Page 40 of Duke in Shining Armor
He stilled. “I do not recall such a visit.”
“That is because, although you say you wanted to ask for my hand, you were sequestered in the library with some strumpet.” Much to her chagrin, she pondered if her visceral description of this woman was purely jealousy.
Catherine’s eyes narrowed as she watched as James reflected for a moment, and she saw recognition dawn in his eyes.
“I see,” he replied tightly.
“Well, it was clear to me that you shared an intimacy with her too,” Catherine said, her cheeks turning red.
“You profess to be an enlightened woman, Catherine, so you must know that men visit women to satisfy their needs,” the duke said icily.
Catherine was aghast. “You bounder, scoundrel …”
“That is not so, my lady,” James said in a voice of steel. “It is very common for gentlemen to have mistresses, and it is no business of another lady, even a wife.”
Catherine was fuming, “So, you speak of making an offer for my hand, and on the other hand, you tell me I would have to accept a mistress?”
“It is the way of society, Catherine, and getting your knickers in a twist will not change it. As a matter of fact—”
Catherine did not know that she had raised her hand until the hard slap echoed and cut James’s words short. Her palm burned and James’s cheek had a red imprint of her hand where she slapped him. She saw his jaw clench. There was a stunned silence.
Had she gone too far?No, she had not gone far enough!
“Damn you to hell! I do not wish to speak of this further. I would like to return to the house forthwith,” Catherine said firmly.
“As you wish,” James replied as they walked toward the house.
Her chest felt tight with anger and disappointment. The duke might have the intention to court her and make an offer. It was just too much to accept that he would still keep a mistress when married. Bile churned in her belly. She could not bear such a thing. Though she did not hope for a grand love match, since she had to marry for duty, Catherine had hoped for something meaningful with her partner. Shared interests and likes, mutual trust, and faithfulness.
I am still silly and naïve,she silently berated herself, resenting the ache burning inside her chest and behind her lids.
* * *
James satin the library of his townhouse. He did not know how he got himself into this conundrum. He was quite happy when, during afternoon tea, Catherine accepted his invitation to a walk in the garden. He thought she may have been softening toward him, but on the contrary, she slapped him and damned him to hell.
He could not bloody believe that she slapped him.If it was not such a serious matter, he would have laughed at her gumption. When she slapped him, the silence lasted for a long instant, hazy in his memory, as the anger welled up in his chest. In a final show of magnanimity, he decided not to call her out on her actions while he remained calm and cool, belying the turmoil he felt inside.
James was happy they had the chance to speak in the garden. He now understood why she left in such haste without a bye your leave. She had overheard the conversation between him and Madame Nicolette. Some time had passed since that night, and he chastised himself, for he could not recall all that was said. He remembered the gist of the conversation. He had not seen madame since then, being he had no desire to do so. She did not conjure the feelings of lust he had in the past, and he found he still had no desire to bed her.
He was pleased to learn that Catherine was jealous, as she did not want to think of him being intimate with another woman.Hold your horses. Why the devil did he not say that he was no longer seeing madame? James sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. He had to put his foot in it, get on about the ways of society, and on his high horse about a man’s right to have a mistress. He dropped his head in his hands. James sighed, lifted his head, and took another drink of brandy. He had likely taken one step forward but two backwards.
As he ruminated on how he could rectify this cock up there was a knock on his door. “Enter,” he said as he turned to see that it was Warwick.
“How do you fare, Pembroke?” Warwick asked as he sat.
“I have had better days,” James said.
Warwick lifted a brow. “What have you done this time? Pray tell.”
James recounted the events of afternoon tea.
“You planned a clandestine meeting with Madame Nicolette? At Pembroke Estate when Lady Catherine was present?” Warwick asked incredulously.
“I did no such thing. I went to see madame; however, we did not share a bed. She was perturbed by this and took it upon herself to visit so that she could confront me. It did not end well.”
“From where I am sitting, I can see that. But the interesting question is … why could you not share her bed?”
“I found my thoughts were filled with Catherine as if she had infected my mind. I did not feel the desire for madame, nothing stirred. It was rather embarrassing.”
