Page 21 of Courting Scandal With The Duke

T he next day, Xavier took a last look around the cottage where he had spent such pleasurable moments the previous evening.

He was sure he had forgotten nothing. As he had promised, he had removed the to let signs from the front and back of the cottage as well as mentioned to his man of business that he would not be leasing the cottage in the near future.

He had also brought in some provisions. Some bread, butter and cheese for the pantry. A few bottles of champagne. Tea and biscuits. Comestibles he imagined one might need for an afternoon dalliance.

He had purchased them at a grocer in town, where he was not known.

Last but not least, he had hired a woman to come in every morning to clean, do laundry and any other required tasks. She was to be gone by noon.

He had done everything possible to ensure to keep his and Barbara’s liaison private.

Now he had to wait until Wednesday afternoon to see her again .

He did not like waiting.

He locked the front door and drove home to receive the news from his butler that his secretary had returned from his leave.

He ought to be pleased, but now that meant there was another person to keep in the dark about his whereabouts.

He strode now the corridor to the back of the house.

Perry rose from his desk outside Xavier’s office. ‘Good afternoon, Your Grace.’

‘Perry.’ He shook hands with the young man. ‘How is your family?’

‘Well, sir.’

‘And the wedding went off all right?’

‘It did, Your Grace.’

‘Good.’

‘My brother-in-law sends his thanks for your most generous gift.’ Perry handed over a note.

‘Thank you.’ Xavier read the note and set it aside.

Perry gestured to the pile of mail. ‘Shall I begin with this?’

‘Please. I have missed you, as you can see.’ He hesitated. ‘Please do not make any arrangements for me on Wednesday afternoons. I wish to keep those free for the time being.’

Perry’s eyebrows rose, but he simply nodded.

Xavier had never made that sort of request before.

Damn. He hated this hole-and-corner stuff.

This was what came of getting involved with a reckless woman like the Countess. One lost all sense of propriety .

He should have given her the cut direct the moment she started her nonsense. Instead, he’d picked up the gauntlet she’d tossed at his feet.

It wasn’t too late to end it.

No one had looked at them askance when they had returned to Anderson’s party. The guests had been too busy gawping at what had to be the worst bronze sculpture he had ever seen in his life, and fawning over the artist who’d created it.

Of course they had entered the house separately. Not even Julian had commented when he’d joined him in viewing the sculpture.

The only person who had indicated that he might have noticed something was Barbara’s brother-in-law. There had been a slightly quizzical expression on the man’s face when their gazes had met shortly after he entered the ballroom. But perhaps he also had been puzzled by the statue.

‘There is a letter here from the Simons,’ Perry said. ‘It arrived yesterday.’

Xavier drew in a quick breath. Was Mrs Simon announcing her daughter’s return to London? And if so, how was he to answer? After Barbara’s revelation that the girl’s heart was engaged elsewhere, he certainly had no intention of continuing his suit.

Thank God, he hadn’t spoken of his intentions to anyone, even though people had guessed he was thinking of making her an offer. And if Mrs Simon had got her hopes up? That was not his fault.

He broke the seal on the missive. It was an apology. Because her daughter had gone behind her parents’ back and become engaged to the Stallton fellow.

It wasn’t difficult to see the mortification in the woman’s words. Or the disappointment.

Xavier, on the other hand, wanted to shout Huzzah!

‘It seems Miss Simon will not be returning to town this Season,’ he said, and tossed the note onto Perry’s desk. ‘Please send a note of congratulations upon her daughter’s engagement.’

Perry was staring at him as if trying to understand his reaction. Perry of course knew that she was one of those he was looking at as a prospective bride.

‘It is fine,’ Xavier said. ‘Truly.’

Perry nodded. ‘Very well, Your Grace.’

It was fine. More than fine. Xavier felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now he was free to pursue his interest in the Countess without one iota of guilt.

A dalliance.

Hopefully, he would get Barbara out of his system and be able to return to his normal, peaceful way of life.

And start looking for a bride once more.

That thought caused an odd sinking sensation in his stomach which he decided to ignore.

‘The Count of Lipsweiger and Upsal.’

Barbara looked up at the butler’s announcement and set her embroidery aside.

‘Charles.’ She held out her hand in greeting. ‘How good of you to call. Steadman, will you please send up the tea tray?’

The butler bowed and left.

Charles bowed over her hand. ‘You are looking beautiful, my dear,’ he said. ‘More radiant than ever. England agrees with you.’

There was something probing in his tone. It was more an enquiry than a statement.

But then Charles had always been one to care about her, when her husband hadn’t given a damn, so she could not fault him for that. Not that she was going to reveal her secrets to him. At least, not yet. Not until it was to her advantage.

‘Thank you. Yes, I am beginning to find my way I think.’ In more ways than one.

‘I understand you wished to speak with me in private. I had a message at my club, another at my lodgings and yet another from the Duke. What is it that is so urgent, and why not speak of it last night when we were at the Andersons’?’

‘It is no longer urgent,’ she said, surprised at his accusatory tone. ‘I wanted to advise you that Miss Simon had contracted the measles.’

He looked puzzled. ‘What is it, the measles?’

‘Oh. Hmm… I have forgotten the word for it in German, but it is when a child gets a great many spots along with a fever.’

‘ Masern , you mean?’

‘That is it. Masern. Dreadful infection. And you were with Miss Simon right before she came down with it. Have you had it?’

‘Yes, as a child. I got it from Helmut, as a matter of fact.’ He looked sad.

‘You still miss him, do you not?’

‘I do. Sometimes. He was not the best of men, we both know this, but he was still my brother.’

He had been a horrible man, in Barbara’s opinion. But like a fool she had not seen past the charming facade. Well, she would not make that mistake again.

The Duke might be handsome and a fabulous lover, if their first encounter was anything to go on, but she had no doubt as to his intentions.

Thank goodness.

And soon she would be free of all this need to pretend to be the dutiful daughter.

‘I appreciate you caring enough to warn me,’ he said. At her invitation, he sat beside her.

At that moment, the butler entered with tea.

They sat in silence while the butler attended to his duties. They had always done that when he had come to call on her the few times she was in residence at his brother’s house, after Charles had warned her that his brother’s servants would report all her conversations back to him.

Alone again, he smiled at her as she handed him a cup of tea.

‘You remember exactly how I like it.’

‘Of course. It is not so long ago that I last poured tea for you. ’

‘Your aunt tells me your father is arriving soon.’

She stared at him, surprised. ‘Yes. Sometime in the next two weeks, I gather.’

‘You will be happy to see him.’

‘Not especially so.’

‘No?’ He sounded surprised.

‘No. Father wants me to marry again.’

‘You do not wish it?’

‘No.’

‘Are you sure? You do not want a family, children, of your own?’

She shuddered. ‘Not in the least.’

‘Was my brother aware of this?’

‘I think your brother convinced me of this.’

He sighed. ‘Ah. But not all men are like my brother.’

‘No. You are not. You have been a good friend to me.’

‘More than a friend, I hope.’ The look in his eyes was warmer than she expected.

Her heart sank. ‘Charles. Please. I—’

He put up a hand. ‘No, no.’ He laughed, his teeth flashing white in his beard. ‘You misunderstand. I mean that we are brother and sister still.’

She let go a breath of relief. For a moment… ‘Yes, brother and sister.’

‘Then you will take the advice of your brother. Give it some time before you discount marriage altogether.’ He put down his cup and patted her hand. ‘You know…’ His eyes twinkled. ‘Do they not say better the devil you know? Sometimes friendship is better than so-called lo ve in a marriage.’

Her jaw dropped. ‘You are confusing me.’

‘I am merely offering to you some advice, but be assured, whatever you decide, you will have my full support.’

He pulled out his watch and flipped open the lid. ‘Oh, my goodness. I will be late for an appointment if I do not hurry.’

He got to his feet and kissed her hand.

‘Please call again,’ she said, shaking a finger at him. ‘When you have more time. I want to hear news from home. How things are now the war is over.’

‘Yes. Of course. You will be interested in all I have to tell. I will be sure to call when we can have a long chat. In the meantime, if there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, please do not hesitate to let me know.’

‘I will. I certainly cannot think of anything at the moment.’

He clicked his heels, bowed and left.

Barbara took a deep breath. The feeling of disquiet in her breast did not go away.

She poured another cup of tea and leaned back.

Was he offering friendship, or something more like marriage?

Why on earth would he want to marry his dead brother’s wife? It must be a misunderstanding on her part. Something lost in his mental translation of German to English.

Not once since they had met had he seemed romantically interested in her. Nor she him .

They were friends, who were related by marriage, nothing more.

She rang the bell to have the tea tray removed.