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“Ah, I believe I will refrain from mentioning that part to my wife.” Gregory made a face. “I do not know how well she will handle you making a dishonorable offer to her friend.”

“I did not; Miss Hu seduced me.”

“She— Ah. Last night in the garden. Well.” Gregory chuckled again, running his fingers through his hair. “It is a very atmospheric garden, I must say.”

“Please do not say anything about you and my sister in the garden last night.”

“Of course not.” Gregory winked.

“The point is, well, she seduced me. She wants to be lovers while we are at the house party. But she did not say anything about when we return to London.” Sebastian frowned. He’d been feeling far more confident when he’d first woken, but some of that surety was leaking away as he spoke to Gregory. For some reason, Gregory’s optimistic assumption that Mei would jump at the chance to be Sebastian’s duchess had undermined his assurance.

“Well, of course, she would not presume to think that you would make her a duchess. But once you propose, what woman would say no?” Even as he said the words, Gregory seemed to be rethinking them, and his face fell. “Although if a woman were to have the strength to say no to such an offer, it would be Miss Hu. I suppose… it would not be easy, going from matchmaker to duchess.”

“It would not.”

“And your mother will have a conniption.”

“She will.” Sebastian inwardly braced himself, even though his mother was not there. Just thinking about her reaction made him need to steel his nerves.

“But you want to do it, anyway.”

“I do.”

“Good for you, brother.” Gregory clapped his shoulder again. “You needed something to shake you up. Besides, you know you’ll have mine and Tiffany’s support. Lady Astrid’s too, I wager, which means that Drake will come on board. Kalina and Johanna are both friends with her. It’s highly unusual, but what is the point of being a duke if you do not have the power to marry the lady you wish to?”

“I do not believe that is the point of being a duke at all, but it does seem as though it should be one of the perks,” Sebastian said dryly. Duty was the point of a duke. Duty to his tenants, his lands, his family.

But if he were dutiful in all those areas, why should he not have something for himself?

A marriage with all that he wanted, not just what was dutiful. It was, perhaps, his bad luck that the lady who was all the things he wanted was not ton, but as Gregory pointed out, she had friends among them. Friends who would help her make the transition into being a duchess.

Sebastian was feeling more confident again.

Lovers at the house party, then upon their return to London, he would propose.

Mei

What was I thinking?

I must have run mad.

Those were the only two thoughts in Mei’s head after a rather sleepless night.

Those two thoughts, interspersed with the memory of the duke’s hands on her. His mouth on her. Her body buzzed and hummed from the memories, causing her to toss and turn.

If she did catch a wink of sleep, she was unaware of it.

And I suggested we be lovers through the house party?

What was I thinking?

I must have run mad.

Madness truly was the only explanation. Because what kind of matchmaker propositioned a duke? It was utterly indecent. If anyone found out, she’d be ruined. Not just her reputation, but her prospects as a matchmaker. No one would hire a matchmaker who might seduce the potential groom. Even if people did not turn their backs on her for the same reason they would a debutante, they would hardly use her services, either.

Her grandmother would be so disappointed in her.

The maddest part was that she did want to do it again.