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Nonetheless, their appearance together, coupled with her effusive—if a little self-deprecating and over-the-top—praise for her husband’s alleged affections should be enough to stave off the rumors for the time being.

“Oh, there you are, darling!” a boisterous voice called over to her. Almost immediately, Phoebe was swarmed by a swathe of silk as Scarlett enveloped her in a hug. “I have been looking all over the ballroom for you!”

The redhead pulled back slightly as she eyed her with some confusion. “I have been hearing theoddestthing since I arrived,” she told her.

“Which was just a quarter of an hour ago,” Evie teased her, still flushed from the dance. “But you know how Scarlett can catch up on the latest news the minute she steps into a room.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes affectionately. “You make me sound like a dreadful gossip, Evie,” she complained.

“And we love you all the more for it,” Phoebe reassured her with a slight chuckle.

“Yes, yes, yes. I know how irresistible I am,” Scarlett said, impatience creeping into her voice. “But I have been hearing theoddestthing all night.”

“For all of fifteen minutes.”

She shot Evie an aggrieved look, but the Duchess of Ashton merely smiled back at her sweetly.

“Like I said,” she continued. “The absolute oddest thing.”

Phoebe hid a smile behind her gloved hand. “And what is this absolute oddest thing that you have just heard?”

The redhead turned towards her with a shocked look. “Well, it would make sense for you to not have heard about it, since you are involved in it! And you already know how it is with gossip.” She sighed and shook her head. “The ones involved are always the last ones to know.”

“Not exactly,” Phoebe said, suppressing a smile. “My mamaalwaysseems to know when someone is talking about us.”

“So does my grandmama,” Evie agreed. “But what is this that you have been hearing about Phoebe? Nothing awful, I hope.”

Scarlett shook her head. “No, no… Nothing that requires getting your terrifying husband on the case, at least.”

“Well, Daniel being terrifying has never stopped you before,” Evie remarked with a wry smile, before blushing. “Not that I am saying that he is terrifying… but do continue.”

Phoebe shuddered inwardly as her usually pleasant smile turned a bit frosty, as if she was contemplating ruining someone’s standing in Society for daring to speak badly about someone she cared for.

“Well, they have been saying that you”—Scarlett turned towards her—“have been going around telling everyone that Sinclair is a paragon of husbandly virtue.”

The warmth exploded in Phoebe’s cheeks, and Scarlett gasped.

“So, it is true, then?”

Phoebe nodded weakly.

“You? Defending the Duke of Sin and calling him a saint of a husband?”

“All of it,” Phoebe admitted weakly.

“But… why?”

Phoebe bristled. “Because they were disparaging him, that is why. They have been calling him all sorts of names behind his back and assuming we wereestrangedbarely a month after the wedding…”

She knew her husband was a Wolf. She knew he was a rake with the very worst reputation.

But she also knew that beneath all of that, he was a man of incredible restraint. One who respected her boundaries and did his very best to do right by her as her husband.

Which is more than I can say for the husbands of the ton.

Really, these people were one to talk!

“I am sure that Sinclair would appreciate your sentiments,” a silky voice drawled from behind her. “But I can assure you, your husband does not take kindly to these rumors.”