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“You married him. You knew what it was going to entail.”
“I married him for money. I don’t plan on having anything to do with him. Besides,” Lady Catherine smirked, “it will work well when I get pregnant by Derrick. I can pass it off as my husband’s, and he won’t be any the wiser. And, given how… potent Derrick is, I know I’m going to end up carrying his child.”
She might as well have slapped Ellie across the face. It was getting colder outside, and Ellie was fighting off the shivers. She would not have Lady Catherine see her like this.
“You’re happy about having an affair with a married man?” she whispered. “You think it’s something to gloat about?”
“Only because I know he loves me. We had a fling many years ago when we were younger. When we reunited at the start of the Season, we started up again, and… well, let’s just say things have gone from strength to strength.” Lady Catherine placed her hand on her chest, looking very pleased with herself. “If I hadn’t been arranged to be Saxton’s wife, I would have married him in a heartbeat. That man… he has my heart.”
“Derrick told me about the fling at the beginning of the Season. But he said it was brief and he kept away once you got married.”
Lady Catherine giggled. “And you believed him? He’s very good at spinning things the way he wants them to be seen. But, trust me, you might think he’s treating you as the only woman in his life, but it’s only until you get big with his child. Then he won’t be touching you. He’s told me that being intimate with you is very difficult.”
Ellie faltered. “What?”
“It’s just a duty, and it’s so hard to get aroused and excited for any of it. So when he comes to me… let’s just say he can get his frustrations out. Whenever he leaves the house, he comes to me. We meet quite regularly when he’s meant to be on… business.”
She was so convincing about it. Ellie had no idea who to believe. She wanted to believe Derrick that he hadn’t done anything with Lady Catherine beyond what he’d told her, but the woman sounded confident.
Of course, she was trying to throw discord into their marriage. However…
“What do you get out of this?” Ellie couldn’t keep the shake out of her voice now. “What does this get you? You’re married, and so is he. If this comes out, you’re going to end up with a worse reputation than I ever could.”
Lady Catherine winked. “Oh, I get Derrick. I know you won’t want to touch him after this. Then Derrick will have no choice but to completely turn to me, as he should do.”
“But how is that going to work when you’re married? Lord Saxton isn’t just going to divorce you because of this.”
“He won’t know, and he won’t care if he does.”
“You do realise that your logic is falling down now. You can’t carry on an affair with the man you love while being married to someone else. If you end up having a child…”
“Think whatever you want. I may have a husband, but I want the man I love to myself. Sure, I understand the fact that he needed a wife to give him heirs, but the thought of anyone else having his child… that’s not acceptable.”
“So you would ruin his chance of not having an heir to pass the earldom onto? You’re not making any sense.”
Lady Catherine sighed. “Oh, Lady Northampton. You are not mature enough to understand the ways of theton. Things are a lot more complicated than having a wife and producing heirs. Derrick only married due to pressure from his mother. He doesn’t care where the earldom goes, and he doesn’t want children. It would be better that you know now so you don’t waste your time with him.”
“So you can have him to yourself?”
“I may not be able to be his wife, but I can have his heart.” Lady Catherine sneered as she looked Ellie up and down. “You’re never going to be the wife of an earl. You’ll never be a mother. Now you’re stuck being a shield so his mother won’t pester him. She’ll be pestering you for children. If none come, you’ll be seen as barren. Then nobody will blame Derrick for going elsewhere.”
Ellie didn’t want to hear anything more. It was too much, and she was feeling lightheaded. She couldn’t stay around this woman any longer.
Without another word, she headed towards the house. Even then, she heard Lady Catherine shouting after her.
“You can walk away from this if you want, but it’s not going to change anything. You shouldn’t believe that just because you married a wealthy man that your troubles are over. Penniless creatures like you are not worth our time.”
Ellie didn’t respond. If she did, she was going to end up doing something that really would damage her reputation and leave Lady Catherine looking like the victim. She wouldn’t give that woman the satisfaction.
Chapter 20
Derrick wished he had gone to the ball with Ellie. While he didn’t like social gatherings that were far too big for his liking, the work his estate had accrued was not something he could ignore. It was so frustrating; when it felt like he had managed to get everything done and he could relax, something else came up. It was never-ending.
If he didn’t have Ellie with him, Derrick would have gone mad. Knowing that she was around to offer respite when he needed it—a respite that often lasted all afternoon—did help a great deal.
Derrick hadn’t thought that it was possible to still have such fire for a woman this long after getting married. When he had been with his lovers, the fire had gone out after a while, but with Ellie, it still burned strongly. Taking a chance and becoming lovers had ignited things even further. The attraction between them wasn’t fading anytime soon.
Could it be that he was in love? Or maybe he had been long before then? Derrick had no idea. It certainly felt like love, but he had experienced it before and this was different. With Catherine, it had been intense and made him feel alive, but it had faded pretty quickly once she was gone. With Ellie, it seemed stronger, a more comfortable, natural sensation. Derrick felt calmer, more relaxed. It was like Ellie’s presence was soothing to him. Better.
