Page 18 of Kathryn

“What? Who?”

“Viscount Hendry’s youngest son. You won’t have met him as he never came back after running off with Christina.”

“Are you saying that Dulverton is still married?”

“No, no. He obtained a divorce.”

Katie’s jaw sagged. “A divorce!”

He looked amused by her reaction. “Hard to imagine old Dullness embroiled in such a scandal, isn’t it?”

Actually, Katie had a hard time imagining a woman running away from such an intimidating man. He did not look as if he would allow it. “Tell me the story, Andrew—all of it, please.”

“Well, as I said, Dullness—”

“Would you please stop calling him that?”

Andrew’s eyebrows shot up, and curiosity glinted in his sky-blue eyes, making Katie wish she’d held her tongue.

Thankfully, when he opened his mouth, it wasn’t to ask uncomfortable questions. “His father arranged the match, and I gather the two of them met for the first time a week before they married. They’d not been in London very long when Dulverton was called to his father’s deathbed. Foolishly, he left his new duchess in London, and she ran wild.”

“And you helped her.”

“I wasn’t her first lover, Katie,” Andrew said, looking miffed. “And when I discovered what she wanted I ended our brief association.”

“What did she want?”

“Someone foolish enough to run off with her.”

“And she found one.”

“Yes. She and Hendry were packing their bags when Dulverton returned.” He paused and gave her a thoughtful look.

“What?” she asked.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this next part—it’s not really for a lady’s ears and—”

“I cannot believe that you, of all people, would utter such rubbi—”

“Calm down, darling. I’m going to tell you.” He raised his hands in a placating gesture but quickly lowered them again at whatever he saw on Katie’s face—likely murderous rage at being told to calm down. “Dulverton challenged Hendry to a duel.”

“Good Lord! With swords or—”

“It was Hendry’s choice and he picked pistols.”

“And is Dulverton—”

“He is a crack shot.”

“Then why did Hendry choose pistols?”

“Because the duke is also an expert hand with a sword and damned handy with his fives, not to mention outweighing poor Hendry by at least two stone.” Andrew frowned and his gaze turned vague. “I was a few years ahead of Dulverton at school, but I recall that he had a devil of a time his first year and got thrashed almost weekly.”

“But he is enormous.”

“Now he is. But he was a late bloomer. Back then, he was a spindly little lad. Not only was he puny and gangly and awkward, but he always had his nose in a book and spent every spare moment studying.”

“Then why do you keep calling him dull?”