danger as Darius himself….
There was one thing he could make clear to her, however. ‘I do not have a mistress, Arabella.’
Her expression was scornful as she turned to look at him with hard brown eyes. ‘Perhaps not now, no. But only because you probably ended it just last night!’
‘Not for some time,’ he stated firmly, his expression intent as he leaned forward again. ‘Arabella, there has been no woman in my life, or my bed, since Sophie’s death.’
Arabella’s eyes widened. Did Darius seriously expect her to believe he had been celibate for a whole year? A man who, despite having gained respectability since inheriting a dukedom, was still known for his womanising. For his carousing. For his gambling.
Had he been womanising, carousing or gambling during the week of their betrothal?
Not to Arabella’s knowledge. Or that of her brothers, she felt sure. For Arabella had no doubt that one or all of them would have brought it to her attention if he had.
But just because he had behaved himself in the week before their wedding it did not necessarily mean that Darius had remained celibate for this past year.
Then why would he say that he had?
Darius was still very much a puzzle to her, and did many things she could not approve of, but she had no reason to believe he had ever lied to her. More truthfully, Darius was arrogant enough never to feel the need to lie about any of his actions.
Her chin rose challengingly. ‘Did you love your first wife so much, then?’
He gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘I can always rely on you to ask the unexpected, can’t I?’
Her brows rose. ‘In that case you will not find me tedious.’
‘Far from it!’
‘Did you love your first wife?’ she repeated determinedly.
‘For my sins—no.’ Darius grimaced.
Arabella gave a graceful inclination of her head—as if the answer were just as she had expected. ‘You have been widowed a year. Even before you became a duke you were considered highly eligible. So why have you not taken advantage of that rank and fortune this past year to secure yourself a mistress?’
Darius mouth twisted with distaste. ‘Perhaps because I preferred it when I knew a woman’s partiality was only to me rather than due to a title or a fortune.’
Arabella bristled. ‘Your implication being that I only married you for your title?’
‘There can be no other reason,’ he pointed out calmly. ‘Not when I have been reliably informed by Hawk that you have no need of my fortune when considerable personal wealth became yours upon our marriage yesterday.’
It was true, of course. Arabella’s parents had been more enlightened than most, and had considered their daughter to have as much right to financial independence as any of their three sons. Consequently her father had left her a vast fortune in his will, which Hawk had managed for her these past eleven years, and a small estate in Norfolk, which Hawk had also taken care of by putting in a manager. The estate had become part of Arabella’s husband’s lands upon her marriage, of course, but the fortune would remain in trust for her children, with the interest set aside for her personal use.
Her wedding yesterday had made Arabella an even wealthier and more independent woman than ever she had been before that marriage.
She smiled tightly. She could not—would not—allow this arrogant and sarcastic man to know that she would probably have married him a year ago, whatever his wealth or title, if she had known of his offer.
‘How clever of you to guess!’
He looked at her coldly. ‘Cleverness has nothing to do with it.’
‘If you say so.’ She nodded coolly. ‘Did you have a particular reason for confiding your celibacy to me now?’
Amusement now danced in those cobalt-blue eyes. ‘I was merely trying to reassure you that you may expect my complete fidelity, Arabella.’
Arabella wasn’t yet ready to forgive him for leaving her so abruptly on their wedding night.
There was one thing he could make clear to her, however. ‘I do not have a mistress, Arabella.’
Her expression was scornful as she turned to look at him with hard brown eyes. ‘Perhaps not now, no. But only because you probably ended it just last night!’
‘Not for some time,’ he stated firmly, his expression intent as he leaned forward again. ‘Arabella, there has been no woman in my life, or my bed, since Sophie’s death.’
Arabella’s eyes widened. Did Darius seriously expect her to believe he had been celibate for a whole year? A man who, despite having gained respectability since inheriting a dukedom, was still known for his womanising. For his carousing. For his gambling.
Had he been womanising, carousing or gambling during the week of their betrothal?
Not to Arabella’s knowledge. Or that of her brothers, she felt sure. For Arabella had no doubt that one or all of them would have brought it to her attention if he had.
But just because he had behaved himself in the week before their wedding it did not necessarily mean that Darius had remained celibate for this past year.
Then why would he say that he had?
Darius was still very much a puzzle to her, and did many things she could not approve of, but she had no reason to believe he had ever lied to her. More truthfully, Darius was arrogant enough never to feel the need to lie about any of his actions.
Her chin rose challengingly. ‘Did you love your first wife so much, then?’
He gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘I can always rely on you to ask the unexpected, can’t I?’
Her brows rose. ‘In that case you will not find me tedious.’
‘Far from it!’
‘Did you love your first wife?’ she repeated determinedly.
‘For my sins—no.’ Darius grimaced.
Arabella gave a graceful inclination of her head—as if the answer were just as she had expected. ‘You have been widowed a year. Even before you became a duke you were considered highly eligible. So why have you not taken advantage of that rank and fortune this past year to secure yourself a mistress?’
Darius mouth twisted with distaste. ‘Perhaps because I preferred it when I knew a woman’s partiality was only to me rather than due to a title or a fortune.’
Arabella bristled. ‘Your implication being that I only married you for your title?’
‘There can be no other reason,’ he pointed out calmly. ‘Not when I have been reliably informed by Hawk that you have no need of my fortune when considerable personal wealth became yours upon our marriage yesterday.’
It was true, of course. Arabella’s parents had been more enlightened than most, and had considered their daughter to have as much right to financial independence as any of their three sons. Consequently her father had left her a vast fortune in his will, which Hawk had managed for her these past eleven years, and a small estate in Norfolk, which Hawk had also taken care of by putting in a manager. The estate had become part of Arabella’s husband’s lands upon her marriage, of course, but the fortune would remain in trust for her children, with the interest set aside for her personal use.
Her wedding yesterday had made Arabella an even wealthier and more independent woman than ever she had been before that marriage.
She smiled tightly. She could not—would not—allow this arrogant and sarcastic man to know that she would probably have married him a year ago, whatever his wealth or title, if she had known of his offer.
‘How clever of you to guess!’
He looked at her coldly. ‘Cleverness has nothing to do with it.’
‘If you say so.’ She nodded coolly. ‘Did you have a particular reason for confiding your celibacy to me now?’
Amusement now danced in those cobalt-blue eyes. ‘I was merely trying to reassure you that you may expect my complete fidelity, Arabella.’
Arabella wasn’t yet ready to forgive him for leaving her so abruptly on their wedding night.
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