“Yes, she would, but I must inform you that James wasn’t particularly pleased to learn that you were at a Cakras Ball. He warned me to be more careful in the future, and he suggested that you be especially mindful if you ever meet the marquess again.”
“He has a reputation, then?” Clara asked as her horse’s hooves tapped lightly over the soft ground. “Is that the bad news? Did he lie to me about not being married?”
“That, I do not know, but it would be easy to find out now that we know who he is. All I know is what James told me—that the marquess was involved in a divorce scandal. He had to testify in court about his affair with a married woman, and for that reason, he is not invited into polite society.”
Clara absorbed this news with disappointment, though she shouldn’t be surprised. She knew the marquess seduced married women regularly at the Cakras Balls. That sort of behavior was bound to ruin a man’s reputation eventually.
“Will society not let him back in?” Clara asked. “Or is it his choice to refuse invitations?”
“I wish I knew.”
Clara gazed up at the sky. “I wonder if he learned a lesson from that scandal. Perhaps he’s more cautious these days. He must be, given the way he tossed me out the door when he discovered I was unmarried—a hot potato to him apparently.”
“You are not a potato, Clara, and you’re still hoping for the best where he’s concerned, aren’t you?”
“I can’t help it. He’s still the most interesting man I’ve met since my arrival in England. I want to understand why he is what he is, and I can’t seem to shake that desire.”
Sophia regarded her sister. “What about the Duke of Guysborough? I only mention him because Mrs. Gunther asked about him this morning. She wanted to know if we encountered him last night.”
Clara laughed. “How would we even know? Everyone was wearing a mask.”
“Indeed. But do you remember meeting the duke last week?”
“The tall fellow with the dark mustache? Yes, I do.”
“And what did you think of him? He would be an excellent catch, given his rank. His title is not quite as old as James’s, but he’s favored by the queen. She admired his wife for her charity work. The duchess passed away just over a year ago.”
“A widower.” Clara ducked below some low-hanging branches. “I hadn’t considered marrying someone who had been married before. I suppose it is an option.”
“Did you find him attractive?”
Clara shrugged. “Not as attractive as the marquess, though he would probably be a more sensible choice.”
“Yes,” Sophia agreed. “And I do want you to be sensible, Clara. I was supportive about going to the Cakras Ball, but when I think about what could have occurred if we were discovered.... I don’t wish to take that kind of risk again.”
“I’m sorry I put you in that position.” Clara sighed. “But I begged you to take me there, so don’t blame yourself.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cool breeze.
“I just wish,” Sophia said, “that there was a way for you to see the marquess again without risking another appearance at a Cakras Ball.”
“If only he came out into society.”
Sophia considered it for a moment. “Well, there’s always the obvious. I could host a party and send him an invitation. He knows I’m your sister. If he’s interested in seeing you again, he’ll come.”
“He told me he despises the Marriage Mart.”
“That may be so, but if my eyes were telling me anything last night, it was that he was as taken with you as you were with him. You might be the very thing to bring him out of his shell. Perhaps deep down, he wants to be accepted again and we can help him. The worst thing that could happen is he would simply not attend—in which case we would at least know that he is determined to remain alone.”
“Or that he is not attracted to me.”
Sophia urged her horse into a gallop. “Impossible.”
Clara began to gallop as well.
“Shall I arrange an assembly then?” Sophia called out to Clara as she came up beside her.
Clara experienced a delightful thrill of anticipation. “Most definitely.”
