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“Yes, for a man in love.”

Cassian flinched. He always did when he heard that word. Moodily, he swigged back the rest of his brandy and caught the eye of a passing footman. The man gently inclined his head.Message received. More brandy on the way.

“For the last time, Richard, I am not in love,” he snapped, setting down his glass with athump.“I wish you’d cease this nonsense.”

Richard yawned. “It’s not nonsense. And avoiding your new wife will not make these feelings go away.”

Cassian said nothing. He ached to tell Richard about what had happened, how Emily had bartered for a little more time before embracing motherhood. It had been a painful, jarring reminder that while she might feelsomedesire towards him, she did notlovehim.

Of course she did not. Carrying his child was simply part of her duties, just as his providing her with shelter and protection so she could produce her marvelous paintings was part of his duties.

I promised her freedom, but can I truly deliver?

He closed his eyes, not wanting to embark on this line of reasoning. Motherhood was hardlyfreeing.

She doesn’t want me. Not truly. Why would she?

“Cass?” Richard spoke again, cutting into his thoughts. “What are you thinking about? You’ve grown pale.”

Cassian opened his eyes and plastered a smile on his face. “I’m just recovering before my next glass of brandy.”

Richard scowled. “You’ve had too much to drink. Aren’t you going home to your wife tonight?”

“I’m sure that she will scarcely notice whether I am there or not.”

Richard pursed his lips. “You’re a fool, Cass.”

“Tut-tut, Richard. Men have been challenged to duels for less, you know.”

Richard rolled his eyes. “Enough of your cleverness. The thing is, Cassian, you aren’t thinking this through. You can ignore your feelings for the woman all you like, but that will not make them go away. And in the meantime, what will you do if you lose her? I’d wager every penny I own that you want more than just a child from her. You are in love, Cassian.”

Cassian turned away abruptly, scanning the crowded dining room for the footman with his drink.

“How could I lose her?” he responded snippily. “She’s my wife.”

Richard stared at him. “And you think you can never lose her simply because of an exchange of vows? Come on, Cassian. I thought you were meant to be clever.”

At long last, the footman appeared, with a glass of brandy resting on a silver tray. He glided over to Cassian, handing over the glass, and glided away again.

Cassian took a large gulp of the brandy. It burned, but pleasantly so.

“Clever? Me?” he responded airily. “Come, Richard, where did you get that idea?”

* * *

“A visitor?” Emily echoed, blinking.

The butler nodded, looking rather grave. That seemed to be his usual expression, as far as she could tell.

“Yes, Your Grace. I have shown her to the parlor, while you…” He hesitated, almost imperceptibly. “While you prepare to greet her. If you are not indisposed, of course. His Grace always tells me if he is not at home, and I neglected to ask you, Your Grace. My apologies.”

“Oh, no apologies necessary,” Emily managed, trying not to fidget with her paint-splattered smock. She was fairly sure there was a streak of cobalt blue in her hair and an itchy patch of bone white on her neck, just underneath her jaw. “As you can see, Iamat home.”

The butler looked at her as if she were rather slow. At least, he looked at her in that way for a fraction of a second, before his professionalism took over and his face returned to its usual placidness.

“I only meant whether or not you would be receiving visitors. As I understand it, giving excuses to visitors on the doorstep is entirely unnecessary, and so the simple excuse of you not being at home is sufficient.”

Emily felt the color rising to her cheeks. Of course, somebody as exalted as Cassian—a duke, as people loved to remind her—would be bombarded with visitors. Chancers, mostly—eager young ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a powerful friend, spongers, old friends and distant relatives in need of money, ambitious mamas with pretty daughters, and so on.