“Tell me,” Harriet urged. She hated suspense! “Please.”
Ophelia sighed. “I’m not sure how much of it is true, but the papers claim your husband was spotted with his mistress the day before last, escorting her into a gaming hell.”
Mistress? Gaming hell?
Harriet burst out laughing.
“Harriet?”
Leeds had a mistress?
Lawd, where did the papers ferret out their stories? Leeds couldn’t possibly have a mistress. The man might as well have been attached to her side. And the times he wasn’t, well, even in those times, no gossip rag could convince her that Leeds had amistress. In fact, she didn’t know what was more improbable. The mistress or the gambling hell. Both were equally absurd.
Someone must bear Leeds a grudge.
“What utter nonsense!” Selena exclaimed.
Leonora nodded solemnly. “He wouldn’t keep a mistress.”
“I agree,” Rochester said. “Leeds is a private man. And he is not messy. By the looks of it, Lady Leeds agrees as well.”
She waved a hand, still trying to contain her chuckles, retreating a few steps to gain her composure, lest she bowl completely over from laughter. Oh Lord, that was so unexpected. And the look of worry on their faces was just as amusing. Might she use this to tease Leeds tonight?
“Harriet!”
Her gaze lifted to the horrified faces of her friends. What on earth...?
The moment the realized she’d strayed a few steps farther than intended, a black cloth covered her head.
Harriet dropped her parcel in fright, and she knew only darkness.
*
Will studied thering he’d just picked up at the jeweler’s with a sense of pride. He’d had the bauble commissioned the day after they married. He would never admit it, but up until the moment the priest declared them man and wife, Will had been holding his breath.
A part of him had lived in a suspended state from the moment he signed the betrothal agreement. As though his dreams were finally within his reach, yet still impossible to grasp. Even after she had accepted the betrothal agreement, and his rather awkward proposal, he’d kept holding his breath until the vow left her lips on their wedding day. At times it still seemed like a dream to him.
If it was, then let him never wake up.
Unfortunately, he had a friend named Calstone and that friend chose that moment to barge into his study, waving a newspaper in the air.
“Have you read the papers?”
Will snapped the ring box shut. “No. Why? Have you caused another scandal?”
Calstone scowled. “When have I ever caused a scandal?”
“The gossip papers are riddled with them.”
The duke scoffed. “They don’t knowIam behind them, so it doesn’t count.”
“If you say so.” Will eyed his friend. He appeared genuinely out of sorts. As if he had rushed here in a great hurry. Calstone never rushed. He might saunter, skip, or even hop, but he never rushed.
“Damn it, that is not the point.” He slapped the newspaper on the desk. “This time it’s about you.”
“Me?” Will frowned. “I didn’t cause a scandal.” He paused, then nodded. “The special license debacle. Though I would hardly consider it a scandal.”
“Much worse than that, old chap.”
