hate coming over here. This is boring.”

Regan and Danette chuckled. To a young boy, Danette could see his point. “If you look over there,” she gestured to the corner of the room, “I believe you’ll find a couple of toys.”

His expression brightening, he thanked her and ran over to them.

“I never did tell you how sweet you are to buy him toys to play with when we come over,” Regan told her friend.

Danette smiled. “I remember being a child. Listening to adults talk was so tedious.”

The two laughed and went on to discuss possible names for the baby.

***

Derek entered the townhouse to the sound of two ladies laughing hysterically from the drawing room. He checked his pocket watch and was assured the hour was as late as he’d thought it was.

The footman shot him an amused look. “They certainly are the best of friends, my lord. I can’t recall a time when I’ve ever heard ladies enjoying themselves so much.”

The corners of Derek’s mouth curled up. “I can’t either, now that I think about it. How long have they been in there?”

“Four hours.”

“Four hours?” He couldn’t recall a time when he’d ever talked to anyone that long.

Another round of laughter came from the drawing room, and the footman chuckled. “Whatever they’re discussing, it must be good.”

“It almost seems a shame to interrupt them.”

Derek debated whether or not he dared. Danette was talking in loud, excited tones, and though Regan’s voice was softer, there was no denying she was just as thrilled by the topic as Danette was. He took another look at the pocket watch in his hand. Soon, it’d be time to get ready for dinner. He supposed he owed it to the two ladies to break up their conversation so they’d eat.

He tucked his pocket watch back into his pocket and headed for the drawing room. The doors were slightly ajar, but even so, he knocked on it to get their attention. When their laughter stopped, he opened it all the way. Danette and Regan were sitting on the settee, their tea and tarts long forgotten. Poor Leonard had fallen asleep in one of the chairs with a toy in his arms.

Danette rose from the settee and ran over to him, showing him the parchment in her hand. “You won’t believe it, but we got an invitation to a ball in three days! I don’t know if Regan can convince Malcolm to go. Lord Toplyn’s the one hosting it, and the two don’t get along all that well.”

“Lord Toplyn is Malcolm’s brother-in-law,” Regan explained. “The two have been at odds with one another ever since they met.”

“Yes,” Danette replied, glancing back at Derek. “And considering Malcolm’s bad mood, it doesn’t look promising that they’ll be going.”

“Oh?” Derek’s gaze shifted to Regan, wondering if this had to do with his conversation with Warren. “Your husband is in a bad mood?”

“It has nothing to do with White’s,” Regan assured him with a dismissive wave. “He’s been evaluating everything he’s been doing and how he’s been doing it. Being around Logan—that is, Lord Toplyn—will only aggravate things further.”

Derek released his breath. That was good. He’d hate to think Malcolm’s bad mood had to do with him.

Regan looked over at the clock above the fireplace mantle and bolted to her feet. “I didn’t realize it was so late.” She ran over to Leonard and encouraged him to wake up. “I promised Malcolm we’d have a nice, pleasant evening at home this evening. He’ll think I disappeared.”

“Is it really that late?” Danette asked, turning to the clock.

“I don’t know where the time went,” Regan said as a sleepy Leonard slid off the chair. He landed on his feet, wobbled a moment, but then gained his balance. She rubbed his back. “I’m afraid he’ll have a hard time going to sleep tonight. His naps aren’t usually that long. But,” she added with a smile at Danette, “it was worth it. We had a lovely time together.”

“We always do,” Danette replied.

“I’ll try not to take up so much of your wife’s time next time I visit,” Regan teased Derek then led her son out of the drawing room.

Chuckling, Derek turned back to Danette. “It’s nice you have a friend like that.”

“It is,” Danette replied. “So, what do you say about Lord Toplyn’s ball? Can we go? I know you’re not welcome to most of them, but Lord Toplyn wrote he’d be delighted if you and I would attend. I’ve never received an invitation personally asking me to go.” She smiled at him. “I realize it’s because of you we received the invite. It looks like your membership at White’s has been good for your reputation.”

“No, I don’t think that’s it,” he slowly replied. In fact, he was sure it wasn’t. His one time there had almost ruined everything he had with Danette.

“I heard Lord Toplyn is one of the members there. His wife had a hand in arranging our marriage.” She bit her lower lip, as if trying to bring up some memory she wished to share. “I believe he’s the one who kissed her at one of the balls. This wasn’t in the ball. It was by the carriages.” She chuckled. “Yes, it was him. And I heard Malcolm knocked him unconscious for it. Everyone talked of little else for the rest of the night. Regan said Malcolm doesn’t get along with Lord Toplyn.”

What a relief. This was just the excuse he needed to get out of the ball. “In that case, maybe we shouldn’t go.”

“Why not?”

“If Malcolm doesn’t like Lord Toplyn, then is it wise to go?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think Regan would mind.”

“Maybe she won’t, but what about Malcolm? Some people can be particular about things like this. My brother was very selective about who he spent time with, and whenever I was seen with someone he considered scandalous, he refused to talk to me.”

Her concerned expression tugged at his heart. “That’s terrible.”

“It’s how he was. Every little thing a person said or did mattered. I wasn’t the only one he did it to.”

“I don’t think Malcolm is like that.”

“But doesn’t he think it’s important to know the right people and stay in good graces with them?”

“He’s married to Regan, and more than that, he enjoys it. Regan was quite the scandalous lady before she had Leonard.”

“That might be true, but she’s not that way now. I suspect that’s why her marriage with Malcolm works as well as it does.”

“You’re probably right.” She examined the invitation in her hands. “I’d love to go to the ball with you. It’d always been my dream to attend a ball with a gentleman I was married to. I used to watch ladies dancing and think one day it’d be me.” Her gaze went to him, those lovely eyes urging him to understand. “What if we only stayed for an hour? We don’t have to be there the entire evening. I’d like to have two dances with you and see what the ladies are wearing. They have some of the most beautiful gowns. When they dance, it’s like a swirl of colors on the floor. Plus, I do enjoy the music.”

When she put it like that, it was impossible to tell her no. He released his breath, praying he wouldn’t regret this. “All right. We’ll go.”

“Thank you!”

“But only for an hour.”

“An hour is all I require.” She kissed him. “I can’t wait to dance with you.”

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he warned, lest she get her hopes up. Yes, he’d agreed to go with her and share two dances, but he couldn’t promise her he’d be graceful on the floor.

“Neither am I, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves.”

To him, it didn’t matter what they did together. He enjoyed being with her whether they were alone or around others. But, he supposed he really should be flattered she was willing to be seen at a ball with him. She wasn’t ashamed of him, and for that, he was thankful. He could manage to be on his best behavior for one hour. One hour, after all, wasn’t that long.

“All right,” he told her. “We’ll go to Lord Toplyn’s ball, and we’ll have a good time.”

“We will.”

Her eyes sparkled, lighting up her whole face, and he was glad he’d given into her wish to go.

Chapter Eighteen

The moment Derek arrived at Lord Toplyn’s ball, he knew the evening would be a disaster. That small voice in the back of his mind warned him to leave.

All balls were the same, no matter who hosted them.

Already, Derek could pick out a group of ladies who were huddled together, whispering behind their fans while darting their disapproving glances at those who, for one reason or another, didn’t meet up to their standards. A group of gentlemen lounging in chairs nearby weren’t that much better. They kept gesturing to a certain lady on the other side of the room, and if Derek guessed right, they were making a wager concerning her.

That wasn’t to say most of the people in attendance had other things on their mind than gossip and wagers. Most seemed content to dance and enjoy conversations with others around them. Most people came for no other reason than to have a good time, including the beautiful young lady on his arm.

He forced his gaze off the others so he could look at Danette. He was doing this for her. He could do this for her. He would go through this for her. She was worth it.

“Is it too soon to ask you to dance?” he asked her, noting the current dance was almost over.

“I don’t think so,” she replied, an undeniable excitement underlying her tone. “I can’t believe I’ll finally get a chance to dance.”

“Surely, you must have danced in the past.” Even knowing she was terribly shy around new people, he couldn’t fathom no one asking her to dance. Without a doubt, she was one of the most beautiful ladies in the room.

“I have danced in the past,” she admitted, “but it was only a few times, and none of those gentlemen meant anything to me. When I said I can’t believe I finally get a chance to dance, I meant that I’m finally with someone who means something to me.” She smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to this ever since we got the invitation.”

Returning her smile, he led her further into the room. “In that case, we must have this next dance.”

And the dancing was easy enough. In no way would he claim he danced as well as the other gentlemen, but he managed through it without bumping into someone or stepping on her feet. So as far as he was concerned, the dance itself was a success.

When the dance ended, he was ready to ask her if she wanted to search the room for anyone she might know, but Lord Toplyn and his wife came over to them.

“Lord Dodsworth, I’m glad you and your lovely wife made it,” Toplyn said. He gestured to the lady whose arm was wrapped around his. “This darling rose petal is my wife, Lady Toplyn.”

“Yes, we met,” Derek said and bowed. “She and her friends arranged my marriage, and,” he smiled at Danette, “I couldn’t be happier with their choice.”

“Splendid!” Melissa replied. “Lady Reddington was sure you two would get along just fine. So far, we’ve had nothing but success with our matches.”

“Whatever system you ladies use works,” Toplyn told her. Then, he added with a grin, “But why wouldn’t it? Ladies have an instinct for love, and my wife happens to be one of the smartest people I know.”

Melissa blushed at her husband’s compliment. After thanking him, she turned her gaze to Danette. “Would you be willing to leave your husband for a brief time to tell Lady Reddington and me how things are going?”

Danette’s eyes grew wide, as if she hadn’t expected to be asked to join Melissa and Chloe. Perhaps whenever she’d gone to a ball in the past, no one had bothered to take the time to talk to her, except for Regan. If this was the case, then Derek was glad they’d come. It’d be nice if Danette could broaden her circle of friends. He was fond of Regan, but Regan couldn’t be everywhere. Take tonight, for instance. Regan and Malcolm weren’t anywhere in sight. It’d be a shame for Danette to spend the evening alone when he couldn’t be with her.

“It’s fine with me,” Derek told Danette. “Besides, I have a feeling Lord Toplyn has something he wishes to discuss with me.”

Why else would Toplyn extend the invitation and come up to him? He had a suspicion this had to do with White’s, especially since Toplyn had never taken note of him before. He could delay the talk, of course, and come up with an excuse as to why he couldn’t leave Danette’s side. But he wasn’t one to put things off. The sooner he got this over with, the better.

“We’d love to get to know you better,” Melissa told Danette. “We won’t keep you too long from your husband. I promise.”

Despite her shock, Danette offered a nod and looked at Derek. “I won’t be gone for long.”

“Take your time. Enjoy yourself,” Derek replied.

She smiled at him, and he sensed her shyness taking over. This was probably harder for her than Melissa or Chloe could imagine. Not being prone to shyness themselves, Derek surmised they couldn’t truly appreciate how much courage this required of her. He squeezed her hand to offer her his silent encouragement then watched as she left with an excited Melissa already asking her questions about her marriage. That was good. If Melissa and Chloe did most of the talking, it’d make things easier for her.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” Toplyn said as the two gentlemen left the dance floor.

“Danette loves balls,” Derek replied, “and you know how it is when your wife wants something badly enough. You’d move heaven and earth to do it for her.”

“Indeed, I would. I often think it’s a pity more gentlemen don’t enjoy their marriages. But, that’s not why I was hoping to talk to you.”

“I figured as much.”

“I wanted to tell you how much you impressed me that day at White’s.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” They stepped outside on the veranda, and Toplyn continued, “I can’t help but admire someone who can come into a new place and speak his mind to someone he’s just met. I’ve only heard rumors about you, but I can see those rumors are true.”

Once again, Derek was reminded of how often people talked about him. “While people go around talking about all the shocking things I’ve done, I wish they’d remember the good I’ve done. I don’t just go around telling people what hypocrites they are. I’ve also been known to save a few lives along the way.”

“I’m well aware of that.” Toplyn sat on the bench and gestured for him to join him.

After a moment’s hesitation, Derek settled next to him. “You’ve brought me out here to ask me to go back to White’s and tell Warren what others are afraid to say? That half of you will not do what he wants?”

“Actually, the thought never crossed my mind,” Toplyn replied. “I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed watching you tell him how miserable he is. I happen to like the fact that you’re not afraid to speak your mind. Too many people keep quiet because they’re afraid to cause trouble. But not you. You say exactly what you want, and if people don’t like it, then that’s their problem. I respect you. That’s why I was hoping you’d come to my ball. I know you don’t go to them anymore.”

“Because speaking my mind has gotten me banned,” Derek interrupted.

Toplyn’s smile widened. “All the more reason to invite you. I don’t care one whit what the Ton thinks. I’ll invite whoever I want to my balls. No one’s going to tell me what to do.”

Derek relaxed. Toplyn, it seemed, just might be one of the few people who understood him.

“I consider it an honor to have you here,” Toplyn continued. “Too many people take everything so seriously. I wouldn’t pay the naysayers any mind. If their way of doing things is as wonderful as they claim, they should be happy. But they’re not. Just as you pointed out to Warren, they’re miserable. Well, if that’s what being reputable with the Ton is all about, I want no part of it.”

“You’re a rarity. Usually, people want to toss me out for stating my opinion.”

“There are more of us out there. Most people who agree with you are too afraid to admit it.”

Derek wondered if Christopher or Ethan had put Toplyn up to saying all of this. Perhaps this was their way of trying to get him to go back to White’s.

“Well, I don’t want to keep you,” Toplyn told Derek. “I’m sure you have other people you’d rather spend your time with. I just wanted to get a chance to thank you for coming.”

Derek nodded and watched as Toplyn went back into the ballroom. Yes, Derek had friends. Christopher and Ethan weren’t at all shy about inviting him to their balls. But this was the first time someone he barely knew took the time to say something nice to him. He’d been so used to criticism, he didn’t know what to think.

***

“You and Derek make a handsome couple,” Melissa told Danette as the three ladies sat in chairs at the edge of the room.

Chloe nodded her agreement. “He was so sure there wasn’t a lady brave enough to be seen in public with him, but you showed up with him, looking very proud to have him by your side. Even if he doesn’t say it, I know it means a lot to him you came here with him.”

“Is that why you and your husband invited us?” Danette asked Melissa.

“My husband, Logan, insisted on it,” Melissa began in a lower voice, “because of what happened at White’s.”

Curious, Danette leaned toward her. “What happened?”

“Derek told Lord Steinbeck he was a miserable person and that anyone who agreed with him was miserable as well.”

Danette’s eyes widened in horror. “He what?”

“Didn’t Derek tell you?” Melissa asked.

Danette shook her head. She hadn’t heard anything about the day he went to White’s except he’d thought it was a waste of time. She knew he hadn’t had any plans to go back, but never once did it occur to her it was because of this. Just what had Warren said to earn such a comment? And did this have anything to do with Malcolm? Oh dear, if it had something to do with Malcolm, this wouldn’t bode well at all.

“Logan couldn’t stop talking about it,” Melissa said. “He thought it was the funniest thing that ever happened at White’s. He went on and on about it for three whole days. It got to the point where I was ready to lock myself in a room just to get away from it.”

Danette could feel the color leave her face. This was awful. Just awful. If Logan couldn’t stop talking about it, then who else was doing it? She scanned the room, wondering if her husband was one of the topics of gossip tonight.

“Lord Steinbeck deserved it,” Chloe added, as if she sensed Danette’s unease. “My husband’s sick of listening to him telling everyone at White’s what to do. They’re all grown gentlemen, and yet Lord Steinbeck is treating them like a bunch of children. Sometimes he wants to stand up and say something, but he says Lord Steinbeck can’t be reasoned with.” She clasped her hands in her lap and gave the two ladies a pointed look. “Orlando says there’s no point in talking to someone who already has his mind made up.”

“I don’t know,” Melissa replied, her expression thoughtful. “From what Logan said, Derek really bothered Lord Steinbeck. The whole comment about his life being meaningless has Lord Steinbeck moping around London.”

Danette gasped. “Derek said Lord Steinbeck’s life has no meaning?”

Melissa shrugged. “Well, I don’t know exactly what was said. I heard Logan’s version of events, and Logan tends to focus in on parts of a conversation that interest him the most.”

“I think all people do that to some extent,” Chloe replied. “But from what Orlando told me, I’d say Logan’s right. He has no heir. An heir is everything to a titled gentleman. If he spends all his time acquiring a fortune and has no son to leave it to, then what good is it?”

“But I think Derek meant more than that,” Melissa argued. “It sounds like he was saying a life filled only with money has no purpose if there’s no one important to spend it with. Logan said Derek mentioned his brother dying without having a wife or a child. It sounds like Derek’s brother was lonely at the very end of his life.”

“I can see that,” Chloe agreed. “I was married to a gentleman who wasn’t really a husband to me. I felt absolutely no remorse when he died. I wonder if he felt like he’d had a lonely life as he was drowning.”

“My parents have always been adamant that Malcolm and I both end up married,” Melissa said. “Malcolm didn’t think he needed a wife, but I can see he’s much happier now than he was when he was a bachelor. Gentlemen need wives to give them a purpose.”

Chloe shot her friend a wry grin. “Ladies need companionship, too. It’s not just the gentlemen who benefit from marriage.”

“Yes, but Malcolm needed it far more than Regan did.”

At this point, Danette felt it was a good time to get back to the topic that had alarmed her. “Speaking of Malcolm, is he upset by what Derek said to Lord Steinbeck?” she asked Melissa. Of all people who’d know, Melissa would since she was his sister.

“He hasn’t mentioned anything about it,” Melissa replied with a shrug. “I don’t think he was there when the whole thing happened.”

“But he isn’t here tonight,” Chloe noted.

Melissa smirked. “That’s because he doesn’t like Logan. Logan finds their little feud amusing, but Malcolm sees no humor in it. You can’t completely fault Malcolm for it. Logan did force me into a marriage with him.”

“Only so his life would be complete,” Chloe teased. “He didn’t want to end up miserable and alone like Lord Steinbeck.”

The two ladies giggled, and Danette tried to find the humor in the conversation but it eluded her.

“You needn’t take the gentlemen seriously,” Chloe told Danette. “They quarrel over the silliest things. We don’t pay them any mind, and neither should you.”

Danette relaxed, but only slightly. What they didn’t understand was that Malcolm seemed to be the type who did take these things seriously. Very seriously.

Melissa put a hand on Danette’s arm. “I assure you, Logan has the highest respect for your husband.”

“It’s true,” Chloe added. “As does Orlando. In fact, several gentlemen at White’s wish they had the courage Derek does. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Danette glanced from one lady to the other, trying to gauge the sincerity in their words, and after several long moments, she came to the conclusion they were telling her the truth. Feeling much better, she gave herself permission to relax.

“I’ve never been invited to a ball,” Danette admitted. “Well, that is, I’ve never been with someone who received an invitation to the ball.”

“Oh, the invitation was as much for you as it was for Derek,” Melissa replied. “Chloe and I were both excited to talk to you and find out how things are going.”

“Helena was, too,” Chloe added, “but she just had a daughter. We promised we’d let her know what you told us.”

Danette smiled. “Well, in that case, tell her things are going along better than I dreamt possible. I fell in love with him as soon as I met him.” And now, she didn’t mind coming out and saying it to others. Her mother and Regan were right. It was time she stopped assuming something horrible was about to happen and just take time to enjoy the moment. “Everything’s wonderful.”

“That’s just what we wanted to hear!” Chloe exclaimed, clasping her hands in excitement. “I’ve wanted Derek to find a lady who appreciates him ever since I saw how good he was with my brother.”

“Also,” Melissa added, “it’s so nice to know we do an excellent job of matchmaking.”

Chloe grinned. “Yes, that’s true.”

This time, Danette laughed right along with them. “I can’t think of a better group of ladies who pair up couples like you three do.”

Chapter Nineteen

Derek saw Danette sitting with Melissa and Chloe, and since the three seemed to be having a good time, he opted to delay going over to her. So, instead, he found a chair and reclined in it, only half paying attention to people as they danced.

Instead, he tried to figure out why Danette enjoyed balls so much. He supposed looking at the dresses would appeal to a lady, though it did little to interest him. However, it was somewhat interesting to watch everyone.

There were even a couple of humorous moments. One lady got her hair stuck in her fan. Then there was a lady whose dress ripped in the back when she sat down. On the other side of the room, a gentleman was talking to a lady when the violinist nearby lost control of his bow and the bow hit him on the behind.

The one that made Derek laugh out loud involved three people who were victims of circumstance. There was a gentleman who was pouring himself a glass of brandy. He happened to be standing close to a lady who was sitting. Someone passed by, not watching where he was going and knocked into the poor gentleman. The gentleman, in turn, lurched forward and poured half his glass of brandy into the lady’s hair. The lady shrieked, jumped up, and gave him a good slap before storming off.

Perhaps this was the appeal Danette found when she came to these balls. Simply watching people was turning into an enjoyable pastime.

“They add nothing of benefit to Society,” a familiar voice said. “But we need them.”

Derek glanced over at the two couples who’d stopped close by him. The person he’d overheard happened to be Lord Riggley. Derek’s expression darkened. He’d tried not to think of that day when he’d caught the gentleman slipping out from Christina Leith’s home, and for the most part, he’d succeeded. As Danette had pointed out, so many people had affairs it shouldn’t bother him. But it did. What good were vows if people didn’t keep them?

“Oh, I couldn’t agree more,” Lady Cadwalader agreed as she fiddled with her glove that was too tight for her plump hand. “One almost feels sorry for their lot in life. They’ll never have it any better.”

“You shouldn’t be so cruel,” Lord Cadwalader admonished, though Derek sensed he wasn’t all that upset by her comment. “They have a place to fill. Someone has to be in the lower middle class. Not everyone can be like us.”

“You’re right, I suppose,” Lady Cadwalader relented. “Who else would do the menial work?”

“Exactly,” her brother, Lord Riggley, replied with a nod. “It’s much like the animal kingdom. You have those at the top, like the lions in Africa who roam the open fields, and then you have the rats like the kind we have scampering through garbage. Each animal has its place.”

The lady standing next to Lord Riggley snorted. “No one benefits from rats. They’re filthy creatures. I wouldn’t want one in my townhouse.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Lord Riggley said. “I’m just saying those disadvantaged people are still a part of Society, and we have to bear with them whether we like it or not. There is no getting rid of them.”

“Not with how much they breed,” Lady Cadwalader muttered.

Derek told himself he shouldn’t intervene. He even looked over at Danette to remind himself why he had promised her he’d no longer make embarrassing scenes in public.

But then the lady next to Lord Riggley said, “Maybe if we don’t feed them, they’ll go away and breed elsewhere,” and not a single person protested. In fact, they all laughed.

Derek bolted up from his chair and stormed over to them. “I’m dismayed, truly and completely dismayed,” he snapped, his voice rising with each word he spoke. “How dare you stand here and joke about people who aren’t as wealthy as you?”

Lady Cadwalader narrowed her eyes at him. “People earn the position they’re in, Doctor Westward. If they wanted to improve their lot in life, they would.”

Derek clasped his hands behind his back and directed his attention at her. “It’s not Doctor Westward anymore. It’s Lord Dodsworth. And do you know how I acquired the title? My brother died and left it to me. There was nothing I could have done on my own effort to move up to what you consider the lion of all animals. And what of you, my lady? Did you work your fat bottom up the rung of Society through hard work and effort? No. You were born into a wealthy family. The only contribution you’ve made is eating everything on your dinner plate.”

Lady Cadwalader gasped.

“Meanwhile,” he continued, barely aware the music had stopped and a group of onlookers had turned their attention to him, “the rest of you haven’t done a single bit of work in your entire lives. All you do is run from one social activity to another. Today, it’s the ball. Tomorrow, it’s the theatre. After that, a dinner party. Life is nothing but one big meaningless blur for you. When you’re dead, no one will even remember or care who you are. You will have made no valuable contributions to Society.”

Lord Riggley stepped in between him and Lady Cadwalader. “I will not stand idly by while you talk to my sister and friends this way.”

“You won’t?” Derek asked, recalling that day he’d caught the gentleman sneaking out of Christina Leith’s house. “But you’ll stand right here at this ball and compare the lady you’re siring children with to a rat?” Pointing a finger at him, Derek added, “You know very well I came by that day to pay a certain lower middle class lady a visit to confirm she was with child. But what you didn’t know is that I figured out she’d been intimately engaged with someone in her bedroom, and this person wasn’t her husband. So I waited until you emerged from the back of her house, and I followed you as you scurried away to your townhouse. How many children have you had with her? Do you even have enough decency to help provide monetary assistance for them?”

Lord Riggley’s face turned as white as a ghost. He fumbled around for something to say, but nothing came out that was coherent.

“I don’t think this is appropriate,” Lord Cadwalader barked.

“In my opinion,” Derek said, ignoring Lord Cadwalader, “the real rats in London are standing right in front of me.”

Then, since they happened to be close to a table with an assortment of foods, Derek picked up two handfuls of cheese and tossed it at them, only finding mild satisfaction as they squeaked and scampered to get away from him.

“The lot of you disgusts me,” Derek shouted over their protests as they struggled to get bits of cheese out of their hair and off their clothes.

Done with his rant, he spun on his heel and headed straight for the exit, much as he had in the past whenever an evening turned sour. It wasn’t until he was almost out of the room that he remembered he’d come with Danette. And worse, she had seen the entire thing.

Deciding he’d already done enough to embarrass her, he left. The last thing he was going to do was put her through any more humiliation by going over to her.

***

Danette could feel everyone’s gazes going right to her as Derek left. Next to her, neither Melissa nor Chloe spoke. In fact, no one said anything. The room had gotten so quiet a person might hear a pin drop. She was too stunned to move, let alone grasp what had just happened.

And then, out of nowhere, Logan got up on a chair and clapped his hands. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. I think it’s about time we stopped acting as if we’re better than everyone else. Why, my darling wife had a father who worked hard to get to where he’s at today. He didn’t have much to his name when he was a lad. But today, he’s wealthier than half of the people in this room. That shows what determination and hard work will do. I’m proud to be his son-in-law.”

Danette glanced over at Melissa, wondering what she thought of being singled out like that. After a moment of shock, Melissa’s lips curled up into a smile.

Lord Edon pulled up a chair next to Logan and stood up on it. “I was born into wealth. I did nothing to earn it. Well, I did win a lot of wagers and games—”

“You won all of them,” Mister Christopher Robinson called out.

“My point,” Edon continued, “was that I didn’t have to work for it. It came easily to me. And I bet if you weren’t born into it, you married into it. I know Lady Cadwalader and Lord Riggley were born into their money. Lord Cadwalader married into it. As for the lady standing next to Lord Riggley, she wants to marry into it. All of us are here tonight because we were fortunate enough to be born into it, or we hope to marry into it.”

“Some even come here to make wagers in hope of gaining wealth that way,” Logan added. “All Lord Dodsworth did tonight was stand up for a group of people who aren’t here to represent themselves, and I say it’s long overdue we stopped criticizing people when we haven’t been in their situation.”

Melissa pressed her hand over her heart, her smile growing wider. “Sometimes he makes me so happy I married him.”

Then, without another word, she went over to him and got up on the chair next to him. “This is our ball, and we fully support what Lord Dodsworth did this evening. If you feel it necessary to speak rudely about people who aren’t here to defend themselves, you may leave.”

For the longest moment, nothing happened. They all stood completely still, no one moving or even blinking. Danette wasn’t even sure they were breathing.

Then, with a loud huff, Lady Cadwalader said, “I didn’t create Society the way it is, but since we are allotted our certain station in this life, then I see nothing wrong with sticking to the social order of things. Otherwise, we’d have chaos.”

She proceeded to leave the room, her husband following close behind. Other people—probably about half the room—also hurried out, and Danette couldn’t help but notice Lord Riggley was one of them.

Danette frowned as it finally dawned on her that Lord Riggley was the gentleman Derek had been talking about the day he’d come home upset over finding out one of his patients was having an affair. At the time, she’d figured it was nothing to get upset over because so many people found lovers. It’d just seemed to be the way things were in London.

But to realize Lord Riggley could have an affair with a lady and refer to her in public in such a degrading way proved just how shallow the Ton was. No wonder Derek despised the Ton.

Seeing how those prominent members of the Ton cared so little for others made her understand how useless their opinions really were. Why should she care so much about them? What mattered were the people she loved and cared about.

She turned to Chloe, who hadn’t seemed to come out of her shock yet. “I need to find my husband,” Danette said. “Thank you for bringing us together.”

Danette rose to her feet and hurried to find him.

Chapter Twenty

Derek had just finished packing enough clothes and grooming supplies to get him through the next few days when Danette came running into his bedchamber.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” she said, nearly out of breath. When she saw the valise on his bed, she frowned. “Are you leaving me?”

Noting the hurt tone in her voice, he asked, “Don’t you want me to leave after the way I embarrassed you this evening?”

“You didn’t embarrass me.”

“I didn’t?” Because he was sure he had. This evening had been worse than when he’d called Warren and his friends miserable. There was no getting away from this.

“No, you didn’t.” She sat on the bed and looked up at him. “I learned something tonight. It’s something my mother and Regan have been telling me all along, but it took what happened tonight for me to really understand it. I spent so much of my life worrying about what others think. Because of it, I’ve missed out on so much I should have enjoyed.”

Surprised her thoughts should take such a tangent, he settled beside her. “I didn’t realize you weren’t enjoying life.”

“Well, I did as long as things were predictable and safe. But predictable and safe are also boring. Regan was the one exciting thing I had in my life, and she’s neither predictable nor safe. She does what she wants, and if someone doesn’t like it, that’s their problem. As I was trying to find you tonight, I kept thinking of how much better my life is with you in it. You make it worth living.” With a glance at his valise, she added, “Please don’t go.”

“I wasn’t going to go because I wanted to,” he whispered. “I thought you wouldn’t want to have anything else to do with me. I had promised you on our wedding day I wouldn’t cause a scandal. That promise didn’t last long.”

“I think some promises are better not kept. Derek, I don’t want you to change who you are. You’ll lose what I love most about you if you do. I’d rather have you in my life than attend balls and listen to people gossip. To be honest, this evening was the most exciting ball I’ve ever been to, and it was only because you were there.”

Despite the way things had turned out, he chuckled. “Well, I do have a way of making people remember me.”

She chuckled along with him and took his hand, clasping it between both of hers. “Lord and Lady Toplyn, Lord Edon, and Mister Robinson even told everyone you were right and that if anyone didn’t like it, they could leave.”

“They did?” That had never happened before.

She leaned into him. “It turned out half the room agreed with you but were too afraid to stand up to the Ton to say anything. Only a gentleman of great courage would risk his reputation to speak the truth. I wish I had the kind of courage you do.”

Funny she should word things like that. He was reminded of Ethan’s plea that he go back to White’s and help the other gentlemen gather the strength to go up against Warren. Nothing Christopher or I say makes enough gentlemen want to tell him no. They secretly want to, but they’re afraid of him. Maybe the fact that Derek was bold in his speech wasn’t a bad thing after all. Sure, it had upset people like his brother, but his brother had been of the same mindset as Lady Cadwalader and her ilk. Apparently, there were others who thought more like him, and what they needed was someone who wasn’t afraid to come out and speak his mind.

Leaning toward her, he gave her a light kiss. “I suppose there’s something to be said for a gentleman who isn’t afraid to upset the Ton.”

“Yes, there is. What you say is right. Those people shouldn’t be so quick to criticize others when their own behavior isn’t that noble. I’m sorry I tried to talk you out of being who you are.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that.”

“Yes, I do. You accepted me as I was. Never once did you ask me to do something differently. I wish I’d done the same for you, especially when you’ve been nothing but kind to me.”

He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. He could see she was struggling with guilt, and he needed to do something to absolve her from it. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we put all of that behind us and make a fresh start? There’s no sense in worrying over something you can’t change.”

She relaxed, but only slightly, so he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. The action seemed to be exactly what she needed to fully believe him, for he noted the last of her resistance melting.

He’d thought for sure she wouldn’t want him to stay in the same townhouse with her after the scene he’d made at Lord Toplyn’s ball. But the opposite had occurred. He’d become aware of how much she did want him. And for that, he’d always be grateful she was the one selected to be his wife.

***

Late the next morning, Derek had some free time after tending to one of his patients, so he decided to stop by White’s. As he and Danette were eating their morning meal, she’d looked at him in a way that let him know she was proud to be his wife. In that moment, he knew she’d support him no matter what.

So he felt free to go to a gentleman’s club and enjoy himself. After years of feeling like an outcast, it was liberating to know there was someone who fully accepted him. It gave him a place he truly belonged. And that, in his opinion, was better than all the money gentlemen valued so much. His brother had been right. Wealth was an empty thing unless a gentleman had someone special to share his life with.

Someday, there would be children. Whether they were boys or girls, he didn’t really care. He’d seen enough ladies and children die to know there was more to having them than passing on a title. It wasn’t something he’d told his brother, of course. His brother wouldn’t have listened. Even on his deathbed, his brother had thought what really mattered was having a son to inherit a title.

But life was more than money and worrying about someone who would inherit it. Life was about taking each day and enjoying it to the fullest. It was about spending time with people a gentleman cared about. And the gentleman who found a wife who esteemed him as highly as Danette did was truly rich.

So it was with a confidence he’d never experienced before that Derek entered White’s. At first, the gentlemen stopped talking when they saw him. The moment would have been awkward if this had happened a day ago. But today, it didn’t bother him one bit. In fact, it was on the tip of his tongue to joke that he knew how to stun a room full of people simply by showing up.

But as he opened his mouth, half the room began clapping. Ethan and Christopher came over to him, laughed, and patted him on the back.

“Of all the things you’ve ever done at a ball,” Christopher began, “last evening’s was the best. My wife couldn’t stop talking about it.”

“Mine neither,” Ethan said. “She couldn’t decide if it was more shocking than the time she saw you take off your shirt at her father’s ball.”

“My wife thinks last night was much more shocking,” Christopher replied. “She said it took up two whole pages in the Tittletattle. The shirt incident only took up a half a page.” Looking back at Derek, he added, “She thinks the more the Tittletattle reports, the more important something is.”

“I don’t know.” Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “From what I hear, ladies have a hard time forgetting what Derek looks like without his shirt on.”

“Yes, but last night he threw food at Lady Cadwalader, of all people.”

“Maybe if he removes her wig next time, people will forget about the shirt.”

Derek’s eyes grew wide. “Lady Cadwalader wears a wig?”

Christopher nodded. “She has less hair than her husband, and you can almost see your reflection on his head.”

Derek shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true,” Christopher insisted. “The Tittletattle never lies.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Ethan replied.

“It’s true,” Christopher said. “The Tittletattle is one of the most reliable sources we have. If you want to know what’s really going on, you go there to find out.”

Ethan chuckled. “I think it’s amusing you believe that.”

Logan ran in from the other room and came over to them. “Oh good! I was hoping you’d come by today,” he told Derek. “I win the bet,” he told the other gentlemen.

“And I lost,” Christopher mused, along with some of the gentlemen who started paying Logan. He looked at Derek. “I thought for sure you wouldn’t come here because of Warren.”

“Yes, I’m surprised, too,” Ethan admitted. “Especially after you made such a fuss over your wife being friends with Malcolm Jasper.”

“As it turns out,” Derek explained, “my wife fully supported me last night.”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “She did?”

Derek nodded. “In fact, that’s why I’m here. I’m not going to let the Ton tell me what I can and can’t say anymore. From now on, I’m going to say exactly what I want.”

Logan cheered. “I knew he’d say that, too! Pay up, gentlemen.”

Ethan frowned. “Didn’t you say something about promising your wife you weren’t going to place any more bets?”

Logan shot him a pointed look. “It’s not a bet when it’s a sure thing. It’s only a bet if you have a chance of losing.”

“Hmm…” Christopher dug out his money and handed it to him. “I lost.”

“Because you refused to believe in your friend. I, however, never doubted him.” Logan collected the rest of the money and grinned at Derek. “Thank you, my lord.”

If it hadn’t been Logan who’d been so quick to come to his defense last night, Derek might have been insulted. But as it was, he decided one good turn deserved another. He grinned in return. “You’re welcome.”

“I suppose losing the money was worth it,” Christopher said. “The important thing is, you came here today.”

“Yes,” Ethan agreed. “Will you be coming by more often, or is this a rare occurrence?”

“I’m going to be coming here more often,” Derek promised them.

“Good!” they both replied in unison.

“It’ll be nice to have some support when Warren starts rambling on about decency and other nonsense,” Christopher said.

“Is he here?” Derek asked, glancing at the other room.

“Not at the moment,” Ethan replied, “but you’ll have time to deal with him later. Every time he comes in, he gives one of his sermons on how we should better ourselves.”

“It’s worse than sitting through church,” Christopher added. “Why didn’t he become a vicar?”

“Good question,” Ethan quipped. “At any rate, why don’t you join us in a game of cards?”

“Sure,” Derek replied. “It sounds like fun.” And it did. Better yet, he’d get the pleasure of knowing he’d be able to sit back and enjoy each time he came here in the future.

***

“Of all the balls I missed, it had to be the most exciting one,” Regan bemoaned the next afternoon as she set the Tittletattle in front of Danette upon her arrival at Danette’s townhouse.

Danette only glanced at the scandalsheets where the headline, Lord Dodsworth Compares the Ton to Rats, was in big, bold letters. She dipped a sugar cube into her tea and stirred it with a spoon. “I don’t know if I’d say he compared the entire Ton to rats. It was mostly aimed at Lord and Lady Cadwalader and Lord Riggley.”

Regan plopped down next to Danette on the settee and groaned. “What I wouldn’t have given to see him say that to Lady Cadwalader! She annoys me the most. Always thinking she’s better than everyone else. Tell me,” she faced Danette, looking her squarely in the eye, “what did she look like when he flung the cheese at her?”

“I wasn’t close enough to see her face, but she did shriek as she frantically tried to get it off of her.”

“Oh, how I wish I’d been there! It’s simply not fair I missed it.”

“Well, you were there to see my husband take off his shirt at the Duke of Rumsey’s ball,” Danette teased as she picked up her cup.

“You get to see him without his shirt every night. That is,” she added with a twinkle in her eye, “if you do your wifely duty every night.”

Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, Danette took a long sip of her tea, purposely making her curious friend wait until she answered her. “I have seen him without all of his clothes every night since we married. However, the lady’s time hindered us from taking full advantage of the bed for a few of those days. You’ll be happy to know I have been faithful to my duties on all the other ones.”

“Then I don’t have to tell you how wonderful he looks without his shirt.”

“No, you don’t. But you’ll never know how wonderful he feels.”

Regan giggled. “Why, Danette, I can’t believe you’re talking in such a way. Next thing I know, you’ll tell me you’ve chosen to stop looking for something bad to happen to you all the time.”

Danette finished her tea then set the cup on the table in front of them. “As a matter of fact, I have. Last night taught me you and my mother are right. No good comes from being afraid of the next bad thing that might happen. I’m better off focusing on what’s good instead.” Danette couldn’t be sure, but she thought her friend’s eyes grew twice their normal size. She chuckled. “I know. I can hardly believe it either. But it’s true. Last night, I realized trying to please the wrong people isn’t worth it. I’d rather please the right people.”

Regan groaned. “How I wish I’d been there. Last night’s ball will be one people will talk about for years to come, and I missed it. Melissa came over and told me what happened and brought over the Tittletattle, but it’s not the same as seeing it. I was especially touched to learn that Logan stood up in front of the entire room and said some nice things about her and Malcolm’s father.”

“Yes, he did.” In fact, Danette suspected it was Logan taking the opportunity to defend Derek that helped gather the support from half the room. But there was no proving it, of course. “Did Malcolm hear about what happened?”

“He did. Melissa wanted to tell him, too, because it involved their father.”

“Did it change the way Malcolm thinks about Logan?”

Regan shrugged. “I know what Logan said surprised him a great deal because he’s been in a state of shock ever since. The poor dear seems to be having a difficult time adjusting to all of this. First, there’s the thing with Warren, and now the events that happened last night only added to his dilemma. Malcolm’s been oddly quiet about the matter, but he feels like he has to make a difficult choice between his friendship with Warren and what he believes is the right thing to do.”

“That’s not an easy place to be.”

“No, it’s not.”

Danette caught sight of Derek from the window as he came up the steps of the townhouse. “My darling husband is coming, but don’t expect him to take off his shirt.”

Regan chuckled. “I like this new side of you, Danette. Even if I wasn’t there to see all the wonderful things Derek did to upset Lady Cadwalader, I’m so glad to see you this way. I’ll have to thank your husband on my way out.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.” She got up and retrieved the Tittletattle. “I don’t want to deprive your husband of a chance to have you rip off his shirt and have your way with him.”

Danette almost told her friend she’d already done that last night, but Regan would only tell her to do it again today. So, instead, she rose up from the settee and, on impulse, gave her friend a hug.

“What was that for?” Regan asked when the hug ended.

“For talking me into getting married even though I fought you on it.”

“If your friends can’t talk you into doing something you don’t want to do, then who can?”

Danette laughed at her joke and walked with her to the doorway of the drawing room just as Derek came into the townhouse.

“You, my lord, are a legend in the making,” Regan told him, showing him the Tittletattle. “Two entire pages dedicated to you and how brave you are. I wish I’d been there to see it. All I can say is that I’m thrilled I know someone who knows how to upset Lady Cadwalader as well as you do. I never did care for her ever since she made it a point to embarrass my first husband in front of everyone. So on his behalf, I thank you for giving the rat what she had coming to her.”

Derek seemed pleased by her praise. “To be fair, I wasn’t only directing the words to her. There were three others, one in particular, I was upset with.”

“I’m sure they deserved it,” Regan replied. “Malcolm and I will send you two an invitation for another dinner party in a couple days. In the meantime, don’t do anything exciting unless I’m there to see it.”

Danette couldn’t help but chuckle as Derek promised her he wouldn’t.

After Regan left, Derek turned to her. “I’m glad I didn’t cause any problems between you and your friend.”

“Regan loves all things scandalous,” Danette assured him.

“Well, Malcolm might not have been as amused by what I did last night,” he replied.

“I think Regan is slowly getting Malcolm to see things her way.” She closed the gap between them and kissed him. “I wouldn’t worry about him.”

Smiling, he put his hand on the small of her back and returned her kiss. “Even so, it’s nice to see that I haven’t done anything to harm your friendship with her.”

“No, you haven’t. My friend heartily approves of you. In fact, she recommended I thank you for what you did last night by taking your shirt off and having my way with you.”

His eyebrows rose in interest. “Oh?”

“I almost told her I already did that last night, but,” she added when she detected the disappointment in his eyes, “I see no reason why I can’t do so again. It wasn’t as if I didn’t enjoy myself.”

The spark returned to his eyes, and he shot her a mischievous grin. “I certainly don’t mind being thanked more than once.”

With a giggle, she took his hand and led him to the stairs, “Then come with me.”

And he did as she wished.

Up to now, Helena, Melissa, and Chloe’s matchmaking has made some of the finest love matches in all of London. But this time, their match might not end in a happily ever after….

Coming Soon!

The Earl’s Wallflower Bride

(Marriage by Arrangement: Book 3)

Warren Beaufort, the Earl of Steinbeck, prides himself on having the best of the best. From his furnishings in his townhouse to his clothes, he chooses everything with the intention of impressing others. And more than that, he has amassed a fortune that is the envy of many in London.

One thing he lacks, however, is an heir. In order to get the heir, he’ll need a wife. The lady must either come from significant money or she must be extremely beautiful. It matters little to him which is the case as long as he benefits somehow from the match.

Lady Iris, the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter, has money, but she lacks both grace and looks. One thing she does have, however, is the good sense to know a gentleman like Warren is all wrong for her, which is why she’s horrified to learn she’s been matched with him for marriage. But the Duchess of Ashbourne and her friends assure her that she and Warren have so much in common they are an ideal match.

Having no way out of the marriage her father has arranged for her, she has no choice but to marry Warren. While she might have to give him the heir, she will never, under any circumstance, give him something far more precious…her heart.

Reserve Your Copy Today!

Already Available:

His Wicked Lady (Marriage by Arrangement: Book 1)

Mr. Malcolm Jasper prides himself on his immaculate reputation, and he’s decided it’s time to get married so he can start having children to leave a legacy to. Unfortunately for him, he happens to be paired with Lady Cantrell, a lady who thinks the rules of the Ton are made to be broken.

Click here for more information

***

Other Regencies by Ruth Ann Nordin

Marriage by Scandal Series:

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife: Lord Roderick needs an heir, and the only way he’s going to get one is by finding a suitable young lady to marry. But one wrong move on his part has just betrothed him to a lady he believes tricked him into a scandal.

A Most Unsuitable Earl: Lord Edon has done everything he can to avoid marriage, including building a reputation as London’s most notorious rake. His scheming mother, however, is so determined that he’ll find a good lady to marry, she’ll stop at nothing to find him one. And the lady she finally picks happens to be London’s most notorious wallflower, the ever-so-boring Lady Catherine.

His Reluctant Lady: From the moment Mister Robinson meets Lady Richfield, he knows they are destined to be together. But it may take the threat of a scandal to convince the reluctant widow that marriage can be the most sensually and emotionally satisfying experience she’ll ever have.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife: Lord Clement, who others refer to as “the earl who can’t find a wife,” is about to find that scandals aren’t so bad when a lady kisses him at a ball.

Marriage by Deception Series:

The Earl’s Secret Bargain: Toby and Lord Pennella have just made a bet for the hand of Miss Regina Giles. The gentleman she chooses wins the loser’s estate. But things don’t go according to plan when Toby falls in love with her.

Love Lessons with the Duke: Camden asks Helena to help him secure a bride in one month, but soon he realizes he’s in love with her and will do anything it takes to marry her, even if it involves a scandal.

Ruined by the Earl: After losing all of his money in a reckless bet, Logan needs to marry a lady from a wealthy family–and fast. So he does the only thing he can think of and picks one at random to trick into marriage.

The Earl’s Stolen Bride: Orlando Emmett, the Lord of Reddington, fell in love with Chloe as soon as he met her over a year ago. Unfortunately, she married Lord Hawkins before he could propose. Now, she’s a widow. And while he should honor the mourning period, he’s afraid if he doesn’t act fast, he might not get another chance to be her husband. So he plans a way to make sure he gets her before someone else can.

A Standalone Regency Novel that is also Currently Available:

Her Counterfeit Husband: When her abusive husband dies, the Duchess of Watkins plots a way to hide his death so his brother doesn’t get the title. Fate steps in and she comes upon a gentleman who looks just like her husband, and more than that, he doesn’t remember who he is. Has she just come across the best solution to her problem, or has she just made things much, much worse?

All Other Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

(Chronological Order)

Historical Western Romance

Pioneer Series

Wagon Trail Bride

Nebraska Romance Series

Her Heart’s Desire

A Bride for Tom

A Husband for Margaret

Eye of the Beholder

The Wrong Husband

Shotgun Groom

To Have and To Hold

His Redeeming Bride

Isaac’s Decision

Chance at Love Series

The Convenient Mail Order Bride

South Dakota Series

Loving Eliza

Bid for a Bride

Bride of Second Chances

Montana Collection

Mitch’s Win

Boaz’s Wager

Patty’s Gamble

Native American Romance Series

Restoring Hope

Brave Beginnings

Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

A Chance In Time

Virginia Series

An Unlikely Place for Love

The Cold Wife

An Inconvenient Marriage

Romancing Adrienne

Historical Romance Anthologies (with Janet Syas Nitsick)

Bride by Arrangement

A Groom’s Promise

Standalone Historical Western Romances

Falling In Love With Her Husband

Kent Ashton’s Backstory (Prequel to Catching Kent)

Catching Kent

His Convenient Wife

Meant To Be

The Mail Order Bride’s Deception

Contemporary Romance

Omaha Romance Series

With This Ring, I Thee Dread

What Nathan Wants

Just Good Friends

Across the Stars Series

Suddenly a Bride

Runaway Bride

His Abducted Bride

Standalone Contemporaries

Substitute Bride

Bride by Design (under pen name Barbara Joan Russell)

Thriller

Return of the Aliens (Christian End-Times Novel)

Late One Night (flash fiction)

Fantasy

Enchanted Galaxy Series

A Royal Engagement

Royal Hearts

The Royal Pursuit

Royal Heiress

To find out more about Ruth Ann Nordin’s books and upcoming titles, you can go to the following sites:

Her Author Blog: http://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com

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www.ruthannnordin.com

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https://www.facebook.com/ruth.a.nordin

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Coming Soon in the Marriage by Arrangement Series

Other Regencies Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

All Books Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

Where To Find Ruth

Join Ruth’s Email List