He arched an eyebrow. “In fact, I do. Not that I believe most of that drivel, but one must keep up on what is happening in Society.”
“Oh,mustone?” She cast him an impish grin. “You surprise me. I thought you had removed yourself from all the fuss and scandal.”
“I have,” he replied, “but I still want to know what others are doing around me. And what about you, Miss Temple of Virtue? Seems you are not above gobbling up the gossip. Not quite as pious as you let on, are you?”
“Piety and curiosity are not mutually exclusive.” She tipped her chin up and cast him another impertinent smile that made him want to wrap her in his arms and kiss her endlessly.
In truth, he was almost of a mind to give her the next eight kisses tonight, because he found her remarkably enticing.
However, he did not want this bargain to end so quickly. Ailis’s lips were to be savored.
For this reason, he was in no rush to end their arrangement.
This troubled him, of course. But he dismissed the danger of prolonging the game.
He listened as she continued to speak about the importance of reading gossip rags. “You must own that there is a lurid fascination in the horrendous choices some of your peers make.Your Grace, I do not mean to judge anyone. I am merely taking note of their mistakes in the hope of avoiding my own.”
“I hardly think you are one to make mistakes of that sort, Temple.”
“Oh, I think we are all at risk. Even you, Your Grace. It just takes the one person, the one forbidden fruit, and—”
“And we succumb to temptation?”
“Yes, think of Adam and Eve in the garden.” She nodded to emphasize her point. “I saw it happen with the blacksmith’s daughter and my former betrothed. It was shocking, but also wonderful in the way they found each other and could not be without each other. Well, I think she felt it more than he did. Even so, it is a lesson for us all. Anyone can be tossed into circumstances they are helpless to avoid.”
She glanced around, taking note of their surroundings. “Take us, for example. Did you ever think I would be taking up lodgings in your bedchamber?”
“No, I hadn’t.” Although now that she had, he could think of little else.
It should not feel so right.
“I am glad we are outside of London and the scrutiny of your peers,” Ailis continued. “Our situation, as innocent as it is, would destroy my reputation if word ever got out. Thankfully, I am not important enough for anyone to take actual note of my name. The scandal sheets would report it something like this:The Duke of R. is rumored to have a secret bedmate sequestered at his country estate. Is this why the dashing Silver Duke has not returned to London?”
Jonas grunted.
She set down her spoon and studied him. “I jest, of course. But am I so far off the mark? This is why I need to return to the vicarage as soon as the roads are passable. I cannot be foundhere, nor should there be any trace I was ever here. I would be so embarrassed if your family ever found out.”
“I doubt they will arrive before the end of the week at the earliest, probably longer in this inclement weather. There is nothing for you to worry about. The roads will be impassable for several more days after a snowfall as large as this one. It is quite possible they will give up and return to London.”
“They won’t,” she responded with a confidence woven out of thin air.
“How do you know?”
“Seriously? You are a Silver Duke, like it or not. No one is going to give up the chance to spend Christmas in your company.”
“Hopefully, my mother will show some sense. Would it not be reckless to keep horses out in such foul, icy weather? Why risk having them break a leg and need to be put down? No, anyone with a brain between their ears would wait until the snow melts and the sun burns away the icy patches.”
“This has to do with hearts, not brains.”
“No, Temple. This has to do with status, alliances, and power. As I’ve mentioned, no one would give a fig about me were I not a duke. And to now label me a Silver Duke? This only happened out of a desperation for gossip now that my three friends, therealSilver Dukes, are married and thetonwas frantic for a replacement.”
“And there you were, just ripe for the picking.”
“Utter nonsense.”
She cast him an impish smirk. “True or not, it is still fun to read.”
He set down his spoon and leaned back in his seat. “I’ll have Mrs. Fitch bring up some of those gossip rags for you, if you insist on lowering your intelligence.”
