Page 7 of Lily and the Duke
“I have not,” he stated softly.
“Oh.”
Lily had no doubt that the initial emotion she now felt upon hearing this was disappointment. There had been something deeply romantic in imagining this handsome but aloof gentleman locking his heart away—as well as other parts of his anatomy—in the equivalent of an ivory tower, because of the deep love he still felt for his deceased wife.
That disappointment immediately turned to a deep sense of envy for any woman who had ever become the focus of the attentions of such an outwardly cold but viscerally attractive gentleman as the Duke of St. Albans. At the realization of how elated those women must feel when they were the recipient of his no doubt expert lovemaking.
She could not imagine this gentleman doing anything badly or halfheartedly.
“Indeed,” he now drawled. “But I have never taken a mistress in the true sense of the word.”
Lily blinked. “Then in what sense have you taken them?” She was uncertain as to how this conversation had come about, but had absolutely no idea how to end it. She was unsure if she really wished to do so…
He gave a hard smile. “In whatever sense I chose.”
Lily felt her cheeks warm at his implication. “Then surely that would make them your mistress?”
“Not if the intimacy never lasts for more than a single night.”
“Oh.” Lily drew in a controlling breath. “And have there been many such ladies since your wife died?”
The duke’s mouth twisted wryly. “They were not ladies. As for how many…” He shrugged. “A gentleman does not discuss such matters.”
“Not even with his own group of cronies?” she scorned.
“I do not have a group ofcronies,” he bit out. “What I do have, as do you, is a small circle of close friends whom I trust implicitly.”
“Including the Prince Regent?”
“Including Prinny.” He nodded. “But neither I nor any of them would ever be so ungentlemanly as to talk of our…physical liaisons, let alone openly discuss the lady whom we are bedding. Such behavior would be disrespectful to her in the extreme.”
Such consideration for the woman involved had not been Lily’s experience in regard to her two older brothers. Who, it seemed to her, took delight in trying to better each other in discussing how many conquests they had made this Season or that. The fact they were now both married men, each with a child in the nursery, did not seem to make the slightest difference to their behavior. Lily felt sure that, since her parents’ marriage was so obviously not a happy one, her father was equally as guilty of being unfaithful.
Yet another reason why Lily had no interest in marriage.
“To my knowledge, there has never been any gossip about you in that regard in Society,” she now confirmed.
St. Albans raised one eyebrow. “That would seem to imply you have you been paying particular attention to the subject on my behalf?”
“No! Of course I have not,” Lily blatantly lied once she had calmed herself enough to speak evenly.
She abhorred dishonesty, but felt it was necessary on this occasion. In order to maintain her pride, if nothing else.
“The reason for the silence amongst the gossips in Society is easily explained,” St. Albans bit out. “It is widely known, and accepted, that I will not tolerate having the details of my life, or that of my daughter, openly discussed for their amusement.”
Lily eyed him curiously. “But how can youstopthat from happening when the gossips so much enjoy discussing everyone else’s business ad nauseum?”
It was one of the things Lily truly disliked about the gentlemen and ladies of Society. Partly because she could only imagine the things they said about her and her family behind their backs.
“Oh,” she murmured when St. Albans merely continued to stare at her, that haughty eyebrow once again raised.
No doubt because he would make a point of destroying anyone, verbally and socially, who dared to gossip about what he considered to be his very private life.
“Do you have a woman in your life now? Oh dear God…” Lily could literally feel the blood draining from her previous flushed and hot cheeks at the realization of what she had just asked. “I am sorry. So very sorry. Please forgive me. I should not have asked you such a personal question.”
“Then why did you?” he prompted softly.
She winced. “I suppose because I was curious as to the answer.”
