‘She is not. Not everywhere, at least. But money and a title can smooth over the majority of her sins.’
‘And rout cakes?’ she said.
‘It is a shame that the best cook in London works for such a harpy,’ Portia said with a sigh. ‘Gentlemen like her better than ladies do. And though her lovers might change from year to year, she is careful to choose men who are assets and not liabilities.’
‘And that is why she picked the Duke of Westbridge,’ she said, trying not to appear too interested.
‘On the contrary, she refused him publicly. He even went so far as to offer marriage. She laughed in his face and told half of London about it.’
Cassie thought of her own public refusal and winced. ‘Does he do that often? Offer marriage, I mean.’
‘Certainly not. He is a rake not a fool. Making a casual offer to women he wanted to bed would result in a breach of promise lawsuit, and he wants to stay out of the courts.’
‘Oh,’ Cassie said. She had not considered that.
‘But when he met Francesca, he was young and serious and a little full of himself. He offered. And she told him that while another titled husband might be nice, he was too inexperienced to please her.’
‘She turned virtue into a vice?’ Cassie said shocked.
‘And she made sure everyone heard the story,’ Portia said. ‘Even girls in their first Season were laughing at him.’
Cassie winced. Being new to town, she could still feel the judgement of the people around her and the desire to be accepted. To be loved. ‘What did he do?’
‘He made himself into the man she wanted. Cold and experienced and old beyond his years. In a single Season, he became one of the most notorious rakes of theton.’
‘The next Season?’
‘He courted her. She was intrigued, of course. So he led her on, then cast her off, making sure that the jilting was just as public as his had been. From what I understand, it was quite the scandal.’
‘It must have been,’ Cassie said. It was hard to imagine the Duke as a sweet, young student. But it was much easier to believe he turned bitter in the space of a year. ‘And I suppose, once he was done with her, he did not return to his old studiousness?’
‘He was sent down from Oxford in what would have been his last year,’ she said. ‘Public drunkenness, fighting and gambling. Julian has been friends with him since they were in school together and says he can be very clever when he wishes to be. But he is seldom serious, so it is hard to tell.’
‘I see,’ she said. But before she could press for more information, Julian reappeared to lead them to the carriage.
Chapter Ten
It was just past noon the next day, when Sebastian arrived at White’s. After a meal of cold roast beef, cheese and pickle, he settled in the main room and declared it not too early for a brandy. The drink had just arrived, when Julian appeared and took the seat beside him. He signalled the waiter for a glass of his own and said without preamble, ‘What did you do to Rutland?’
‘Me?’ He gave his friend a blank look.
‘Do not pretend. You ruined him. How? To what purpose?’
‘He ruined himself,’ Sebastian said, taking a sip. ‘None of the rumours that have been spread about him were lies. And there are juicer stories than a few gambling debts, if you wish to hear them. But they were not necessary to accomplish his removal to the country. Thus, he was spared their revelation.’
‘How did you learn of them?’
‘Last night at the Ashton rout. Everyone was speaking of it.’ He took another sip.
‘You would not be caught dead at the Ashton rout without a good reason. You came to spread gossip, not to hear it.’
Sebastian held up his hands in surrender. ‘He did not make good on a marker he left at Sally Green’s. He is lucky I covered it for him before she sent someone to break his legs. In exchange for the payment, she told me everything there was to hear.’
‘Humph.’ Julian’s drink arrived and he took a long sip. ‘That does not answer the why of it.’ He gave Sebastian a side-eyed glare. ‘What were you doing in the maze at the Montpellier?’
‘What does anyone do in the maze at the Montpellier?’ he said. The answer was not usually ‘spy on others’. But Julian did not need the full truth. He just needed enough to set his mind at rest. ‘I heard a lady in distress.’
‘Distress?’ Julian was frowning, but it was no longer at him.
