“Some enjoy it. Langford, for example. It was his favorite sport.”
“If you do not flirt, how will you manage this marriage you anticipate making next season?”
“I expect I will dance with her at balls a few times, call on her a few times, then propose.”
“How dreadful you make it sound. Poor girl.”
“Dreadful?Poorgirl? She will be a duchess. Her family will be delirious with joy.”
“She will have to agree, I expect, even if she would rather not. Dreadful for you too, then.” She found his blasé acceptance of this duty irritating. “Don’t you want more than that? Don’t you want passion, if not love? Your friends both are ecstatic in their marriages, so it is not as if you have never seen it among dukes.”
The cool reserve attempted to descend, but did not quite make it all the way down. “Not only do I not want that in a marriage, I intend to avoid it. Passion is disruptive and makes us other than ourselves. Langford is being a saint, which he was never born to be. Stratton is turning soft, and I assure you that while he is amiable, he is not by nature the way you see him with Clara. They have both lost control of their true selves, and passion is the reason.”
He sounded very sure about all of that. As if he knew what he was talking about. It happened to him once, she realized. He had lost himself that way.
“I hope that at least you will make sure this poor girl you marry is contented.”
“My wealth will be at her disposal, so she will be contented.”
“I was not speaking of worldly goods. I meant in bed.” Goodness, where had that come from? She eyed her wineglass, not feeling nearly as appalled with herself as she should.
“Excuse me?”
She looked up to see him appearing astonished. She rather liked that she had done that. “Perhaps you are aware that women can have orgasms too. Medicine has documented this, and physicians have written about it, in case you wonder how I know it.”
“I am aware, thank you.”
“Then you may know that a woman having that experience is very dependent on the man being so aware, and taking steps to ensure it. All I was saying was that I hope that you at least allow this poor girl that much.” She swallowed more wine.
“Do not worry about the poor girl, Davina. I pride myself on being enlightened in these matters.” No longer off balance, his gaze all but dared her to go on with the topic.
She decided that might not be wise. For one thing, by anyone’s account it was a scandalous subject that she should never have raised. For another, talking about such inappropriate things proved more fun that it should, and oddly stimulating.
She set her wineglass a good distance from her. No more of that.
“If not in your match, do you not flirt in your friendships?” she asked, to turn the topic sideways.
“It is much the same. I dance with a woman at a few balls, I call on her a few times.”
Then I propose. He did not say it, but it was there. Only it was not a proposal as much as a proposition.
“You did not answer my question,” he said. “Do you never flirt?”
He would remember she had sidestepped that question.
“Don’t you know how?” he pressed.
“I tried it once but was not successful. Perhaps it is no more in my nature than in yours.”
“Every woman should know how to flirt. Let us put this journey to good purpose. You can practice flirting with me, and I will let you know if you are successful.”
“I am not going to flirt with you. Besides, according to you, it isn’t even needed.”
“Not by me, but the ladies must know how to do it. Otherwise how will I know that they will welcome my calls? Don’t you see? It is all decided before I arrive at their doors. It is all communicated wordlessly.”
She knew what theallwas. His eyes communicated it. Wordlessly. Which was very inappropriate. So why was she still sitting here, allowing that? All but inviting it with her own frank talk? And where was that servant? Perhaps he had returned but left after seeing the look in the duke’s eyes. She would not have noticed because every part of her attention was on him, not the chamber and not propriety.
“As for your never flirting, that is not true,” he said, holding her gaze. “You have been subtly flirting with me all evening. Your outspokenness is a type of flirting. You know I like it so you never retreat. I think you do not try flirting outright because you fear where it will lead.”
