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“Within the hour.”
Lady Darby had left, and without her presence, Alexander had little reason to remain at the house party which had already bored him. She had been the bright spark in the dark mire, and it had only been fleeting. Yet their encounter would be indelibly seared onto his memory and never fade.
“Do you return to town or to your estate?”
“To Derbyshire.”
Raymore sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “I am off to town as well. My best-laid plans went awry, and I must leave.”
“Is it Minerva?”
Raymore appeared startled, as if he had not given any further thought to his mistress and that she carried his child. “No. It is Viscountess Darby. She left me a note saying she had to return to town. I had planned to speak with her today. I even planned an intimate picnic.”
Alexander froze in the motion of clipping the end of his cheroot. “Lady Darby?”
The earl grinned. “I see you’ve guessed it, not that I was being delicate.”
He felt a slight sting of unease. “You intend to make the viscountess an offer? And had planned on doing so today?”
“Yes.” Raymore frowned. “Is something wrong, Chisholm?”
Alexander was past speaking, simply past it. The woman he had loved for the long night, bringing to pleasure over and over, was to be his friend’s countess.Bloody hell.He recalled then that she had thought him to be Raymore at first. Suddenly Alexander felt cold. He was not a man who liked games or manipulations or deceit. Yet he could not damn well tell the earl what transpired last night.
“Are you lovers?” Alexander bit out, uncaring how harsh he sounded.
“Good God, man, I mean to make her my wife. Of course, I have not attempted to seduce her, and if I had, I do not believe she would have allowed it. She seems very delicate in her sensibility.”
That assessment of her character was so damned wrong it almost pulled a laugh of disbelief from Alexander. At least the cold knot in his belly had dissolved. They were not lovers, and last night she’d had every opportunity to leave and seek out Raymore but had stayed with Alexander. He was not damn well certain why it mattered, especially when his friend had planned to propose, but it mattered. Whatever choice she made before Raymore made an offer was hers, and he had no right to know of them when they had no commitment between them. “You are a damn fool.”
Raymore narrowed his eyes. “Why do you say so?”
“You are a damn fool if you plan to keep your mistress along with Lady Darby as your wife. I do not think her a lady to suffer such an indignity or wound to her pride and heart lightly.”
A laugh, more a sound of surprise came from his friend. “You mistake the matter. I mean to keep these matters separately.”
A savage feeling rose in Alexander, and he had to beat it down. This was not his business. He had no more advice to give and went about seeing that his luggage was packed, and his carriage brought around. It was time for him to visit his family after being away for several months and put the one night of glorious loving from his thought.
CHAPTERSEVEN
“Please cousin!” Rosamond pleaded, her bright blue eyes earnest, her blonde ringlets dancing about her cheeks as she vehemently shook her head in protest. “I would be most happy to join the club. I cannot credit it, alady’sclub! It is a fantastic notion and—”
“No,” Lucinda said firmly, setting down her teacup on the small table between them. “I only told you about 48 Berkeley Square because you’ve been curious about my coming and going and I did not wish to lie to you. You will be living with me in town for the foreseeable future, and I promised mama I would be responsible with my duty.”
Her cousin’s sweet face crumpled. “Oh, Lucinda, why not?”
“You are only seventeen years—”
“I am only three weeks away from eighteen!”
“No!” Lucinda softened her smile. “Rosa, you’ve not had a season yet, and that is why you are in town. To garner town polish for your debut next year. Not to indulge in the shenanigans that happen at 48 Berkeley Square.”
Her eyes widened and glittered with excitement. “What kind of shenanigans?”
Lucinda groaned, wishing she had been more careful with her words. Her cousin had a very curious and willful character, and she would be unlikely to let the matter rest. Still, Lucinda would not allow her to join the club. Not yet. She was too young and innocent in the ways of the world, and the ladies at the club could be frightfully naughty and scandalous at times.
“Our youngest member is one and twenty and has had at least one season,’ she firmly said. “Theo would not agree to you joining, nor would I recommend it.”
A knock sounded, and the housekeeper entered. “Pardon me, my lady, you’ve a caller.”
