Page 85 of Not his Marchioness
Woodhaven chuckled and turned back to his conversation.
Nathaniel certainly knew how to handle these men. He had spoken to Woodhaven in the exact same tone Rhys had used when he convinced Woodhaven to help with the school.
Perhaps it was the rakes in them that made it so.
They slipped into the parlor, where fire roared in the grate, filling the air with the scent of cedar.
Nathaniel indicated the chess set near the window. Outside, the back alley of London was visible, still covered in snow.
“So Evelyn told me that you helped Charlotte with the school,” he said as he made his first move.
“I did. We had agreed to help each other achieve what we wished out of this marriage.”
“Before abandoning it,” Nathaniel added, without raising his eyes.
Rhys tensed. “It was a mutual decision. Nobody is being taken advantage of.”
Nathaniel looked up at him. “Of course. I was not implying anything of the sort. I see your reputation is fully restored. The Duke of Windsor speaks highly of you—not to me directly, for I have just returned from Portugal, but I have heard things.”
“I am glad to hear it. I thought the venture was foolish, to begin with. Attempting to make gentlemen change their behavior when most of these lords do whatever they please.”
Nathaniel chuckled. “I must agree with you. But you know how it is. Some of the Puritans have a lot of influence, and they like to wield it. Windsor is one of them. Although I know he has no stand behind closed doors.”
“I figured as much,” Rhys said. “But as you said, thanks to Charlotte, I have managed to fix whatever damage there was to my reputation.”
He made his move and waited for Nathaniel to do the same.
“Interesting,” Nathaniel commented. “I should have asked—are you experienced in chess?”
“My father taught me,” Rhys replied. “One of the few things we enjoyed doing together. Aside from riding in the snow, playing chess was one of the few things my father and I were able to do together without quarreling.”
“As did mine,” Nathaniel said. “Well, my stepfather. My real father died when I was very young. But I was fortunate to have a stepfather.”
“Do you ever resent it? Not having a real father. Having lost your stepfather and finding yourself in a position that was never meant to be yours?”
“I used to, all the time,” Nathaniel admitted. “Unlike you, I wasn’t even a second son. My uncle was a duke. When my father died, I was the heir for a while. But then my uncle got married and had a son of his own, so I felt quite safe from having to take on the peerage. People often look at me as though I were to be envied, for who wouldn’t want a dukedom? I certainly didn’t.”
“People look at me the same. I was never meant to be a marquess. I was the second son. I was trained, of course, just in case, for that is what we were—spares, in case something happened to the heir.”
Nathaniel cleared his throat. “I no longer resent it. I have learned the advantages it gives me. I can improve people’s lives.I have made the lives of my tenant farmers better already. And your reputation?—”
Rhys chuckled. “That of an insufferable rake?”
“No, but that of a gentleman who cares. My local man made inquiries on my behalf when I was in Portugal. I heard that you care deeply for people who find themselves in less desirable circumstances. My man informed me that your reputation is stellar even at the houses of ill repute in St. Giles.”
“Yes. They are fond of me because I see the women as actual persons, not merely playthings.”
Nathaniel had been painted by Charlotte and others of their acquaintance as the sort of fellow who could accomplish anything. Rhys hadn’t thought that if the man were here, Charlotte never would’ve been in the position she was in.
After meeting him and talking to him, he could see that Nathaniel might not have been born to the dukedom, but he was certainly suited for it. Moreover, seeing him so devoted to his wife and so committed to accomplishing things within Society was admirable.
Rhys knew from Charlotte that Nathaniel had worked diligently with his friends and some of their fellow lords to introduce some reforms, like the one to assist the climbing boys of London. A wretched lot, condemned to cleaning fireplaces that no adult could fit into. They had made some progress, from what he had heard, and Nathaniel seemed truly dedicated.
“It is good to have compassion,” Nathaniel said. “Do not let anybody shame you for it. In fact, if it were not such a delicate topic, I would have suggested reforms to improve the state of the rookeries. I know many wealthy men enjoy their time in houses of ill repute and gambling halls, but I must say, I doubt those women engage in such work for the joy of it.”
Shame washed over Rhys because he had frequented such establishments for years for his own amusement.
Yes, it was true, he always made sure to treat every woman he dallied with as a decent human being. Just as he had made sure that he had never knowingly ruined any young lady seeking his company, even if she did not work in such establishments.
