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Evelyn’s smile faded. ‘He didn’t tell you?’

‘No. But say it quickly, before he comes.’

Her sister took her hand and led her away, towards a dark corner of the room. ‘Not many people know this. It was quite the secret, and I only know because one of my maids is the sister of Lady Selwyn’s maid.’

Evelyn leaned in to whisper. ‘She wasn’t supposed to tell me, but over a year ago, the duke was courting Lady Selwyn. Almost no one knew about it—they were very discreet. They never danced together, never let anyone suspect the truth. Hardly anyone in the ton knows. But apparently he asked her to marry him, and Lenora refused him, marrying the earl instead.’

The blood in Charlotte’s veins seemed to turn to ice. ‘She chose an earl over a duke?’

‘She did.’

Why? she wanted to ask. Why would she turn down Alaric’s proposal?

Charlotte leaned against the wall, feeling a surge of dizziness washing over her. It was clear from her husband’s veiled anger that he hadn’t set his resentment aside. Or was it regret? Had he left London and become a recluse because of a broken heart? Was that why he had agreed to marry her instead?

An uneasy feeling gathered in her stomach. It was starting to make more sense why he’d been interested in an arranged marriage. He had no interest in falling in love a second time. A sudden regret caught her heart, but she told herself, It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past, just as he said.

Charlotte turned back towards Lady Selwyn and saw that she was standing beside the earl, her face pale. This did not seem to be a woman who had a happy marriage at all. She appeared miserable.

Good, Charlotte thought. A sudden protective urge came over her. If Lady Selwyn had indeed spurned Alaric, then the countess deserved her fate.

‘Thank you for telling me this,’ she whispered to her sister. ‘We’ll talk later.’

Evelyn gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at the duke, just as he arrived. ‘Your Grace, it is good to see you again.’

‘Lady Rowland,’ he murmured in greeting, but Charlotte didn’t hear the rest of what he said. The room was swaying, and she blinked, trying to steady herself.

‘Here,’ the duke said, holding the lemonade out to her. His expression sharpened, and he asked, ‘Are you feeling all right?’

‘Just a little dizzy,’ Charlotte answered. ‘It’s so warm in here with so many people.’ She offered a false smile and said, ‘I thought I should be a wallflower for a moment so I don’t faint.’

She took a sip of the lemonade, but inwardly, her stomach was churning. She reminded herself that she’d known all of this from the beginning. Alaric had married her for her dowry and to repay his debts, nothing more.

But tonight he’d escorted her here to prove something. Whether it was to Lord and Lady Selwyn or to himself, he’d wanted the countess to know that he had made a choice of his own. She could sense Alaric’s anger and frustration, and her own feelings were bruised at the realisation that she was his second choice.

Or maybe she had not been a choice at all, since she had essentially asked him to marry her.

The duke appeared uncertain of what to do now. He sipped his own lemonade, but his gaze shifted back to their hosts.

Evelyn took the hint and said, ‘I think my husband is looking for me. It was good to see both of you. Charlotte, I hope you’ll pay a call on me this week.’ Then, with a smile, she excused herself and moved through the crowd.

‘Do you want to go home?’ Alaric asked softly. ‘That is, if you’re not feeling well.’

Charlotte shook her head. Leaving was the coward’s path. No, she wanted to make a point of her own. She took his glass and set it on a small table, along with her own. ‘I think I’d rather dance with you.’

He frowned as if he didn’t want to, but then he saw the earl and countess standing near the dancers. ‘Are you certain?’ he asked. ‘You look a bit pale.’

‘I am very certain.’ Though she didn’t really feel like dancing at all, she would go through with it to assert her own truth. Although the countess had been part of Alaric’s past, Charlotte had claimed the duke’s future.

She tucked her arm in his and braved a smile. ‘Shall we?’

Chapter Eight

Rule 8: You will not interfere in my personal habits or routines.

Alaric had never really enjoyed dancing. Although he was good at it—his mother had insisted that he and his brother master the skill—he disliked being watched by strangers. And unfortunately, as a duke, everyone watched him.

Lenora despised attention as much as he did, and they had been extremely careful not to let anyone know he was courting her. At the time, he’d thought it was a way to keep their affair private. Among the ton, they had never danced together and rarely interacted. There was no reason why anyone would know about their courtship—and it seemed that they had kept their secret.