She considered the comment. Bridget did not wish to believe Lady Hastings, but everything she was saying sounded so rational. The lady’s face was so soft and sincere, too. Bridget felt her heart sink. What if Lady Hastings was right about Anthony? The realization that Anthony might not want to commit to a relationship with her should not have hurt as much as it did. It would not have hurt if Bridget had been willing to let his feigned courtship remain just that—an act to convince her father and the ton that she had other potential suitors besides Lord Thornton.
“But perhaps that is what you want,” Lady Hastings said conspiratorially.
Bridget gasped and reflexively placed a hand over her collarbone. “Lady Hastings, I do hope that you are not insinuating what I fear you are.”
She felt a surge of guilt and embarrassment. She was less distressed by the accusation and more by the knowledge that she had thought often about how much she might enjoy a dalliance with Anthony, even before she had considered that their relationship might blossom into something real and tender.
“Oh, there is nothing to be ashamed of, Lady Bridget,” said Lady Hastings. “Every lady experiences such desires, especially when she is young. They are nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Young ladies ought to be pure,” Bridget said, discomfited. “I can assure you that my virtue is unquestionable.”
“I am sure,” Lady Hastings said. “However, many virtuous young ladies have found themselves unable to resist the advances of handsome gentlemen. I do not believe there should be any shame in such, but you must be careful. His Grace has been unkind to his past lovers.”
“Lady Anastasia?” Bridget asked.
“I am unsure about his treatment of Lady Anastasia,” Lady Hastings said. “However, I have heard terrible rumors about his behavior toward another young lady.”
Bridget frowned. She could not imagine Anthony ever exhibiting any cruelty toward a young lady, but she also could not think of any reason for Lady Hastings to lie.
“Perhaps the rumors are untrue,” Bridget said hesitantly. “I am sure we both know how quickly salacious gossip can spread and how readily it may ruin a good man’s reputation.”
“I am aware of that,” Lady Hastings said, “but I have heard this from a very reliable source. I know you are an intelligent young lady, but I would advise you to heed my warning.”
Bridget took a deep breath. “What have you heard?”
“Shortly before meeting Lady Anastasia, His Grace fancied another lady. She was young, like you, and hoped to find a husband on the marriage mart. When His Grace expressed a certain fondness for her, she was delighted. She thought he would propose.”
“Who is the lady?” Bridget asked.
“I would never share her name,” Lady Hastings said. “I am sure you understand my reason for keeping the lady’s identity a secret. She confided this to me, and I do not feel comfortable sharing her story with anyone. But I cannot keep this a secret, knowing that the Duke of Hamilton has expressed interest in courting you.”
Bridget wanted to insist that any rumor without a specific name attached could not be trusted, but she also understood quite well Lady Hastings hesitancy in revealing the identity of the young lady. If it were her that had been disgraced, Bridget would not want the ton to gossip about her. She was also terribly curious.
“What happened to the young lady?” she asked.
“As with you, he courted her. Soon, his courtship became more enthusiastic. They shared a passionate affair for months. I am sure I do not need to detail for you everything that was involved in such an affair.”
Bridget thought of the kiss she and Anthony had shared and of all those fantasies she had conjured in her bedchamber, the ones that left her hot and wanting. “No, I can imagine,” she said, her throat tight and her mouth dry.
“She was hesitant to accept such overt advances,” Lady Hastings said, “but he insisted that he loved her. His Grace promised he would meet her every need and that he would propose when the time felt right. She was wary of agreeing to such an arrangement, but she loved him. So, she did anything that he asked her to do.”
Bridget’s pulse quickened. What would she be willing to do if Anthony only asked her? She shivered. That answer was perhaps best left unsaid, for Bridget suspected she would do many things that a proper lady ought not do before she was wed. She would kiss him again and again, and if he wanted to take her to his bedchamber, Bridget thought she might let him take many liberties. She would let him fulfill all her fantasies if he so desired.
“Regrettably, their affair was discovered by the young lady’s father, who was terribly angry.”
“I am sure,” Bridget murmured.
Lady Hastings’s eyes hardened. “It was quite terrible. Of course, the lady’s father wished for her to wed His Grace. Marrying him would restore the young lady’s honor and avoid a scandal. The Duke of Hamilton refused, though. Despite ruining her, he refused to marry the young lady. He heartlessly denied having done anything untoward and insisted the lady was entirely to blame. His Grace claimed he had fallen victim to the lady’s temptation and that she was at fault for her disgrace.”
A knot twisted in Bridget’s chest. She felt a sudden chill, although the evening weather was quite pleasant and warm. “Surely he would not do something so cruel,” she murmured.
“He did,” Lady Hastings said firmly. “Seeing no alternative, the lady’s father was forced to wed his daughter to the only suitor who would have a ruined lady—an elderly man who desired a young wife to give him an heir. She remains unhappily married to that man still.”
A shiver traced the path of Bridget’s spine. She could not imagine Anthony doing something so callous, but the story Lady Hastings painted was so terrible and so detailed. Bridget swallowed hard, for she could see her own fate clearly foretold. What if Anthony did take his liberties and then refused to wedher? Bridget’s reputation would be ruined, and there would be nothing to prevent her father from marrying her to the Marquess of Thornton.
Bridget felt as though she could barely breathe. She needed some time to think about what Lady Hastings had told her, preferably away from the rest of the ton.
“I can see that I have upset you,” Lady Hastings said. “I am terribly sorry, Lady Bridget. I only wanted to warn you.”
