“That’s just it, they are not.” The duke glanced at his nephew. “Lesson number one, Reggie. When you are duke, everyone will desire you for your wealth and title. They will not give a fig about whoyoureally are.”
Reggie leaned forward, his expression dispirited. “Not everyone, surely.”
“There are a few good people, but spotting them is a talent you must develop for your own protection. Some liars are easily detected because they are so obvious, one can spot their falsehood before they ever open their mouth. But the best ones often are not so easily spotted. They will work slowly and quietly, sowing seeds of doubt so that you no longer trust your good friends. Their motives are insidious. Their goal is to separate you from your family and anyone else who may have earned your trust.”
Cherish was surprised by his comment. He was stern and a bit bullheaded, but she had not expected to find him holding such a level of distrust in others. “I think you are too cynical, Your Grace. We are not living in Shakespeare’sOthello. There are many good people around who are not as villainous as Iago.”
Was this the reason for his determination never to marry? Had someone hurt him terribly in his younger days? Someone to whom he had given his heart?
His eyes now held the glint of steel. “I do not mean to suggest everyone is venal, Lady Cherish. But it is important for my nephew never to let down his guard. Even now, he is a target for the unscrupulous. As am I. But many steer wide of me because they fear to face my wrath.”
Reggie frowned. “And you are worried that I will be a dupe to everyone’s schemes? I hope I am not that foolish.”
“I know you are not, Reggie. But you are not yet fierce. To protect yourself, you have to develop a bit of the ruthless in you or the bad actors will swarm all over you like bees to honey.Ladies are the most dangerous, for they can get very close and sting you hardest and deepest.”
Cherish quietly held her breath.
So, there was a woman in his life.
Who was she? And what did she do to hurt him so badly?
Chapter Five
Gawain enjoyed Cherish’srecital, for her voice was soft as a gentle rain and her fingers were nimble and light upon the piano keys. She played two popular songs and encouraged others to join in singing along with her.
The ladies particularly enjoyed this, but Gawain just wanted to hear her sing. Was there anything he did not like about this girl? She surely was something special.
After supper, Fiona announced the start of a night of parlor games. Gawain, to his dismay, was teamed with two peahens, Lady Yvonne and Lady Eugenia, and one of Reggie’s friends, a young man he had yet to see sober, Lord Pershing. If Fiona was trying to torture him, she had managed to do a wonderful job of it.
It wasn’t that Gawain was completely against parlor games, and he had to admit the ladies assigned to his team were quite beautiful. Unfortunately, there was not a hint of brain matter between their ears.
He had participated on occasion in some fairly naughty games contrived by some infamous hostesses who lived on the fringes of elegant Society. Almost nothing was out of bounds, and clothes often came off at those soirees popular with thedemimonde.
But Fiona’s guests were proper Society, and nothing shocking or remotely interesting was going to happen tonight.He would endure and play along with the silliness because he was supposed to set a proper example for Reggie, but what he really wanted to do was spend more time alone with Cherish.
As his teammates joined him, he smiled and resolved to behave himself.
Cherish was teamed with Reggie, Lady Margaret, and another friend of Reggie’s by the name of Lord Durham. Durham and Reggie had been friends since childhood, and Gawain quite liked the boy. Well, he was a few years older than Reggie and had always had a good head on his shoulders, so this “boy” had to be close to thirty years of age by now.
The first game was to be charades. Fiona quickly went over the rules. “One teammate is to convey the clues only by gestures. The others are to guess what is written on a square of paper drawn out of this hat.”
Gawain had already resigned himself to losing. One drunken sot and two young ladies with nothing but air between their ears was a handicap impossible to surmount.
Fiona selected him as captain of his team and handed him the hat from which he was to withdraw the square of paper. “Good luck, Gawain,” she said, unable to contain her laughter.
“I’ll get you for this, Fiona,” he replied with a pained chuckle.
He unfurled the paper and saw the answer written was Westminster Abbey. Not very difficult, but he already knew his team would never figure it out.
He hated losing.
Fiona, Reggie, and even Cherish were grinning at him. Had any of them been on his team, they would have guessed the answer within a minute. Buttheseteammates?
He turned to Yvonne, Eugenia, and Pershing with a groan. “All right. Pershing, open your eyes.”
The ladies giggled. Pershing weaved.
Gawain sighed and pointed west. He may have been pointing to the moon for all the good it did.
