Page 87 of Never his Duchess

“Brooks and Boodle’s, yes—they are White’s chief rivals. But there are others. There’s Westcott’s, there’s Wessex, there’s… some of them are less, shall we say, proper.”

“I see,” she said. “But you only ever attend White’s? You have never been to Westcott’s?”

“Why do you ask?”

She paused. “I think that is where Nathaniel goes at times.”

He grimaced. “I see. Well… I have been there a time or two.”

“And there are ladies there?”

“In the back rooms, yes. But why are you asking such questions? It is not suitable conversation for a young lady.”

She pursed her lips. Here was her chance. Surely if her father knew what Nathaniel was up to, he would tell her. They were on better footing now.

“Father,” she said, “I must ask you—do you ever see Nathaniel go into those back rooms?”

Her father eyed her, and she saw that calculating expression he sometimes got when he was trying to make their household ledgers balance.

“Evelyn,” her father replied. “You are not to ask such questions. A gentleman would never ask a lady what she does when she keeps company with her friends. And a lady should never ask what her husband does at the club. That is his private time to do as he pleases.”

“So he does something I should not know about?” she asked.

“Evelyn, I assure you, you would be happier remaining unaware of what goes on at the club. Especially a club such as Westcott’s.”

“Does he meet other women there?” she insisted.

“Evelyn—” her father said, becoming alarmed.

“No, Father. I want to know. You owe me the truth. I thought he and I were in full agreement on everything. But if there’s something I should know?—”

Her father sighed and wrung his hands together, then looked at her. “I see him at Westcott’s every now and again. And I have seen him on occasion going into the back rooms, where the ladies are.”

“Recently?”

He pressed his lips together and then let out a sigh. “I saw him last week.”

Last week… They had spent most evenings together, but there had been one evening when Nathaniel had gone out with his friend Julian and hadn’t returned until late. He said that they had gone to see a play—but hadn’t she smelled a perfume on him that was unfamiliar to her? Of course, there were many ladies wearing perfume at the theater, but still. If the woman he had seen at the club—was it her scent she had smelled? And Halston had said the same thing. That he was still seeing other women—that he wasn’t being truthful with her?

She would not have believed her father had he said this weeks ago, but they had made amends. He had done what he said he would—he had helped her.

He wouldn’t lie to her. Not now. He wouldn’t risk their relationship.

Her heart sank.Nathaniel… Why did I believe him?She should have listened to her father.

No. Maybe her father was lying. Maybe even if Nathaniel had been seen with a woman, there was no proof he had done anything. He had promised her honesty.

She had to see him. She had to talk to him.

She got up. “Thank you, Father.”

“Evelyn, do not be too harsh with him. He’s a gentleman. This is what some gentlemen do from time to time.”

“Did you?” she asked, and he flinched. He clasped his hands between his knees and shook his head.

“No. I never did. Your mother would not have approved. And I would not have wanted to hurt her like that.”

“I see,” Evelyn said, her heart aching. She turned to leave.