Page 51 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke (The Marlow Family Secrets #6)

Then a waltz began and the man who had danced with Mary earlier, Lord Framlington, stood before her. She accepted him out of politeness. Even if John thought him a risk to Mary, a fortune hunter could be no risk to her.

She learned very quickly she was wrong.

‘Pembroke is dull. Perhaps when you tire of him you might think of me…’ he whispered seductively in her ear, as they made a turn. ‘I would be willing to warm your bed if it is cold.’

‘I will never tire of my husband, my lord…’ she snapped, shocked and insulted.

‘But there is much to be said for variety, my dear, and your husband knows it. Look, see, he is speaking with my sister, an old flame he probably wishes to rekindle.’

Katherine glanced at John. He was talking to a beautiful dark-haired woman, who rose to her toes and whispered in his ear. He caught her arm and whispered something back.

Katherine felt pain grip about her heart.

John leaned down to whisper to Lady Ponsonby. ‘Go away, Elizabeth. I am not interested. I will never be interested.’

She seemed to think his marriage an amusing game and was casting dice to win him back.

John looked at Katherine.

She was dancing with Framlington, for God’s sake, Elizabeth’s younger brother.

John felt manipulated as Katherine glanced at him and then looked away, blushing.

‘Have you deliberately deterred me, so he might dance with her, or distracted her so you might annoy me?’ She followed his gaze back to Katherine, laughed and then simply walked away.

John stared at Katherine, incensed. She had heard him say Framlington was no good.

Framlington’s palm was splayed on Katherine’s slender back and it slid a little downwards.

For the first time since he had returned to England John had actually been enjoying an evening, because Katherine was here, but now she had done this.

Before John even realised it, he was in motion, ignoring onlookers and surging through the dancers.

It was fortunate for him, and Katherine, the dance came to its natural end.

He would have made a spectacle of them both if it had not.

He looked daggers at Framlington when he reached them.

‘I had already made a note this evening to warn you not to dance with my sister – and now I see I must also warn you to stay away from my wife. Just so that you know, Framlington, hunting my sister is pointless, I would not agree the match and never pay you her dowry and if you touch my wife again, I’ll kill you. ’

The man simply smiled, bowed and walked off, his retreat as silent as his sister’s. Which implied it was no retreat at all.

John gritted his teeth more firmly, to prevent his mask slipping and clasped Katherine’s arm, then led her from the floor. She was not happy with him but then he was not happy with her.

He did not stop walking until he had led her into the card room and there he drew her to one side of the door. ‘Please tell me what you thought you were doing? Why did you dance with him?’

‘I did not think it would harm. I’m hardly prey for fortune hunters. How was I to know he would proposition me?’ She was bristling too. ‘And you are making things worse!’ Her gaze spun pointedly to the card room.

He glanced back across the room, and saw people staring.

His eyes turned back to Katherine. She was flushed and angry.

He had become so used to hiding his feelings he had forgotten she could not, and he did not wish her to. But nor did he want his wife to become fodder for men like Framlington.

Suddenly the anger in her eyes turned to doubt. ‘He said it was his sister you were speaking to…’ Ah, bloody hell . ‘He implied you were having an affair with her.’

Why did this have to come tonight? ‘Not here, Katherine.’

‘Why were you whispering with her?’ The question in her voice had a razor-sharp edge, and it carried. More heads turned their way.

‘It was nothing, Katherine.’

‘Nothing?’

‘It ended years ago and I am not talking about it here.’

‘Then take me home and tell me.’

‘No.’ An exasperated breath left his lungs. He could not. ‘Not when the entire room will believe there is something wrong. Go back and dance and smile, or people will talk about you more.’

He noted the glint of tears in her eyes, as she pulled her arm free and turned away.

Unsure what to do, he followed, only to see her leave the ballroom and hurry to the privacy of the retiring chamber. He had made a mess of the second night of his fledgling marriage.

* * *

Katherine weaved her way through the throng of guests, refusing to look back as she fought to stop the tears from falling. She was so out of her depth. This was John’s world and she did not fit. She did not understand these people and their debauchery.

In the hall she turned to a footman to ask for guidance and he directed her upstairs. John’s mother’s maid was there and Katherine sat down to let Esther check her hair, seeking time to pull herself together.

She’d embarrassed John and he was angry because of it, but if everyone in the room knew about him and Lord Framlington’s sister then surely John’s whispering in the woman’s ear was an equal embarrassment for her.

It was no wonder John had thought nothing of asking her to meet him in the tower if this was the world he lived in.

She had two choices. One was to let this world beat her.

The second was to fight. She felt a surge of determination.

She could rescue John from this life. He hid from these people.

He did not hide from her. Surely she was the only one who could rescue him then.

She was going to fight. She was going to save him and not let him be like these debauched selfish people any more.

‘All done, Your Grace,’ Esther stated.

Katherine stood. ‘Thank you, Esther.’ She felt much better, in control again.

When she left the room she hastened back to the ballroom. She understood why he’d insisted they stay. But she would much rather they were alone and not among all these false people.

Her mind raced with plans as she neared the top of the stairs, thinking of how she must speak to his servants and take charge of his house, and force her courage for tomorrow when people would call.

She was not going to let him down, nor let these people think less of her…

She was going to make John trust her and encourage him to end his part in this charade and simply be himself.

She could not take him away from these people, but she was going to stop him being like them.

A woman blocked Katherine’s path.

‘John’s young Duchess?’

Katherine’s heart pounded. It was the woman John had whispered to. She looked much older than John but still beautiful, and she had an allure that said she knew she was. She had huge brown eyes and dark hair.

‘Pretty. Where did he find you?’ Her casual voice had a hard edge, and Katherine had a feeling their chance meeting was no accident.

‘Forgive me, I do not remember being introduced. Excuse me.’ Katherine moved to walk about the woman but her arm was gripped.

‘Perhaps not, but we have a mutual experience, we have both been in John’s bed, only I was there before you. In fact, I was his first, I broke him in. So you may thank me for his skill. But be warned, he will tire of you. I?—’

Katherine did not stay to hear any more, pulling her arm free and walking away.

She glanced about the crowd in the ballroom, but she could not see John.

She was saved by Eleanor.

‘Katherine. You sly thing, marrying John. I am sorry we could not call earlier, my husband insists I rest in the afternoon if I am to go out in the evening, and the Earl of Derwent is his distant cousin so I could not cry off tonight. I cannot believe you and John managed to keep this secret. I even let him deceive me into sending that dress and thinking nothing more.’ Eleanor’s fingers touched Katherine’s elbow.

‘You may tell him, I am disgusted with him for not at least inviting family to the wedding. How did he court you? Did he shower you with flowers, or was he lax? I shall tell him off if he was lax.’

Eleanor led Katherine to a love seat, while throwing question after question at her, and once they were seated there, Eleanor raised her open fan so they might gossip without their lips being read. ‘You must tell me it all, I am dying to know…’

Katherine knew so little of how to live in John’s world – she could not lie to Eleanor, though she was sure John would. ‘Promise me you will say nothing, not even to your family…’

Eleanor nodded.

‘I am with child. John’s mother and father and Phillip are the only people who know.’

Eleanor’s eyes widened. ‘The cad, what a rotter… And he made me give you that dress… Oh, I’ll?—’

‘It is not what you think, really. He had ended things and it had not gone so far. The dress was an apology for beginning something which could have no end. Only I did not wish it to end. I went to him. But swear to me you will say nothing…’

Katherine told her everything. She told Eleanor about Richard, John’s proposal and Phillip’s outrage and then she told her about that woman too.

Eleanor wafted the fan, casually hiding Katherine’s distress, and when Katherine finished, Eleanor held her hand.

‘I believe John loves you. He says nothing lightly, Katherine. He may have a hard exterior but he is caring and principled. He will do and say nothing unless he believes in it. Harry constantly complains that John will not be swayed to vote one way or the other in the House of Lords. Trust him, Katherine…’

Looking across Katherine’s shoulder then, Eleanor lifted her voice and stood up. ‘Hello, John.’

Katherine looked back and stood too, as he crossed the last few feet to join them.

‘Timely,’ Eleanor stated mockingly. Then she struck his sleeve with her closed fan. ‘You are a bounder, cousin. You had better look after my friend.’

‘She is my wife,’ John answered. ‘Of course I will.’

Eleanor’s fingers touched the scab on his lip then the bruise on his cheek. ‘And you deserve these.’

‘Thank you,’ he said.

‘You are welcome.’ Then she smiled at Katherine and dropped a little respectful curtsy.

‘Good evening, Kate. Call on me whenever you wish and I shall definitely call on you. In fact I shall speak to Harry about asking you both to dinner.’ She kissed the air beside Katherine’s cheek and then left them.

Katherine sat back down on to the love seat. John sat on the other side.

‘You have told her everything, I assume.’

‘She is my friend.’

She saw John in the depths of his eyes.

He sighed. ‘I—’ She didn’t know if he was going to apologise, berate her or explain – she didn’t give him a chance to speak.

‘I saw that woman. She spoke to me.’

His face flushed and his jaw tightened and once again his eyes turned diamond hard. ‘Not here, Katherine, wait until we are home.’

‘Then take me home. I wish to speak.’ She was not going to let him set her aside.

He held her gaze in silence for a minute and then sighed. ‘Very well, if that is what you wish.’