Page 60 of The Duke Meets His Match

“A dalliance with an actress is not a minor indulgence in my opinion,” she said. “Nor is an obvious penchant for high-stakes gambling and drinking to excess.”

“I was young,” he said, shrugging. “It is what young gentlemen do. It is what young ladies forgive them for doing.”

“You are not young now,” she said softly.

He laughed mockingly. “Ah, still the same Susan, I see—so clever, so self-righteous—and full of so much passion that, sadly, is still locked away deep inside you, unless it has withered into nothing more than dust, that is.” He took her by the elbow and led her farther away from the crowd of mingling guests. “Such a waste of a passionate woman,” he whispered in her ear, “hidden away these past years on a lonely, old shelf, all but forgotten.”

Susan turned to face him and stared at him coldly.

He stared back at her for a moment and then shook his head. “Ah well. The past is the past. Broken hearts do heal in one form or another, don’t they?”

Susan said nothing.

“Changing the subject, I cannot deny the surprise at seeing you here this afternoon,” he said. “I didn’t figure you for the type to fawn over Prinny. How did you come to be here?” he asked.

“I am not here to fawn over the prince,” Susan said.

“But you did not arrive on your own, I daresay. Not Saint Susan, the patronessof all things virtuous. Not to a party at Carlton House, if she could help it.”

She didn’t wish to speak to Lord Frome any further, and were she anywherebutCarlton House, she would leave him abruptly, but her mind was a tumult of etiquette rules pressed upon her by Lady Walmsley, a heap of discomfort at being here in the first place, and an overabundance of shock at seeing Lord Frome again. “I am here as a guest of the Duke of Aylesham,” she said at last.

“Aylesham, eh? What a strange coincidence!” Lord Frome exclaimedsarcastically. “Prinny wished to reward Aylesham for service to Crown andcountry,the reward being the lovely Princess Sophia Augusta as his bride, and there isquite a purse involved as well, I understand, but somehow, rather than acceptthe generosity of his monarch, he managed to slip the noose, as they say...” He inhaled a breath as though a thought had struck him. “Youare the excuse Aylesham gave Prinny! Oh, that’s rich!You, of all people. I daresay you don’tevenknowAylesham, as you’ve been cloistered away in Lincolnshire alltheseyears, and yet, here you are, lying to the Prince Regent about having anattachment to the man. What a little hypocrite you are.”

“I am betrothed to the Duke of Aylesham,” Susan said firmly. She wanted Lord Frome to leave. She didn’t care if there was proper etiquette to maintain or if she would be alone once again. It had taken her years to get over the pain she’d felt in learning of his betrayal and her mistrust of her own judgment when it came to love. Today his words were bitter and cruel. But she wasn’t a hypocrite.

She also didn’t owe Lord Frome the dignity of an explanation.

“I am betrothed to the Duke of Aylesham,” she repeated. “And we are planning to wed this Monday.” And then she smiled at Lord Frome as she hoped the goddess Athena would smile.

“We shall see,” he said. “Won’t we?”

“Thank you for the conversation, Lord Frome,” she said. “It has been most enlightening.” Then she placed the canopy of the parasol between herself and him and walked away from her past.

***

“You are not vat I expected,” Princess Sophia Augusta said in her thick German accent to George after they had left Prinny and her parents—and Susan—at Prinny’s not-so-subtle urging. He wanted to glance back to see if Susan was all right, praying she hadn’t been further snubbed by Prinny, but he refrained. He must show no sign of weakness to Prinny or his royal guests. This afternoon was going to require subtlety.

“What did you expect?” George asked as he nodded at a few acquaintances.

“Someone older. Fatter.” She shrugged. “It is vat happens, you know. These marriages.”

“Ah,” George replied. It confirmed George’s suspicions that Prinny hadn’ttold Prince Ernst that George was already betrothed—not when they’d arrivedbefore George’s actual wedding to Susan had occurred. “Have you been toLondon before?” he asked, trying to keep some semblance of conversation going.

“Nein,” she said. “No. It is not so pretty as Schönberg-Nusse, from vat I have seen so far. Although the prince’s house, Carlton House—not a palace, you know, but a house—is very fine. I vas surprised to see it vas so. The gardens here are pleasant. The city, not so much.”

“England’s countryside might be more to your liking,” George said, wonderinghow long he must remain with the princess before extricating himself from hercompany. “Or, perhaps, the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall.”

“I hope it is as you say, if I am to spend so much of my time here,” shereplied. “I vould prefer to live in Schönberg-Nusse, but Papa says it is notpossible. Not at first. So I vill adapt.”

“Your English is very good—much better than my German,” George said and then immediately regretted his comment, for it made it sound like they were working out their compatibility with each other. He discreetly looked about but couldn’t see Susan anywhere.

“Thank you,” the princess said. They strolled on in silence for a few minutes.Without any warning, Princess Sophia moved her hand into the crook of hisarm, bringing them closer together, and then, even though she was nearly as tall as George, she tipped her head in such a way as to appear to be gazing up at him demurely. She batted her eyelashes slowly, leaving George wondering what the equivalent German word forcoquettewas.

It was also clear that Prinny and her parents had sent her on a mission to secure her quarry.

“You are a young man and handsome,” she said. “I have seen portraits of the princes of England, and I vas not happy. But now that vee are here and I see you for myself, I approve. You vill do.”

“Princess Sophia,” George began. “Before you say any more, you must allow me to speak. I’m afraid you have been misinformed, for, despite the assurances you and your parents were given, I never agreed to this marriage.”

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