marriage traps in the last decade. Caution gave him pause; affronted womanhood could be very expensive in terms of personal freedom. He knew men who were married for less than what he'd done tonight.
"No explanation is necessary," Venus replied, beginning to dress.
"Would you like me to escort you— "
"No, 1 would not." Crisp, unequivocal words.
Silenced, moody, ill-humored, he watched her dress. He didn't feel as though he were entirely to blame— neither for the wagers he had no part in, nor for the lady's open-minded, very receptive sexuality. And as she stood at the mirror, fully clothed and pinning her hair back in place, he said, "Is this exclusively my fault?"
"I don't want to talk to you."
"I have no intention of speaking about this to anyone, if you're concerned."
" You ! U lose your wager."
"It's not my wager, damnit . It never was."
"Fine. Fm sure you're right," she added, readjusting a curl over one ear. "I'm just sorry I ever met you."
"You didn't seem sorry an hour ago."
She rounded on him with fire in her eyes. "Yes, you're very good, Redvers . Is that what you want to hear? You're fucking unbelievable. But then my life doesn't revolve around sex the way yours does, so I'll manage just fine without you. I wish all the ladies good fortune with you."
She slammed the door when she left. Loudly. The crash thundered down the hall.
If he wasn't so surly, he would have smiled at her disregard for appearances. Venus Duras , apparently, had no intention of quietly sneaking out of Grove land House.
Chapter 4 esse
THE DUCHESS OF GROVELAND WAS HOLDING court on the verge of the ballroom. The dance floor was still awash with dancers despite the late hour, but dancing until dawn was common enough, and while the great bulk of the guests had departed, a goodly number still remained.
Venus walked up to the group and, bowing, thanked her hostess and bid her good night.
"I'll see you to the door," the duchess quickly replied, rising from her chair with astonishing vitality considering her age and the late hour.
She waited until they were alone in the corridor outside before saying, "I'll apologize for Jack if need be." She'd seen the strain in Venus's eyes when she'd said her good-byes, although her demeanor and voice had been composed—and Venus and Jack had been absent for a very long time. "He's rash at times, but good-hearted .for all his scapegrace ways."
"No apologies are required."
"He didn't offend you, then?"
"No, not at all," Venus calmly lied as they approached the staircase.
"Good. I wouldn't want Jack to interfere with our friendship. I'm deeply interested in your hospital. I commend you for thinking of more than your newest dress or parasol, like so many of these empty-headed ladies."
"Life would be very boring if one relied only on the fashionable world for entertainment." Venus descended the marble stairs slowly so the elderly duchess could keep pace with her.
"My thought exactly." Lady Groveland added with a smile, "Although I do like a dance now and then. As to my offer of help, if you agree, my men will be over in the afternoon to help transfer your hospital supplies. Say two o'clock?"
"Thank you very much. Two o'clock will be fine."
"Don't be angry with him." The duchess had the feeling her godson and this unusual Frenchwoman were oddly alike.
"Forgive me, Duchess, but I'll be angry with him if I wish." Reaching the base of the stairs, Venus turned to her hostess with a gracious smile. "Thank you again for a lovely evening. I'll expect your men at two."
AND SHE WALKED AWAY AS COOL AS CAN BE,"
the duchess said. Having tracked Jack down in the library, she sat in a chair near the fire with a glass of port in her hand and cast him a penetrating look. "You misbehaved, didn't you?"
"I'm not going to pour out my heart to you, Peggy, so don't even try." He was sprawled on the sofa, still half
"No explanation is necessary," Venus replied, beginning to dress.
"Would you like me to escort you— "
"No, 1 would not." Crisp, unequivocal words.
Silenced, moody, ill-humored, he watched her dress. He didn't feel as though he were entirely to blame— neither for the wagers he had no part in, nor for the lady's open-minded, very receptive sexuality. And as she stood at the mirror, fully clothed and pinning her hair back in place, he said, "Is this exclusively my fault?"
"I don't want to talk to you."
"I have no intention of speaking about this to anyone, if you're concerned."
" You ! U lose your wager."
"It's not my wager, damnit . It never was."
"Fine. Fm sure you're right," she added, readjusting a curl over one ear. "I'm just sorry I ever met you."
"You didn't seem sorry an hour ago."
She rounded on him with fire in her eyes. "Yes, you're very good, Redvers . Is that what you want to hear? You're fucking unbelievable. But then my life doesn't revolve around sex the way yours does, so I'll manage just fine without you. I wish all the ladies good fortune with you."
She slammed the door when she left. Loudly. The crash thundered down the hall.
If he wasn't so surly, he would have smiled at her disregard for appearances. Venus Duras , apparently, had no intention of quietly sneaking out of Grove land House.
Chapter 4 esse
THE DUCHESS OF GROVELAND WAS HOLDING court on the verge of the ballroom. The dance floor was still awash with dancers despite the late hour, but dancing until dawn was common enough, and while the great bulk of the guests had departed, a goodly number still remained.
Venus walked up to the group and, bowing, thanked her hostess and bid her good night.
"I'll see you to the door," the duchess quickly replied, rising from her chair with astonishing vitality considering her age and the late hour.
She waited until they were alone in the corridor outside before saying, "I'll apologize for Jack if need be." She'd seen the strain in Venus's eyes when she'd said her good-byes, although her demeanor and voice had been composed—and Venus and Jack had been absent for a very long time. "He's rash at times, but good-hearted .for all his scapegrace ways."
"No apologies are required."
"He didn't offend you, then?"
"No, not at all," Venus calmly lied as they approached the staircase.
"Good. I wouldn't want Jack to interfere with our friendship. I'm deeply interested in your hospital. I commend you for thinking of more than your newest dress or parasol, like so many of these empty-headed ladies."
"Life would be very boring if one relied only on the fashionable world for entertainment." Venus descended the marble stairs slowly so the elderly duchess could keep pace with her.
"My thought exactly." Lady Groveland added with a smile, "Although I do like a dance now and then. As to my offer of help, if you agree, my men will be over in the afternoon to help transfer your hospital supplies. Say two o'clock?"
"Thank you very much. Two o'clock will be fine."
"Don't be angry with him." The duchess had the feeling her godson and this unusual Frenchwoman were oddly alike.
"Forgive me, Duchess, but I'll be angry with him if I wish." Reaching the base of the stairs, Venus turned to her hostess with a gracious smile. "Thank you again for a lovely evening. I'll expect your men at two."
AND SHE WALKED AWAY AS COOL AS CAN BE,"
the duchess said. Having tracked Jack down in the library, she sat in a chair near the fire with a glass of port in her hand and cast him a penetrating look. "You misbehaved, didn't you?"
"I'm not going to pour out my heart to you, Peggy, so don't even try." He was sprawled on the sofa, still half
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