“As I get older, I find that the more I learn about my grandmother the more respect I have for who she was and all that she accomplished. She was an exceptional lady in many ways, but there were numerous times in my life that I wished she had never met Lord Chesterfield.”
“Why is that? He was a brilliant man.”
Lord Raceworth let out a half laugh, half grunt. “You think so?”
“Yes. I told you I read his letters to his son. I considered him a very wise and humorous man. He had the most wonderful way with words.”
The marquis shrugged and then tipped his hat to a couple they passed. “Maybe one of the reasons I and my cousins detest the man is because from the time we were seventeen, at which time my grandmother considered us men, until her death not much more than a year ago my cousins and I received a letter from her at the beginning of every month without fail.”
“Truly? How wonderful that she took the time to stay in touch with you. And every month? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. The only thing her letters ever contained was, as she would call it, more wise words from Lord Chesterfield, and then she would quote something from the irritatingly pompous man like: ‘Always look people in the face when you speak to them; not doing it is thought to imply conscious guilt; besides that you lose the advantage of observing by their countenances what impression your discourse makes upon them. In order to know people’s real sentiments, I trust much more to my eyes than to my ears, for they can say whatever they have a mind I should hear, but they can seldom help looking what they have no intention that I should know.’”
Susannah’s gaze settled on his as they walked. “I believe that to be true, and it sounds like very good advice to me. You are being unkind to your grandmother and Lord Chesterfield. Many gentlemen today still heed his advice.”
He countered, “You and my grandmother must have gotten along very well together.”
Susannah tried not to laugh but couldn’t help herself. “We did. But, truly, were Lord Chesterfield’s quotes the only thing she ever wrote to you?”
“Month after month after month.” He tipped his hat again and said “Good afternoon” to another couple they passed. “There was never anything about how she was doing, what she was doing, what or how we were doing, only quotes from that ingratiating old man that we should heed lest we fail to become the gentlemen she wanted us to be.”
“Still, she must have loved you very much to write to you every month without fail.”
“I suppose she did, in her own way. So, tell me, what is your given name, or should I continue to call you Duchess and Your Grace?” he asked as they continued their stroll through the park.
Surprise lighted in her eyes. “You mean you didn’t ask anyone my name or look at old copies of newsprint to find out anything about me?”
“There was no need. I’m a patient man. I can wait until you are ready to tell me.”
“Hmm. I assumed you would try to find out everything you could about me since I was last in London.”
“I hope you aren’t too disappointed.”
“No, not disappointed, but I am astonished. Perhaps I should realize I’m not as intriguing as I thought I was.”
He lightly touched her upper arm to stop her, and she turned to face him. “Not so, Duchess. You are the most intriguing lady I have ever met. But I want to hear about you from you. Not from anyone else.”
His gaze fluttered sensually down her face. His words elated her. He was a patient man.
“Why is that?”
“Only you know the real story. Anyone else would just tell me what they have heard that someone else heard from someone else. I don’t care anything about hearing gossip.”
Susannah looked away, suddenly feeling shy, suddenly wishing he didn’t have to know the truth.
“Your Grace,” he said softly.
She exhaled heavily and looked back into his lovely brownish-green eyes. “Mine is not a pretty story, my lord, so I think it is best kept where it is. I had forgotten that a man’s curiosity is not as great as a woman’s.”
“All right,” he said, and they started walking again.
Susannah didn’t know if she was grateful or disappointed he didn’t press her to say more. She remained silent for a few moments and collected her thoughts before saying, “When I heard you had the Talbot pearls, I wanted to learn all that I could about you, and in doing so I learned a lot about your cousins as well. It seems that one of you makes Lord Truefitt’s Society’s Daily Column almost every day.”
“It’s not something we strive for, I assure you. But at least now I’ve found out a little something about you.”
“What’s that?”
“You admit to reading the gossip pages. I’m told they are habit-forming.”
