glance.
Adam gestured impatiently. "I told you my mother was
sick. That was the reason I did not come last night. I have a wife and mother
to tend to, Louisa. I cannot be here every minute."
"Now I have made you angry," said Louisa.
"Please, Adam, don't shout at me so. I won't apply to you for money in the
future if it annoys you."
"You can have all the money you want," said
Adam. "I will have my banker send you a draft. I just don't know why I
must be bothered with this. I used to think you were a woman who could take
some care of herself."
"Why Adam, you surprise me. I am no brash woman to
put herself forward. I shrink from the idea of drawing attention to
myself," said Louisa. "It is all very well to flirt about as your
wife does, but I--"
Gravesmere's lips tightened. "I do not wish to hear
about my wife from you, Louisa. I will handle her as I see fit."
Louisa sat back, realizing she had not imagined the
warmth between Adam and Allegra the previous evening and that it was time to
take another tack. Despite Adam's annoyance with her, she was now glad she had
made up that silly story to bring him to her house. She needed desperately to
keep him away from his wife. And he needed a reminder of what only she could
give him.
"I apologize, Adam," she said meekly. "I
can't help it if I'm occasionally jealous. She is very beautiful, and she has
your name. I know I have your heart, and yet I still worry."
The Duke sat down heavily on the edge of the chaise. He
was beginning to regret coming to see Louisa. It seemed to him now that a drive
in the park with Allegra would have been much more entertaining. "Now
Louisa, what have I done to make you worry?" he asked, a little
petulantly.
"Nothing at all, Adam. It's just my silliness. And
I'm afraid that you will become fond of her, when she obviously cares for
nothing but her clothing and her beaux."
"What do you know about what Allegra cares
for?" asked Adam testily.
Louisa chose her words carefully. She knew she was
treading on dangerous ground, but also knew she could not allow Adam to
continue in what appeared to be a growing affection for his wife. And she had
to protect herself from Tristan. If he truly meant to seduce Allegra, that part
of his plan must be encouraged, while she worked out a way to keep him from
revealing her secrets to Adam. Perhaps if she offered to be his mistress and
share Adam's fortune once she was Duchess of Gravesmere, he could be dissuaded.
Money was a powerful persuader, and she had confidence in her physical charms.
Nor was the thought of sharing her bed with Tristan again entirely unappealing;
the man was insatiable.
"Why nothing, Adam. It is just that all of Society
seems to be very aware of her attachment to Lord Gresham. The tale is that he
is seldom far from her, and that he cherishes her dearly. But you must forgive
me for telling you stories. I am sure the gossips forget themselves, and there
is nothing between the Duchess and Lord Gresham but the purest friendship. Why,
Society tells the silliest tales. To be sure, somehow the whole world found out
that you were here with me for a few days before you announced your arrival in
town to your mother, and that time they were not wrong, but we both know
countless times the stories have been the merest fabrication, don't we? And
while Gresham has never been known to have honorable intentions, there is no
reason he cannot change, is there?"
Adam glowered at her. She had struck a nerve. Of all
Allegra's admirers, Gresham was the one he sensed was dangerous. If society was
gossiping about them, perhaps there was some truth to the tale. "I have
heard nothing of this," he snapped.
"And why should you, my lord? Who would repeat tales
to a lady's husband? At any rate, you did not want to discuss this. I am sure
if you are convinced of your wife's virtue, I have no reason to doubt it."
Louisa watched him narrowly from under her lashes as a
series of emotions struggled across Adam's face. She gave
Adam gestured impatiently. "I told you my mother was
sick. That was the reason I did not come last night. I have a wife and mother
to tend to, Louisa. I cannot be here every minute."
"Now I have made you angry," said Louisa.
"Please, Adam, don't shout at me so. I won't apply to you for money in the
future if it annoys you."
"You can have all the money you want," said
Adam. "I will have my banker send you a draft. I just don't know why I
must be bothered with this. I used to think you were a woman who could take
some care of herself."
"Why Adam, you surprise me. I am no brash woman to
put herself forward. I shrink from the idea of drawing attention to
myself," said Louisa. "It is all very well to flirt about as your
wife does, but I--"
Gravesmere's lips tightened. "I do not wish to hear
about my wife from you, Louisa. I will handle her as I see fit."
Louisa sat back, realizing she had not imagined the
warmth between Adam and Allegra the previous evening and that it was time to
take another tack. Despite Adam's annoyance with her, she was now glad she had
made up that silly story to bring him to her house. She needed desperately to
keep him away from his wife. And he needed a reminder of what only she could
give him.
"I apologize, Adam," she said meekly. "I
can't help it if I'm occasionally jealous. She is very beautiful, and she has
your name. I know I have your heart, and yet I still worry."
The Duke sat down heavily on the edge of the chaise. He
was beginning to regret coming to see Louisa. It seemed to him now that a drive
in the park with Allegra would have been much more entertaining. "Now
Louisa, what have I done to make you worry?" he asked, a little
petulantly.
"Nothing at all, Adam. It's just my silliness. And
I'm afraid that you will become fond of her, when she obviously cares for
nothing but her clothing and her beaux."
"What do you know about what Allegra cares
for?" asked Adam testily.
Louisa chose her words carefully. She knew she was
treading on dangerous ground, but also knew she could not allow Adam to
continue in what appeared to be a growing affection for his wife. And she had
to protect herself from Tristan. If he truly meant to seduce Allegra, that part
of his plan must be encouraged, while she worked out a way to keep him from
revealing her secrets to Adam. Perhaps if she offered to be his mistress and
share Adam's fortune once she was Duchess of Gravesmere, he could be dissuaded.
Money was a powerful persuader, and she had confidence in her physical charms.
Nor was the thought of sharing her bed with Tristan again entirely unappealing;
the man was insatiable.
"Why nothing, Adam. It is just that all of Society
seems to be very aware of her attachment to Lord Gresham. The tale is that he
is seldom far from her, and that he cherishes her dearly. But you must forgive
me for telling you stories. I am sure the gossips forget themselves, and there
is nothing between the Duchess and Lord Gresham but the purest friendship. Why,
Society tells the silliest tales. To be sure, somehow the whole world found out
that you were here with me for a few days before you announced your arrival in
town to your mother, and that time they were not wrong, but we both know
countless times the stories have been the merest fabrication, don't we? And
while Gresham has never been known to have honorable intentions, there is no
reason he cannot change, is there?"
Adam glowered at her. She had struck a nerve. Of all
Allegra's admirers, Gresham was the one he sensed was dangerous. If society was
gossiping about them, perhaps there was some truth to the tale. "I have
heard nothing of this," he snapped.
"And why should you, my lord? Who would repeat tales
to a lady's husband? At any rate, you did not want to discuss this. I am sure
if you are convinced of your wife's virtue, I have no reason to doubt it."
Louisa watched him narrowly from under her lashes as a
series of emotions struggled across Adam's face. She gave
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