Leith nearly spit out his tea.
“What the devil do you mean?”
“I—well.”Monty looked exceptionally sheepish.Rather like the time that he had taken Leith’s finest new cravat, worn it to dinner without asking, and then spilled claret all over it.“Once we saw that Beatrice was quite determined to become your mistress and would broker no alternative, Olivia and I couldn’t help but see that she appeared…well, rather perfect for you.And I was afraid that you would stash her in your St.James’s town house and never give her a second look because she hadn’t been your choice.And so, knowing your nature, I thought if I told you that youcouldn’tbed her, you might be…more interested.”
Leith felt himself blanch.And here he had thought Monty above such tricks.
“Damn you.Well, it worked.Rather too well.”
“Perhaps I know you too well.You hate breaking rules—but you also can’t help doing so.”
Leith sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead.“It is true, I suppose.”
“I did not mean to cause you such distress.On my honor.I didn’t.And I certainly never thought she would use the occasion tothreatenyou into bedding her.Although we must admit that she was rather ingenious in that regard.”
“She is ingenious in every regard,” Leith said, pain radiating through him.
“Youarein a desperate way.”
He grunted.“I asked her to marry me.”
“She rejected you?”
Leith nodded.
“Well, you might need to pose the question a few times.Olivia refused the first few times I asked.She took a little persuading.Only a town house all her own, a few sentimental presents, and a world of bedsport did the trick.Not that I minded doing any of those things.And certainly not the last.”
“Really?She rejected you?”
“She was not eager to become a countess.And I couldn’t blame her.”
“Beatrice wants to spend all her life in Somerset.She doesn’t want to leave her beloved bloody estate.”
“Then, perhaps, you need to go back to Somerset.”
His mother had said the same thing, Leith realized.Perhaps, he thought, there was something in the idea.
“Perhaps it was foolish of me to leave.She just seemed so decided.I asked her if I should leave and she said yes.”
“How many times did she ask you to leave?”
“Once.Or twice.We were quarrelling.It is hard to say.”
Monty groaned.“You’re a blockhead.She said it during aquarreland you listened?”
“You haven’t seen Beatrice during a quarrel,” he grumbled.“She would have Napoleon and Wellington both begging for the sweet succor of an unconditional surrender.”
“I don’t doubt it.You should have seen the woman when she waltzed into our drawing room insisting that we make her your mistress.”
Leith startled at that.He hadn’t realized that Beatrice had requested that she becomehismistress in particular.
“She wanted to bemymistress?”
“Yes, she was very clear on that,” Monty said with a laugh.“No other would do.”He took a sip of his tea.“I also must tell you one other thing.I was quite surprised to find it out.And I feel, again, a bit guilty on your account.”
Leith felt uneasy.“What is it?”
“Well, as it turns out, Beatrice Salisbury isn’t my cousin.”
