“That she receives guests, she goes out in society, she speaks highly of you in public, and she is frankly a rather upstanding member of society, save for her tendency to… well, to have opinions.”
Spencer raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was as bad as he expected.
Regardless, he would have to see her that night. He could not postpone their meeting endlessly, and as long as he was home, he did not want to. He was not avoiding her out of cruelty, after all; it was for the best that he kept her at a distance, but it was not because he hated her.
“I have made quite the mess myself, have I not?” he asked, chuckling. “Truly, a pair we are.”
“Better matched than you expected, in any case,” Alexander laughed. “She will be understanding, I assure you.”
“You say that as though you know her well. She would not happen to be one of your friends, would she?”
“Not her,” he replied firmly. “Never a married woman.”
Spencer did not doubt that. In spite of how his friend was perceived, he was an honorable man.
“Very well,” he nodded. “Their meeting should not last much longer. Would you like to meet her properly?”
“I see no harm in it, as long as she does not bite.”
“I cannot truthfully say either way,” Spencer replied honestly. “I suppose we shall have to see for ourselves.”
Fortunately, when they went to find her, her club meeting had finished, and her friends had left. Anna was sitting alone, reading with a smile on her lips. Once again, Spencer caught himself admiring her.
Anna’s father had told him she was no beauty, but in the quiet moments when she did not think anyone was looking at her, sheshone. Her brown eyes caught a golden spark of lamplight, and her dark brows, drawn together in concentration, gave her face a focused appeal that not all the simpers in thetoncould match.
Her hands were lovely, too. She held a page between her fingers and thumb delicately, turning it when she was done and placing the book upside down on a side table to save her space.
“May I help you, gentlemen?”
“I wanted to present you to my friend,” Spencer explained, suddenly finding it harder than usual to speak.
Anna rose to her feet, curtseying and greeting Alexander. To Spencer’s annoyance, his friend launched into conversation with her, his charm on full display. He was most charismatic when he wanted to be, and Spencer wondered just why he had decided that was a good time for it.
“I must say,” Alexander laughed warmly, “that plan of yours was brilliant. Had I known that was all it took to bring His Grace home, I would have done so months ago.”
“As would I,” she replied softly. “My apologies, but my husband has yet to tell me of you.”
“Then I shall do it for him,” he replied, giving Spencer a pitiful look. “Alexander Kendall, Duke of Hawthorne.”
Anna’s eyes widened, and Spencer knew at once that she had heard the rumors. Everyone had, by that point, and in an instant, she almost looked scandalized simply by speaking with him.
“I-I have heard so much about you.”
“Most have, but they do not know the truth, which is far more interesting and far less appropriate for polite company.”
She flushed pink, and Spencer felt heat rising in him. His friend was a flirt, and he had never minded that, but now that he was using his usual tactics with his wife, it was… different. Alexander should know better.
“His Grace was on his way out,” Spencer explained. “I was thinking we would have dinner together tonight?”
“That would be a start,” she agreed, and Spencer took Alexander outside. “I will see you then.”
The moment they were outdoors, Spencer turned to his friend, who was on the verge of exploding with laughter.
“I knew it!” he said victoriously.
“What were you doing?” Spencer demanded. “I thought that you refrained from acting in such a manner with married ladies.”
“And for the most part, that is the truth. However, there are times when a man must be shown the consequences of your actions.”
