She had not told Katherine about the kiss, and Katherine had not asked, though her brother had undoubtedly mentioned the ‘altercation’ he had heard in the library. Still, with a masquerade ball to get to, there could be no harm in hearing what the Duke and his grim frown had to say.
With a nod, Katherine retreated from the dressing room and closed the door quietly behind her.
“Are you unaware that you are not supposed to enter a lady’s dressing room?” Anna began tartly, as she fidgeted with the filigree of her necklace to soothe her nerves. “I do believe it is customary to wait for a response after knocking. Had you done that, you would have heard me say, ‘Do not enter.’ But I suppose we are past that. You seem determined to just do as you please.”
He didn’t say a word, staring intently at her.
“What?” she said defensively, awkward beneath his gaze. “Are you trying to determine if I will sell well at this ball? Whether I shall gain enough interest? Are you noting all of my advantages and dis–”
“Don’t speak like that,” he growled, walking closer.
“Like what? Educating you on gentlemanly etiquette, or being too direct about this event you mean to drag me to?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Don’t speak of this ball in such coarse terms.”
“Oh, you did not like that?” She laughed bitterly. “Are you averse to hearing the truth, spoken plainly? There was no lie, as far as I am aware. You told me that I must find a husband soon, that I must prepare myself for the evening, so why should I not speak bluntly? I am an animal being taken to market, and apparently, I must accept whoever will have me.”
“Stop it,” he warned, his eyes flashing.
She walked up to him with all the insolence she could muster. “You know, I thinkyoushould be the one parading yourself for suitable companions.” She thought of the goat and how annoyingly endearing Jeremy had been toward the little creature. “If you had a family to care for, perhaps it would make you sweeter, and you would spend less time bothering yourself about me.”
“I already have a family,” he replied coolly, as his hand closed over her arm, just above her elbow. “Now, move. We can’t have society thinking ye can’t keep timeora husband.”
Anna’s jaw dropped as she stared up at him, her legs moving against her will as he pulled her to the door. She could not tell if she was more shocked by his harsh remark or the first part of what he had said.
“I already have one.”
He couldn’t possibly mean that he had a wife back in Scotland, could he? She had seen no mention of a new duchess in the countless documents he had brought as evidence, but then shehad only skimmed them for the important parts. Nor had he mentioned a wife or family, but perhaps she had somehow missed it.
Then… he would not just be a thief of my home, but a wicked deceiver too.For if hedidhave a wife and a family, that rather worsened the events of last night. He would be a despicable beast indeed if he’d kissed her like that, knowing full well that he was a married man.
And if he had children, then she had been right not to agree to move to the house on the coast or the London townhouse. Those would be claimed just as soon as his children were old enough.
“What are you supposed to be?” she muttered as he pushed her out into the hallway, where Katherine waited, a mask in her hand. “Do you not know that you are meant to be in costume at a masquerade?”
Jeremy smirked, casting her a sideways glance. “I wasn’t going to try and be a Goddess’s equal, lass. So I am attending as a Scottish Laird. I trust it’ll be surprising enough for English sensibilities.”
“Surprising enough that you will be thrown out for indecency,” she remarked as she took her mask from Katherine. “I look forward to it.”
It took every bit of concentration she had to focus on the repartee, not on the possibility that he might have a secret family somewhere. A family who would undoubtedly be joining him atStonebridge at some point. How could she possibly look his wife in the eye, knowing what had passed between them? Moreover, what hope did she have of retaining her place at the manor if there was a new duchess who would come in and change everything?
Something like a laugh rumbled in Jeremy’s throat. “Then ye’ll be thrown out with me for showing yer bare shoulders like that, lass. It’s me understanding that society here isn’t so fond of seeing so much skin.”
Heat rushed into Anna’s face, spreading out across the very shoulders he was referring to, the sensation tingling over her chest. “It is acostume,” she retorted. “It is expected to be somewhat… different.”
She did not add that it was exactly what would prevent her from attracting any serious attention from the gentlemen present. Still, she wished she had taken a moment to grab a cloak before Jeremy had unceremoniously ushered her out of her dressing room.
My dressing room for how long, if a wife is on the way?After all, hers were the best rooms in the manor. A dowager could not possibly have them to herself if there was a new duchess to claim them.
“Aye, but notthatdifferent,” Jeremy replied as he walked on ahead of her, giving her no chance to fight back.
Instead, he left her wondering how he dared to be so flirtatious when he had all but admitted that he had a family. If this was all part of a game to scare her away from Stonebridge, out of shame if nothing else, then she wasn’t sure she wanted to play anymore.
CHAPTER 12
“You came!” the Marquess of Belford cheered, his hands outstretched to Anna as if they were old friends.
She had met him a handful of times in the year and a half that she had been at Stonebridge. First, at her husband’s funeral, offering sincere condolences. After that, here and there, when they had crossed paths during her morning walks and his morning rides. Cordial encounters, but nothing that would warrant such familiarity.
