“Didwe not tell you that he was handsome, young, titled and of fine form?” Sir Gilbert appeared beside Diana.
Somertonwas who her irritating knights had chosen for her? Diana nearly snorted at the thought. Somerton certainly wouldnotfall in love with her. He hadn’t before and was unlikely to do so now. All he had wanted…well, she wasn’t going to think on that right now and was grateful that she’d not succumbed to his practiced seduction.
“At leastyourghost is helpful,” Diana ground out. “I shall leave you to recover from your fright.”
Somerton tilted his head and studied her. “What spirit plagues you, Diana?”
Her name on his lips still warmed her to the core, but she’d not succumb to desire again. “You do not have leave to address me as such.”
Somerton arched a brow. “You’ve already given me leave. Just as you called me James.”
“Yes, well, we are no longer in London.” She grabbed her skirts and twirled away from him. “Besides, the association we once shared ended some time ago.” Though truthfully, a month wasn’t all that long and certainly not long enough for her heart to heal.
Before her, the path from which Somerton had emerged remained open, unlike the one she’d taken, and she started toward it.
“Why?”
Did he honestly just ask her such a question?
“Why is our association over? What did I do that offended you so terribly?”
Diana slowly turned. “You know very well.”
“No, I don’t.” He held out his arms as if he had no idea why she’d rejected him. “While you railed at me for being a disreputable gentleman, you never explainedwhyorhowyou came to that conclusion. You simply yelled at me, then left without allowing me a chance to defend myself.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but Diana blinked them away. When she’d first overheard other gentlemen speaking of Somerton’s intended plans, she’d been so angry that there hadn’t been time for tears. In the aftermath, she’d cried daily for nearly a fortnight. “When asked, you never denied that you were a rakehell and toying with my affections.”
“You didn’t give me a bloody chance. I was too shocked at your accusation to reply.”
“You nearly ruined me.” Though, what had truly hurt her the most was something that she’dneverspeak of to anyone,ever—that he’d bedded her mother while pretending to court her. That is what had truly broken her heart.
The corner of his mouth quirked as his eyes darkened. “Nearly. Not completely.”
“Thank Heavens for that! Had I known what you were truly about, I would never have allowed you to take me down the dark walk at Vauxhall. I would have never so much as allowed a stolen kiss.”
Just remembering that night caused her face to flame.
“Vauxhall is one of my fondest memories.” He grinned. “Certainly more exciting than strolls through Hyde Park, ices at Günter’s, dancing at balls, stolen kisses in gardens…”
With each step Somerton took in her direction, Diana stepped back. She could not let him come any closer. Even in her anger and heartache, she was also quite aware of her vulnerability, as she’d fallen quite deeply for the cad.
“I thought your courtship was of honorable intentions,” she accused.
He stopped and frowned. “Why do you think it was not? Because of stolen kisses in the dark?”
“We shared far more than a few kisses as you know.” He’d been quite skilled in his caresses.
“As I recall, you found my touch quite pleasurable.”
Her face was about to go up in flames. Pleasurable was too tame of a word for what she’d experienced, but that wasn’t the point of this conversation and she needed to put those memories from her mind.
“Was I a game to you? Pressing for what you could gain before you ended your courtship?”
“Why do you believe I intended to end it at all?” he demanded.
“Perhaps it was only your intention to continue until the end of the Season and then we’d go our own separate ways and you’d find another innocent to have your fun with the following year.”
Somerton blinked at her, his eyes growing hard. “I wasnottoying with your affections. I’d never stoop so low. Furthermore, I resent having my honor called into question.”
