“Was she married, like the duchess?” Ellis asked, though she already knew the answer.
“I’m afraid so.” His tone wasn’t regretful, at least not for his actions. It seemed more than he regretted having to tell Ellis. “Most of the women in here are. It’s less complicated that way. I’m married, they’re married…nobody expects anything permanent.”
“And were you faithful to any of these people?” Ellis felt certain she knew the answer to that as well. “Or are you not able to be monogamous in any way?”
“I can be faithful for a time, but not long.” He leaned toward her with a sly expression. “Usually, there’s more than one horse in the stable, if you know what I mean.”
Ellis was horrified by her father’s overall attitude and behavior as well as by the fact that he’d had an ongoing affair with Roman’s wife. Debauched didn’t begin to describe him. He lived a life she simply couldn’t grasp.
But the worst of it was his liaison with Clarissa. Did Roman know his wife had been unfaithful?
Perhaps that was why he preferred a marriage of convenience—he’d been cuckolded. Except his marriage to Clarissa had been arranged by her parents. It wasn’t a love match. Still, to be betrayed, even if you didn’t love your spouse, had to hurt.
Ellis couldn’t be certain he knew, however. She wanted to ask him, but since she hadn’t been keen to share her past, why should she expect him to?
“What happened to your ‘deep and abiding love?’” Ellis asked flatly, turning her back on the portrait.
“My love is constant, yet ever-changing,” he said with a sigh. “She became a bit too attached, and I encouraged her to return to her husband—to her duty.”
Ellis was growing to dislike this man. “She has a duty, but you—a husband to Jo’s mother—have none?”
“I suppose I deserve that,” he said quietly. “For the most part, I’m very clear with everyone about my expectations regarding love affairs. The only person I truly deceived was Jo’s mother, and that was because I didn’t realize I was going to. I fell in love with her and didn’t think I would ever want anyone else. I was wrong.”
“So Clarissa and others like her, they knew your affections would be fleeting?”
“As I said, most of them are married. None of them expected a permanent relationship. Or at least, they shouldn’t have. How can they? It’s not as if anyone’s going to divorce,” he scoffed. “Jo’s mother and I haven’t even divorced, and we’ve never lived together. Clarissa was perhaps too naïve. She was younger than most of my paramours.” He took a deep breath and smiled. “Enough of that. I should like to paint you soon, if you are amenable.”
The shift from discussing his former lover to wanting to paint a portrait of Ellis was jarring. Indeed, Ellis felt as if she’d been tossed about in a coach on a terribly rutted road. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to forge a relationship with this man. “I’m struggling to understand how you can treat all these people this way, how you can be so callous. And I’m surprised you haven’t been challenged to a duel. Or have none of your paramours’ spouses learned they were being cuckolded by you?”
“A few of them discovered their wives were having an affair, but none demanded satisfaction.” He shrugged. “They may not have known who I was, just that their wife was carrying on a liaison. I imagine it’s hard to hide, which is why I typically like to keep the entanglements short. I did wonder if Clarissa’s husband knew.”
Ellis didn’t want to think of Roman discovering this deception. It made her incredibly angry, and it hadn’t even happened to her. She needed to escape Harker’s presence before she said something she might regret. “I should return to Jo. She’s tired, and I don’t want to keep her too long.”
“Of course.” Rowland gestured for her to precede him from his lurid chamber of lovers, and they returned to the drawing room.
“I’m ready to leave,” Ellis said, trying to keep her voice from sounding too heavy. She felt as if she were carrying a massive weight.
Jo rose as her father dashed to help her.
“You stood too quickly,” he said with a gentle frown. “I would have helped you up.” He turned his head toward Ellis. “I hope I didn’t shock you overmuch today, my dear. I’m quite thrilled to learn I have a new daughter. Well, not a new daughter, but new to me.” He chuckled. “I hope we’ll be able to forge a close relationship going forward.”
Jo narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t pressure her, Papa. She has much to acclimate herself to, particularly after the way the duchess treated her for so long.”
Rowland wrinkled his nose. “I have to confess, when you and Sheff became betrothed, I didn’t like her as much as I did all those years ago.” He transferred his gaze to Ellis. “I’m sorry for any distress she’s caused you. If there is anything I can ever do for you, I hope you’ll tell me. I might not have a great deal of money, but I have connections, and I am generally well liked. I think Jo will tell you that I can always put a smile on your face.”
Ellis wasn’t sure about that. She didn’t feel like smiling now.
“Thank you,” she said diplomatically.
She and Jo took their leave a moment later. As soon as they were outside, Jo turned to her. “You seem rather shaken after going to the studio. What happened?”
She sent Jo a look of disgust. “I stumbled upon his sordid gallery of mistresses.”
Jo frowned. “I’d forgotten that existed. I’m sorry. That can’t have made you feel very warm toward him. He’s not a horrible person, just incredibly hedonistic. He is unable to control his impulses and has difficulty seeing others’ perspectives.”
“I gathered that,” Ellis said. “How are you now you’ve learned he has other children and a grandchild?”
Jo made a sound in her throat. “Honestly, I can’t even be upset anymore. Just when I think he can’t shock me, he does, and the result is that I’m no longer shocked.”
