Her Devilish Marquess Read online

  “No. I mean her personality. Her interests. Her looks. If you could have the lady of your dreams, who would she be?”

  The question was simple. Really, it was. But for the life of him, his mind drew a blank.

  After a long moment of silence, Helena said, “Do you prefer a brunette, a blonde, or a redhead?”

  Again, a simple question. And again, he wasn’t sure how to answer it.

  “What about eye color?” Helena pressed. “Her figure? Her height or lack thereof?”

  At long last, he shook his head. “There’s beauty in every lady. I’d say as long as she doesn’t have two heads and three arms, I won’t have any problem being attracted to her.”

  “You’re not making this easy for me.” Though Helena shook her head, there was a hint of pleasure in her tone.

  “What about money or her father’s business connections?” Melissa asked.

  “I have enough money, and as for business.” Derek shrugged. “I prefer to stick to what I love most: tending to my patients. The best wife I could have is one who’s not particular about the gentleman she weds. If she can accept me as I am, I don’t anticipate there being any problems.”

  Helena tapped the edge of her quill on the parchment for a few seconds before smiling. “All right. We won’t worry so much about the lady then. Let’s talk about you. We’ll start with your interests and work from there.”

  Relaxing, he answered the rest of her questions. It was much easier to describe himself anyway. Perhaps the ladies Helena talked to would have a vision of their perfect husband. Granted, he wouldn’t fit that description, not with his past. But, perhaps one would be willing to settle for someone like him. At least that was his hope in doing this. Only the future would tell him if there really was a lady somewhere, out there, for him.

  Chapter Two

  Danette turned away from the front door of the Duchess of Ashbourne’s townhouse. “I can’t do it,” she told Regan.

  Regan stopped her before she could run down the steps. “Nonsense. You’ll be fine.”

  “The duchess will think I’m pathetic.” Even now, Danette could see the lady’s beautiful face forming a look of pity. Who else had endured the shame of two failed engagements?

  “She’ll think nothing of the sort.” Regan steered her back to the front door and knocked on it. “I’m with you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

  Danette clutched her stomach. She was going to be sick. She just knew it!

  The door opened, and the footman gestured for them to enter.

  Regan had to practically drag Danette into the hallway. “Everything will be all right,” Regan whispered. “Relax.”

  “I can’t,” Danette whispered back.

  “Try.”

  “I can’t.” In fact, trying only made her stomach roil. “I’m a horrible match for anyone. That’s why those gentlemen didn’t marry me.”

  Danette made another attempt to turn on her heel so she could leave, but Regan wrapped her arm around her shoulders and kept her facing forward. Danette groaned. “Why do you have to be so demanding?”

  “This is for your own good,” Regan assured her. “You’ll thank me when you’re happily married.”

  The butler came over to them, a concerned expression on his face. “You look faint,” he told Danette. “Would you like me to escort you to the drawing room?”

  “She’s a tad bit shy,” Regan told him. “She’ll be all right once she sits and has some tea.”

  Though he didn’t seem convinced, he nodded. “Very well. What would you like to drink?” he asked Danette.

  “Something wet,” Danette blurted out before she had time to consider how silly those words sounded.

  Regan chuckled. “She’s got a wonderful sense of humor.”

  The butler relaxed and laughed. “That’s a good joke. You mind if I use it some time?”

  Relieved Regan had been quick on her feet to save her from further embarrassment, Danette smiled. “No, I don’t mind.”

  “Miss Everson’s favorite drink is green tea,” Regan told him.

  “I’ll bring that at once,” he replied then headed down the hall.

  “There,” Regan whispered. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Without waiting for a response, Regan led her into the drawing room. “Oh, good. They’re all here.” In a louder voice, she called out a greeting to the three ladies, who were gathered around the settee. “Danette, you recognize the duchess, of course. She’s Helena. Then there’s Lady Reddington, who goes by the name Chloe. And last, but not least, this is my sister-in-law, Melissa, also known as Lady Toplyn.”

  Danette knew all of them, of course, from having seen them at the balls. They’d all danced with gentlemen, except for Helena, who’d been busy instructing her protégés on how to attract a member of the opposite sex.

  “Come and sit,” Helena urged, patting a spot on the settee next to her. “You’re among friends here. There’s no need to be scared of us.”

  How did Helena know she was scared?

  With some prompting from Regan, Danette went to the settee and sat down, glancing at Chloe and Melissa. Did they think there was something wrong with her because she wasn’t as outgoing as Regan? She knew they’d helped Regan arrange a marriage with Malcolm. Most likely, Regan was a much more ideal candidate for marriage. Not only was she attractive, but she had no trouble when it came to talking to strangers.

  “Perhaps it’d be easiest if we started asking questions,” Chloe suggested.

  The others nodded in agreement, and Danette took a deep breath, not sure what they were going to ask her. Questions such as, “Why should anyone consider marrying you?” or “What benefit can you bring to a marriage?” might be among them, and she couldn’t answer those. Indeed, her mind would go blank if they asked such things.

  The first question Chloe asked her was, “What type of gentleman would you like to marry?”

  “One who’ll say yes on the wedding day,” flew right out of Danette’s mouth before she had time to think. She brought her hand up to her cheek, feeling the heat of her embarrassment. Good heavens. Could she sound any more pathetic?

  Regan laughed. “My friend has a marvelous sense of humor.”

  The others chuckled.

  “A gentleman who says yes is definitely a good one,” Melissa agreed. “Though, I gather from your answer you’d like someone who has a sense of humor. Would that be an accurate statement?”

  “Well…” Danette thought it over. It would be nice if she ended up with someone who didn’t take life too seriously. Someone who wasn’t uptight might possibly agree to bear with her faults. “I do like to laugh. What I’d like is for him to be able to accept me. I’m not perfect, and as you’ve probably gathered, I’m not exactly graceful in social situations.”

  “No one’s perfect,” Regan was quick to interrupt.

  “But I’m not charming and talkative like you are,” Danette told Regan.

  “You don’t need to be like Regan,” Helena said. “Our goal is to match you up with the gentleman best suited for you. You’d be surprised at how different people are. Different personalities mix better than others. It’s the nature of things. Not every gentleman would do well with your friend.”

  Danette had a hard time believing that. She thought for sure Malcolm Jasper, who’d married Regan, would never accept her, given the fact that he hadn’t wanted a lady who enjoyed scandalous behavior. But Regan managed to make him fall in love with her, and Danette would never understand how Regan pulled off such a feat.

  “Regan can get anyone to fall in love with her,” Danette told the others. “Malcolm was completely different from her.”

  “Sometimes differences can work well for couples,” Helena said. “Melissa said Regan would help him relax and enjoy life more. Perhaps you might do well with a gentleman who can make you feel good about yourself. He’d be someone who is confident. Confident people can help bring out the best in others.”

  �
��So maybe,” Chloe thoughtfully inserted, “your ideal match is a gentleman who isn’t afraid to be himself around others. Also, if he has a sense of humor, then he’d get your jokes and find you delightful.”

  “Oh, I don’t know how delightful he’ll find me,” Danette slowly replied. The two she’d been engaged to hadn’t found her delightful at all. Too ashamed to admit that, she settled for, “I’m afraid I’m not all that interesting.”

  “That’s not true, Danette,” Regan said then looked at the other ladies. “She’s just shy. Once Danette gets comfortable around someone, she has no trouble talking to them. I have known her since we were children, and I wouldn’t be with her today if I didn’t think she was a lot of fun to be around.”

  Melissa smiled at Regan. “I think I see how you managed to get my brother wrapped around your finger. You have a way of building people up.”

  “I only told the truth,” Regan said.

  “I know, which explains why my brother is so happy,” Melissa replied. She turned her gaze to Danette. “Perhaps we should match you with someone who can bring you out of your shell, much like Regan did for Malcolm.”

  Chloe bit her lower lip. “Would you mind marrying a gentleman who does things his own way? He doesn’t let others dictate what he should think or do.”

  “I see nothing wrong with a gentleman who knows what he wants and does it,” Danette consented, “as long as he is kind and thoughtful.”

  Helena’s smile widened. “Since you’re not particular about the kind of gentleman you marry, we’ll have no problem finding you a match. But we should find someone who will appreciate you. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll ask you some questions about yourself.”

  Danette nodded and proceeded to answer all their questions.

  ***

  Derek poured Mr. Christopher Robinson and Ethan Silverton, the Lord of Edon, brandy as the two gentlemen sat down. Derek still didn’t feel comfortable in his brother’s townhouse. He’d have to remove all the portraits of his brother and send them to the estate where they’d be locked in a room that few people would ever see.

  Even now, he could feel the heavy weight of his brother’s disapproving stare glaring down at him from the painting hanging in the den. With a glance at his brother’s portrait, Derek rolled his eyes. It was a shame the only good memories he had of his brother were from their childhood. But that was all before his brother got obsessed with impressing the Ton.

  Forcing his attention off his brother, Derek collected the glasses and handed them to his friends. He could have the butler do the task, he supposed, but he rather enjoyed doing things himself. God help him if the day ever came when he was much too important to pour himself a glass of brandy!

  “I really wish you’d come to the balls again,” Christopher told him. “It’s not the same without you there.”

  Derek snorted as he went back to the decanter to pour himself a glass. “I’m sure it’s not.”

  “Things get so boring now whenever I go to them,” Christopher said. “It’s the same boring people doing the same boring things in the same boring way.”

  “Indeed,” Ethan added after he sipped his brandy, “there’s hardly a whisper of a scandal at any of the balls recently.”

  Derek shot them a wry grin then settled into his seat. “What a travesty.”

  “Well, it certainly was more entertaining when people did more than kiss,” Christopher said. “That’s all they seem to do anymore. A simple kiss at a ball, and that’s supposed to be exciting? At least, he fainted.” He gestured to Ethan.

  “Not on purpose,” Ethan replied.

  “But it wasn’t a kiss. It was something different. These days the most you can get is a kiss. I tell you,” he shot Derek a pointed look, “once you’ve witnessed that a few times, it’s no longer shocking.”

  “The Tittletattle would disagree with you,” Derek replied.

  “The Tittletattle is in desperate need of better scandals.”

  Derek shook his head. “If you’re hoping I’ll go to a ball in order to upset another prominent member of the Ton, it’s not going to happen. In fact, I have to be on my best behavior now that I have a title.”

  “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m afraid not. I promised my brother I’d get an heir, and the only way I can secure a bride is to be worth marrying. To do that, I must close my mouth and ignore what people are saying.”

  “But you can get a bride regardless of how you behave. Titled men do it all the time. Why, even Ethan got married, and he used to be London’s most notorious rake.”

  “Being a rake isn’t as fun as you make it sound,” Ethan told Christopher. “It’s a lot of work to keep people talking about you all the time. Maybe Derek’s looking forward to fading into the background for a change.”

  “I never had to work at upsetting people,” Derek replied. “I’m also not a rake. I’m simply someone who can’t keep his mouth shut.”

  “Christopher can’t keep his mouth shut either, and he hasn’t been harmed by it,” Ethan said.

  “Yes, but Christopher is still allowed to attend your father-in-law’s balls. He has the sense to keep his shirt on.”

  Christopher threw back his head and laughed. “I remember that evening! I meant to ask you why you did that.”

  Despite the trouble he got into with the Duke of Rumsey, Derek felt a smile tug at his lips. “A couple of wealthy people were being critical of a lady of limited means. They thought her dress inappropriate because it was poor in quality. I told them it was in bad taste to laugh at someone who couldn’t afford the things they could and removed my shirt in protest.” He took a sip of his brandy then added, “Then I let the onlookers know I despised their hypocrisy. All the Ton does is judge people, and I happen to know some of the people they judge behave much better than they do. Being a doctor, you get to find out things about people you wouldn’t ordinarily know.”

  Christopher leaned forward in interest. “Oh?”

  “I keep all of my patients’ information to myself,” Derek replied. “But I will say you avoid unnecessary illnesses by simply keeping yourself to your wife instead of seeking pleasure elsewhere.”

  “And if the wife seeks pleasure elsewhere?”

  “If you make her happy, she shouldn’t feel the need to do so. For ladies, it’s what happens outside the bed that makes the most difference.”

  Ethan laughed. “If only you knew my wife.”

  “I’m not saying ladies don’t want a good love life,” Derek amended. “I’m just saying if they had to choose between a husband who makes her the center of his world and one who’s a great lover, they’d choose the one who makes her the center of his world. The bed means little if the husband doesn’t care about her feelings.”

  “That is definitely true,” Christopher replied. “Which leads me to wonder why you don’t believe you’re suitable for marriage. You understand ladies more than most gentlemen.”

  “I have a tendency to upset prominent members of the Ton,” Derek reminded him. “I’m not sure a lady can be happy married to someone like me.”

  “Oh, sure she will,” Christopher said. “Taking off your shirt and insulting people aren’t that bad.”

  “They aren’t that bad to a lady who doesn’t mind if her husband’s reputation with the Ton is ruined,” Ethan interjected. “Some ladies are mindful of what others think of them and their husbands. You seem to forget that your wife happens to be such a lady.”

  “Oh my wife manages just fine.” Christopher waved his hand to dismiss Ethan’s admonition. “Besides, she wanted me to get my cousin married, and the only way that was going to happen was by forcing a scandal. He’s happy now, and he has an heir. I say the scandal was worth it.”

  “It could have happened without a scandal,” Ethan argued.

  Christopher let out an exasperated sigh. “If you knew Perry as well as I do, you’d know how ridiculous you sound.”

  The butler chose that mome
nt to come into the room, and Derek couldn’t help but feel relieved. Yes, he enjoyed talking with Ethan and Christopher, but sometimes they could get into the most senseless debates. And those debates could go on for hours if no one interrupted them.

  “You received a missive from the Duchess of Ashbourne,” the butler said. “Where would you like me to put it?”

  “I’ll take it now,” Derek replied.

  The butler handed it to him then left.

  Christopher’s eyes grew wide with interest. “It looks like she found you a wife.”

  “This could be telling me she found no one,” Derek said, waving the neatly folded missive toward Christopher. “You can’t assume it’s good news. I might be a hopeless cause.”

  “Or she might have found someone for you,” Ethan replied. “You can’t assume it’s bad news. Though I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Do you want to get married?”

  Derek shrugged. “The lady wouldn’t benefit from it.”

  The edge of Ethan’s mouth curled up. “That’s not what I asked. I asked if you wanted to get married.”

  “To be honest, I hadn’t given it any thought beyond the promise I made to my brother on his deathbed.”

  “Why is it any time a titled gentleman marries it’s out of duty?” Christopher asked. “They either want an heir or money. Meanwhile, gentlemen like me, who have no title at all, marry because we want true love with a wonderful lady. Except for Perry, I can’t think of a single titled gentleman who rushed to the altar.”

  “There’s been a couple,” Ethan said. Then, with a smirk, he added, “You just don’t pay attention because you’re too busy looking for scandals to talk about.”

  Christopher opened his mouth, and for a moment, Derek thought he was going to protest. But after a pause, Christopher said, “I think you’re right.”

  Derek couldn’t believe Christopher admitted it so quickly. Ethan’s jaw dropped, proving Derek wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

  Turning his attention to the missive, Derek opened it up, fully expecting a formal apology along the lines of, I regret to inform you there is no lady suited for a gentleman of your social standing with the Ton. He expected it so much, in fact, that he read the thing three times before he realized it wasn’t an apology after all. It was a notice that the duchess and her two friends had found him someone.