Page 31 of The Duchess in His Bed
“No, it exists, and it’s absolutely marvelous,” Lady Hortense exclaimed, her voice rife with excitement.
“It is an establishment owned by someone born in shame. It’s not to be tolerated, and you shouldn’t be associated with him,” Lady Marrow stated sternly.
Selena caught sight of Lady Elverton sitting perfectly still and stiffly, her face an unreadable mask. Her father was a baron, although whispers abounded that she was not welcomed into his home. It was rumored she’d been the Earl of Elverton’s mistress before his wife had wretchedly drowned in a boating mishap. Nearly thirty years had passed since the tragedy and her marriage to the earl, yet still she was barely accepted or tolerated by theton, although it didn’t seem to bother her overly much. Selena hadn’t yet been born when the scandal had taken place, so she couldn’t testify to the veracity of the rumors and wasn’t certain whether they had faded or intensified over the years.
“He once told me I was pretty.” Lady Cecily had the unfortunate distinction of having rather large teeth that her upper lip couldn’t quite cover.
“He is a scoundrel of the first water,” Lady Marrow insisted. “Of course, he is going to flirt and tell you what you wish to hear. He wants something from you.”
What could he possibly want from Selena that she wasn’t willing to give him? She’d practically thrown herself at him, and he had yet to catch her fully.
“But he’s ever so nice,” one of the younger ladies said.
“So is the devil when he’s seeking to take your soul.” One of Lady Marrow’s brows shot up so high it nearly disappeared in her hair.
“Despite the rumors regarding the Trewloves’ origins, they don’t seem a bad lot,” Selena said.
Gasps at her audacity pounded her. Or perhaps it was simply that no one had expected her to escape her grief long enough to speak.
“You are pretty, Lady Cecily. I suspect he merely wanted to compliment your looks, and nothing more.”
The poor girl blushed and ducked her head. Yes, Selena could see Aiden Trewlove delivering a kindness in the form of a bit of flattery to a shy lady with hopeful eyes who probably went without much kindness or flattery bestowed upon her. She’d had three Seasons already and would soon be relegated to the shelf.
“You give him too much credit, Duchess.” It seemed Lady Marrow would not be deterred from her opinion or prone to changing it. “As for the rumors, they are fact. They were born in sin, which makes them immoral.”
Although it wasn’t the first time she’d heard that argument, she had never truly embraced it. Nor had Lushing. He’d always believed in judging people based on their own merits. However now she had to wonder: If Aiden Trewlove fathered her babe, would the little one be immoral? Would the child be condemned to hell? Would Aiden’s sins pass through him to become the sins of her child? “I’ve never quite understood that reasoning. The sin should rest with the parents, surely. The child is innocent of any wrongdoing.”
“The loose morals are passed down through the blood. Sinners give birth to sinners. It is the very reason we have a hierarchy in the social order.”
“I doubt anyone in this room is without sin,” Lady Elverton said quietly, but her eyes still held a challenge. “Which would make the entire aristocracy immoral, would it not? If indeed we follow your logic, Lady Marrow, which I for one do not. I agree with the duchess. Regardless of the circumstances of their birth, babes are pure, without sin, without shame. They are innocence at its most basic.Tabula rasaI believe is how philosophers view it.”
The elderly matron sniffed. “I disagree. The Bible is quite clear. The sins of the father are visited—”
“Are the sins of the father,” Lady Elverton stated emphatically, and Selena wondered if she had indeed been the mistress of the earl and if she might have given him children before they were wed. If she had, where were they now?
Selena could fairly see steam escaping Lady Marrow’s ears as she opened her mouth—
“Lushing had such a forgiving nature that I think he would agree with Lady Elverton,” Selena said, feeling a need to defend those born on the wrong side of the blanket. “I daresay, should I be blessed with a child, I shall hope he inherits none of my sins.”
“Your only sin is eating too many strawberries,” Alice said cheerily, which might have received a chuckle or two under different circumstances—if all eyes hadn’t dropped suddenly and swiftly to Selena’s abdomen. While initially they may have been looking for evidence of her gluttony, the speculation mirrored in their eyes indicated their curiosity had abruptly careened into another direction: the possibility of her being with child. Of their own accord her hands spread out over her belly as though she did indeed have something in need of protection.
“Is it possible?” Lady Josephine whispered, confirming Selena’s interpretation of their intense stares.
Before she could respond, Florence announced impatiently, “Anything is possible. My dear sister is in mourning, and you’re all being frightfully inconsiderate with your inappropriate conversations.”
“When you’re out of mourning,” Lady Cecily whispered, leaning toward her, “you really must visit the Elysium. The relaxation room is just the thing. I’ll be more than happy to accompany you to spare you feeling awkward at the place.”
“Thank you. I shall keep your offer in mind.” But regretfully, once Aiden Trewlove fulfilled her need for him, she would never again cross the threshold into his establishment.
She’d found the oppressiveness in the front parlor unbearable, but then the men arrived once Lushing was laid to rest and the somberness became too much. It was an odd thing, but an overwhelming urge overcame her to dart out of the residence, race through the mews, and run as fast as her legs could churn to the Elysium—to Aiden Trewlove. To once again be in his arms, to have his whispered words of reassurance echoing in her ears. To feel safe, secure, and protected. To draw strength from him in order to face all the challenges that awaited her.
Instead she did the proper thing. When condolences had all been offered and received, when those gathered in the parlor finally wandered into the dining room where refreshments awaited them, she snuck out into the gardens and sat on a wrought-iron bench where roses would bloom in a couple of months. Lushing had so enjoyed his flowers. Envisioning him strolling among the spring blossoms brought her a measure of peace.
A peace that was disturbed by the harsh sound of boot heels on the stone bricks that comprised the path wending its way through the grounds. Glancing over she was disappointed to see the Earl of Elverton. Kit she would have welcomed. Even her brother, but she was not in the mood to deal with others of the nobility, hoped he would see he was intruding and reverse his course.
“Quite the crush indoors.” He came to stand before her. He was equal in height to Aiden Trewlove, but his body was not nearly as toned, his indulgence in rich foods evident by the rounding of his stomach. Strange how she found herself comparing him to Aiden, and yet she feared in the future she would compare all men to him as he had a way of intruding on her thoughts at the oddest of times. The earl’s hair was a faded brown speckled with silver, and she rather regretted she wouldn’t see Aiden’s hair turn snowy white. In spite of having walked the earth for nearly six decades, Elverton possessed the energy of a younger man. Although his features sagged a bit and were populated with wrinkles, he was still quite the handsome devil. She could readily understand why it was rumored he’d had a bevy of lovers in his youth. But comeliness did not justify infidelity.
“Yes. I was in search of a bit of quiet.”
