Page 45 of Almost A Scoundrel

“He knows about the wagers?”

“Nothing in detail.”

“Well, he seems like an honorable man. A protector.”

Phaedra thought so as well. But something had happened today at the orphanage. She’d been introduced to another side of Deerhurst.

Yet, before they left, a subtle change had overcome him. Phaedra couldn’t quite explain it. It was more instinct than anything else. The mischievous, roguish, sensuality-provoking Deerhurst, for a moment, had been replaced by a man filled with tension and something she couldn’t even begin to place.

She had touched a nerve.

But Phaedra hadn’t pressed mainly because she had wanted the carefree Deerhurst back.

“Aunt,” Phaedra began. She’d been turning a question over in her mind all afternoon, and she wanted her aunt’s opinion. “You’ve vowed not to wed again, but what sort of man would change your mind?”

Her aunt blinked, then picked at the hem of her gown, glanced away, back again, and then ultimately sighed. “Marry again?” Portia laughed lowly. “Does this man I might marry even exist?” She shook her head. “No. He does not.”

Phaedra didn’t argue.

“That doesn’t mean you should not wed, love,” her aunt continued. “My experience is not your experience. Who is to say what the future holds for you?”

That was the problem.

Phaedra valued certainty. And uncertainty... surprises...? They weren’t for her.

Though she could still admit that Deerhurst had surprised her every day since they met, and she didn’t mind his little bombshells.

“I have made up my mind,” Phaedra said. “I am content with my decision.”

“The earl...”

“Is helping me keep the wolves at bay,” Phaedra confessed. “Please do not tell my mother.”

A long pause. “I see. I won’t tell Eleanor. So long as you know what you are doing.”

“Do not worry, aunt. I am well aware. Besides, Deerhurst has no interest in marriage.”

“He hasn’t?” Portia asked in surprise.

“No. He has admitted as much.” Phaedra found herself saying, tapping on the dictionary in thought. “Why would a man not be interested in marriage?”

Portia shrugged her shoulders. “That is not uncommon. Some men are more free-spirited and prefer to enjoy the advantages of bachelor life a bit longer than others. Sometimes even their entire lives.”

That caught Phaedra’s attention. “What are the advantages of a bachelor life?”

“No responsibilities,” Portia said. “At least not those that pertain to maintaining a wife.”

“Is that all?”

A light blush stole over her aunt’s features. “Freedom to cavort,” Portia clarified.

Oh.

“That doesn’t seem to fit Deerhurst.”

“Would he reveal such a thing to you—a lady?”

Probably not.