The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh

even been officially
out
at the time ought not to have made such a public exhibition of herself. Had she even
known
any of those men apart from her brother? But it was just like Eunice always to see the best in another person. She was quiteunlike those tabbies with whom she had just been sitting. Poor Eunice. It was no wonder she did not enjoy social events.
    “Edward,” she said, “I think you really ought to pursue a courtship with her.”
    “What?”
he said, jerking his head sideways to stare at her.
    “She has enormous consequence,” she said. “You have only to look about you. I doubt there are many members of the
ton
who are not here this evening. And the reason is that this is Dudley House and the host is the Duke of Tresham and the ball is in honor of his sister, who has just made her come-out and is now ready to take a husband.”
    “But, Eunice—”
    She did not let him finish.
    “And she is rather lovely and full of life and fun,” she said. “She has qualities that are perhaps missing from your life.”
    For a moment he was stunned into silence.
    “They are qualities I can do very well without,” he said firmly when he found his voice again. “She is a
Dudley
, Eunice. Tresham is her
brother
. He was one of Maurice’s closest friends, if you will remember. They were every bit as wild and irresponsible as each other. It was Tresham Maurice was racing against when he died.”
    “Lady Angeline Dudley is not the Duke of Tresham any more than you are Maurice,” she pointed out. “And to be fair, Edward, the duke is still a single man, and he is still young, probably no older than you are. Who knows how he will behave when he is married? He may change completely. Many men do, you know, particularly if they have a fondness for their wives. Your brother unfortunately seemed
not
to be reformed by marriage. But we ought not to judge him, not having walked in his shoes. Though I suppose you have more of a right to judge than I do. But
he
changed
you
, Edward, or at least had a powerful influence upon you. The wilder he grew, it seemed, the more you moved to the opposite extreme. Perhaps it is not the best place for you to be. Extremes usually are not. I know you are determined not to be the husband he was, but perhaps …”
    She stopped. Was she saying he was
wrong
? That he ought to beless concerned about duty and good sense and … and plain
decency
? Surely not. Not Eunice!
    “Perhaps?” he prompted.
    “Oh, never mind,” she said. “But I do think you should seriously consider marrying her, Edward.”
    He drew a deep breath and released it slowly.
    “I still want to marry
you
,” he said. And suddenly he really did, very much indeed. Without further delay. By special license. Then he would be comfortable and safe.
    She sighed.
    “It did seem a good idea at the time,” she said softly, “and it still would be
 … comforting
to lean upon it. One feels a little bereft to be entirely free. But I do believe, Edward, that everything happens for a reason. The fact that you are now the Earl of Heyward makes a great deal of difference to both of us. It has shaken us out of our complacency. But perhaps it was meant to.”
    “You think,” he said stiffly, “that I consider myself too important now to marry you?”
    “I think no such thing,” she said, smiling into the darkness of the garden. “Oh, Edward, I
know
you are not so fickle. But perhaps I think you too important for me. Though
important
is probably not quite the right word.”
    “I have not changed,” he protested.
    “Yes, you have,” she said sadly. “Not in yourself, maybe, but in … in who you are. You are the
Earl of Heyward
, Edward, and the title has forced you to change. As it ought. You have never shirked duty.”
    He turned and looked with unseeing eyes through an open French window into the ballroom, where the final dance of their set was in progress. He was feeling remarkably unhappy. How was he to persuade her