Page 25 of The Duke In My Bed (The Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels #1)

Louisa didn’t back down. “I know it won’t be an easy endeavor to take the duke to court. Titles give gentlemen privileges that other men and ladies don’t have.”

“Exactly. Quite frankly, unless you can show mistreatment at the duke’s hands, no court will deny him the rights your uncle signed over to him.

Especially since he has offered marriage to fulfill an oath to your brother and you have had the poor judgment not to try to force him to make good on his promise. ”

“Why would anyone want me to marry a man who was racing my brother when he was killed, a man who is noted for his drunken races through Town, gaming, and—and—”

Mrs. Colthrust smiled. “And what?”

“And has liaisons with mistresses, actresses, and all manner of loose women.”

“Wait,” Mrs. Colthrust said with a mock look of surprise.

“I think you might be talking about our dear Prince, or the Lord Mayor, or perhaps the Lord Chancellor himself and any other gentlemen who reside in London. Please, Louisa, His Grace did most of what you mentioned when he was younger. Besides, none of that is important to anyone.”

“It’s important to me.”

“Well, you are the only one. A duke is easily forgiven for his transgressions, much like our dear Prince is and any other man of means. Now, take my word for this—no one will feel sorry for you about being under the care of a duke. He’s doing what is right by you and your sisters, I might add, and that’s all that matters right now. ”

“Then what am I to do?”

“You could accept it graciously and thank your heavenly angels.”

Were she and her sisters destined to be under the guardianship of a man whose kisses made her think of starry nights, warm fires, and magical feelings? A man who would never be home, never be faithful, and—worst of all—who obviously had no tolerance for children, either.

“It’s not in me to do that,” Louisa said.

Mrs. Colthrust sighed. “But if the duke’s wild ways offend your sensibilities, the only thing I can think of that might work is if you found a nobleman willing to marry you and take on the responsibility of all your sisters from the duke.

But even then, the duke would have to agree.

Which, now that I consider it, he probably would, don’t you think?

I mean, it can’t be an easy task to take on the responsibility of caring for half a dozen girls and see to it that they all make a good match. ”

“There are five us, Mrs. Colthrust.”

“Yes, yes, that’s what I said.”

Mrs. Rivoire’s assistant returned and spoke to Mrs. Colthrust in French, giving Louisa time to think on what her chaperone had said. She was a brash and sometimes cold woman, but her advice made sense—even if Louisa didn’t want to hear it.

Find a gentleman she wanted to marry? Louisa hadn’t thought about that possibility.

She wondered how difficult securing a betrothal might be.

Louisa had been to only a handful of dances in the village near Wayebury.

She’d enjoyed dancing with the young men, but she couldn’t say she’d thought about marriage to any of them.

She had never thought about kisses very much until she met the duke, until he kissed her—and now kisses and embraces were constantly on her mind.

But what could she do? She would not, could not leave her sisters to become the wife of any man unless he accepted them, too. Wherever she went, they would have to be welcomed and go with her.

“Mrs. Rivoire will be right with us,” Mrs. Colthrust said as the assistant left the room again. “She has to finish with someone else first.”

“Thank you for your suggestion, Mrs. Colthrust. It has merit.”

“I agree. Perhaps you could find an older gentleman who perhaps would be generous to your sisters for the pleasure of having a young and beautiful wife in his bed.”

Louisa remembered the feel of the duke’s hard body and his strong embrace. “Well, perhaps he wouldn’t have to be too terribly old.”

“There’s the Earl of Bitterhaven. He might do something like that. He’s not a young man but not in his dotage either. His wife died last year, and he has three small children of his own. I doubt a young nobleman would want to be burdened with all your sisters.”

Louisa flinched. “I will see to it that my sisters are not a burden to anyone, Mrs. Colthrust. I thank you for your help. At least I now have another option to consider.”

“Yes, well, I’m not sure I’m happy that I gave you the alternative you are considering.

Something tells me that if you are pleased about it, I shouldn’t be.

But I would think it would be much easier to find a well-suited country gentleman to marry than to take a duke to court.

I don’t see that ever ending in your favor.

However, if you feel you must look into the possibility, don’t let me stop you.

I am your chaperone, and I can go with you to the court—but I can’t help you. ”

“I understand, Mrs. Colthrust. You have given me much to think about.”

The woman was right, Louisa thought as she turned and headed for the changing room.

Going against a powerful duke would not be an easy thing to do, but would finding a gentleman willing to take her for his bride as well as be responsible for her younger sisters be any easier?

But at least now she had another option than marriage or guardianship under the Duke of Drakestone, and she would consider it carefully, weighing all possible consequences.

Louisa was a practical person, too. As she mulled over the choices before her, she couldn’t overlook the benefits of being under the duke’s protection, despite her misgivings.

The problem was that she feared she was now under his spell.