William laughed again. "One of these times you will," he replied. "But today was not the day. And one of these days, you'll find a husband for that duchess of yours."
"She isn't my duchess," James shot back.
"I didn't mean it that way," William replied. "Although I must say, that's quite a strong reaction. What was it about what I said that provoked you so much?"
"You didn't provoke me," James said, though it wasn't entirely true. He was able to recognize that William's words had bothered him. He wasn't sure exactly why. Nothing William had said was untrue, and none of it even differed from his own point of view. He did intend to find a husband for the duchess one day. And he knew that William had not intended to imply that she belonged to him in any real way. Why had that gotten under his skin so badly?
"Does this have something to do with your past?" William asked him.
James felt his muscles grow rigid. His past was not something they generally discussed. William was one of very few people who knew about the traumas of James's childhood, and one of the things that he knew was that James didn't like to talk about it. He was surprised about his friend would bring it up so casually in conversation.
Something must have registered on his face, for William held up his hands in a gesture of submission. "I apologize," he said quickly. "I know that's something you don't like to talk about."
"Why would it have anything to do with the duchess?"
"Well, I just thought…the rumors about poison."
The word sent a shudder through James, as it always did.
This time it was clear that William had seen his reaction. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have known better than to bring it up."
"It's all right," James said quietly. "You didn't do anything wrong. And I think… My past actually served me well in this situation. I have faced real cruelty before, after all, which is how I feel so sure that I will recognize it every time I see it. That's how I know that the duchess is not what society says she is. She must be innocent."
"On this topic," William said, "I trust your judgment more than I trust my own. I was inclined to think her innocent already, of course, but the fact that you agree makes me feel even more certain of my assessment."
"She's innocent, but she's irritating." James picked up his own drink and took a long swig. "Ever since I arrived, she's done nothing but try to assert her will over mine. She moves things around in house. She had the draperies changed without askingmy permission. She invites her friends over to socialize, and she doesn't wait to see what I think of that."
"What do you think of it?" William asked. "Are her friends particularly annoying? Are they people you don't want in your house?"
"There's nothing wrong with them," James replied. "It's Lord Feverton's wife and his sisters."
"Lord Feverton? Do you mean Lord Matthew Feverton?"
"Yes, that's the one. You know him?" James hadn't realized that, but he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. William was so well connected that he knew almost everyone in London, and Lord Feverton was one of the wealthiest men in the city.
"We've had a few business interactions," William said dismissively. "He seems like a decent fellow."
"As I said, I see nothing wrong with him," James agreed. "And there's nothing objectionable about his wife or his sisters either. The problem I have is simply that the Duchess feels free to invite people over to my home without seeking my permission."
"And would you give her your permission?" William cocked an eyebrow as if he doubted it.
"I might," James said defensively. The truth was that he didn't know what he would do if Victoria asked him for such a thing.If William had raised the question a few weeks ago, his answer would have been an instant no. Now he felt differently. So many things had changed between Victoria and himself. They had had so many positive interactions.
The fact was that now he thought he would've liked to do Victoria a favor, even if it came as an inconvenience to him. If she had asked him to have friends over to the house, he probably would have agreed."
"At any rate," he continued, "the most important thing is to find her a husband. As long as I can keep rakes and scoundrels out of her path, we should be able to settle that matter successfully."
William raised his eyebrows. "Rakes and scoundrels?"
"We met with Lord Blackburn recently."
"Oh, I could've told you that would be a bad idea."
"It certainly was," James agreed fervently. "What a dastardly man he turned out to be."
"He didn't try anything, did he?"
"Nothing too drastic, but he spoke to her inappropriately. I think he frightened her."
