Libertine's Wife (18 page)

“
Trust me, the ones I
removed wouldn’t seek to be your friend.” His words had a
distinctly alarming ring to them.

“
Why would they make
overtures then?” She was perplexed to try to understand these
stranger’s intentions, feeling it all went over her
head.

He looked incredulous. “You are the
Marchioness of Ravensford now, Arianne. Your rank alone assures you
an open door, but also a knife in your back if you’re not careful.
I will consult you on what events you should attend and those you
shouldn’t.”

Arianne couldn’t deny her relief.
Still, she felt he took over, giving her no opportunity to find
that out for herself. An unreasonable anger persisted. “I have
found that people are much like color choices, my lord.”

Garret chuckled and waved one note in
front of her. “Lady Denham might suit you, but she could still be
sore I had a duel with her husband some years ago. Now do you
see?”

“
What was the duel over?”
Arianne asked without thinking before she caught herself, biting
her lip to have crossed some line of propriety.

“
Denham had more pride than
sense. He allowed his companions to push him into challenging me.”
Garret shrugged as if a duel to the death was an everyday
occurrence for him.

“
You could have refused
him,” Arianne pointed out, trying to level him with some blame,
still sore by much more than just his taking of the
notes.

“
I did, the first time he
challenged me,” Garret said coolly. “He then made it impossible
with his actions after that.”

Arianne assumed wouldn’t tell her what
those actions were. She decided to leave it alone. Such matters
were wholly inappropriate for them to be discussing. What happened
in her husband’s sordid past was none of her affair, even if such
incidents were public consumption over the years. She dearly wanted
to know what motivated her husband, however.

“
Do you wish to know what he
did?” Garret asked suddenly, as if reading her thoughts, surprising
her with his offer to explain his actions.

She was startled. Yes, she wanted to
know what would have propelled her husband into a duel. “What did
he do to make you unable to refuse?”

“
We both sought the
attentions of a well-known actress back then,” Garret told her
quietly. “I don’t condemn her by saying she played to us both to
earn gifts and favors. The trouble began when Lord Denham
discovered she preferred me. He arrived at her dressing room after
a performance and did his worst to her, even going as far to cut
her face with his pocket knife out of spite.”

She gasped and a hand flew to her
throat. “Good God! Did the woman live after that?”

“
Catherine still lives, but
her face is horribly disfigured, no thanks to Denham and his
spite,” he replied bitterly. “I found her employment after the
incident.”

“
What did you do
then?”

“
I found Lord Denham at his
club, dragged him out, and beat him senseless in front of all his
peers.” Garret met her gaze without a bit of regret. She could see
he felt justified in beating Lord Denham to a pulp.

She felt a surge of pride her husband
rose to the actress’s defense. “What happened then?”

“
Lord Denham challenged me
again to save face. I winged him in the shoulder to teach him a
lesson. You don’t know how badly I wished to kill him that day.”
The way his eyes grew cold at the memory made her
shiver.

“
Yes, I can well imagine
your need for restraint,” Arianne replied and saw her husband had
the most amazing control to have not killed Lord Denham that
day.

“
If you saw what he did to
her that night, you would have shot him yourself, my dear,” he told
her dryly, and then shrugged away those bad memories. “So, his wife
inviting you to tea is a bit questionable, you think?”

“
Yes, I do see what you mean
now,” Arianne acknowledged in relief. “What of the other duels?
That was not the only—it isn’t my place. Do forgive my
asking.”

He shrugged dismissively, meeting her
gaze unwavering. “I make no excuses for myself. I was young,
hotheaded, and most of the time I deserved the
challenges.”

Arianne gave into her curiosity. She
leaned forward eagerly then, eyes filled with fascination. “Were
you ever shot?”

Garret smiled at her rapt interest.
“No, and you can thank my shooting instructor for that, my dear. I
was never wounded in any of them.”

“
How many duels were
there?”

“
Five in all,” Garret
disclosed and grimaced, seeing her gobble up his disclosures like
an eager child. “All over women, I might add.”

Arianne knew it was highly improper to
talk of such things. She couldn’t help it. Garret’s life was far
more interesting than anyone she’d ever met. “Were any of them
special to you? These women you fought over, I mean.”

Garret stared at her with a bemused
expression. He shook his head at her continued questions. “You mean
did I love any of them? No, but I rather assume the gentlemen who
challenged me did. These were all the result of my irresponsible
youth and stupidity, my dear. I wish I could encourage such
romantic thoughts by saying my heart was involved. Those women were
not worth it.”

“
Did…uh…any of them die?”
Arianne saw his eyes slide away from hers and regretted
asking.

“
Four of the five men are
dead,” Garret admitted quietly and refused to meet her gaze as he
shuffled the cards in front of him. “As I said, I only winged Lord
Denham to teach him a lesson.”

Arianne could see talking about the
duels bothered him. She was overwhelmed with his disclosure. She
was surprised he would admit the duels were his fault. Recalling
the lurid details of his past made her cringe to know it was
probably all true what she’d heard about him. The desire to know
more was curtailed as he went through the pile of notes.

Garret chuckled, dispelling the somber
mood, and picked up a note and waved it in front of her. “Lady
Treadmore desires a liaison with your husband. She’s been after me
for years. A spontaneous moment between us in a dark garden some
years ago has her adamant to make it more. Do you wish to go to her
dinner party? I know where I’ll be seated should we attend, next to
her, no doubt.”

Arianne giggled despite herself, her
eyes filled with amusement. “No, you are right. I see that wouldn’t
do at all. Please go on, I find this all very fascinating. I should
know who to avoid.”

Garret had her giggling as he went
through more, explaining why it was foolish to acknowledge this
invitation or that one. He had her laughing uproariously over the
reasons to avoid these persons. Her husband amused her with tales
of his more harmless indiscretions. She discovered her husband had
his share of enemies during the telling, and many women who desired
him.

Arianne was shocked at the feeling of
possessive jealousy that she felt to know he was so pursued,
knowing well why, with a mad thumping of her heart. No wonder women
stalked him. The memory of the physical pleasure found in his bed
made her nearly sigh aloud.

She trusted he would steer her clear of
unsavory individuals, knowing why now. It wasn’t her fault, he
said. It was very much his. His easy acceptance of his scandalous
past reminded her he was thought to be immoral, uncaring of what he
did and what others thought. She saw little regret on his face as
he told her the truth of his past. He made no excuses for the life
he led, the things he’d done. It bothered her, wondering if the man
had any scruples at all.

For some reason she wanted him to
acknowledge some sort of regret near the end of his explanations.
She was disappointed he seemed to lack the desire to absolve
himself, even now, years later.

“
This one is the one I would
avoid at all costs,” Garret told her, his green eyes filled with
caution. “Lady Ainsworth is a very dangerous woman. She enjoys her
petty intrigues. She is not under any circumstance to be trusted.
Should the Vicountess Ainsworth corner you anywhere, hope you find
a way to escape her.”

“
What reason does she have
to wish me ill?” Arianne tensed as she saw the sober look on his
face.

“
I was once betrothed to
her.”

Arianne’s eyes widened. “You were to
have wed once?”

“
My father arranged it when
I was a child,” Garret informed her with a tightening of his lips.
“You can imagine I wasn’t pleased about that? Helms tried to get me
out of it for years after my father died. Her family refused to
allow me to cry off without some good reason I would
give.”

“
What was your reason not to
marry her?”

“
She caused the injury of
someone very close to me. He was set upon by the thugs she hired to
get rid of him. She believed he was influencing me to cry off the
engagement.”

“
What happened to
him?”

“
He was beaten quite badly;
nearly to death. He survived to tell tales,” Garret told her
bluntly. “The assailants she hired thought him dead. He managed to
get back to my residence.”

“
You refused to marry her
then?”

“
I publically refused, in a
manner which earned me the lady’s spite,” Garret said carefully.
“She is no friend to me, and certainly never one to
you.”

“
I appreciate your candor,
Garret,” she said, gaining more respect for his actions now in
taking the notes. “I thought you assumed I didn’t know how to
respond to any of these.”

He grinned as he pushed the favorable
pile towards her on the desk. “You may feel free to answer all of
these. I do not overstep myself, just ward off unfavorable spirits,
Arianne. Your husband has his share of skeletons. I make no
apologies for them. I’ve done many things I’m not proud of. You
shouldn’t pay for them.”

Arianne gathered them up, grateful for
his explanation, even if she still wondered if he harbored any
regret. It was never a word he seemed to use, even if he wasn’t
proud of his former actions, as he said. “I should answer these
before dinner.”

“
It’s fair to say you have
at least one day to do so,” Garret said helpfully. “These ladies
wait for your replies, anxiously most times.”

“
I don’t understand,”
Arianne said and a frown marred her brow, “they don’t even know me.
Why should they care so much if they hear from me?”

Garret rose from behind his desk,
regarding her in amusement. “You outrank them, Arianne. Your future
favor would help them socially. Many would seek you out for that
alone. For that reason, you must show caution in who you befriend,
or you would be hurt.”

“
I can see that now. Thank
you for explaining it all to me.” Arianne felt her breath catch at
the look in his eyes. The softness there was something she could
grow used to seeing.

“
I don’t wish to set you up
for failure in this, Arianne.” He came around the desk, making her
feel very aware of him once more, her heart beating rapidly. “It’s
to my benefit too. My reputation can stand some repair, believe me.
Having a popular wife who can navigate well through society is only
one of the benefits I considered when I brought you
here.”

Arianne wanted to ask what the other
benefits were, but decided it could wait. Her correspondence
demanded her attention. She mumbled a reply and turned to leave.
His hand upon her shoulder surprised her, keeping her from
leaving.

“
If you need my advice on
such matters, you need only ask.” His expression was gentle now,
his eyes sliding over her face like a caress.

She drew in a difficult breath as she
found him once more, close to her. The desire to tilt her head back
and raise her head to receive his kiss was unconscious. Her eyes
lingered at his full lower lip a might too long.

Garret drew her close then, responding
to that moment of invitation. The soft brush of his lips to hers
made a pleasurable ache form in her middle. As soon as the kiss
began, he ended it. He straightened and drew away. She felt a sense
of disappointment he didn’t prolong it.

“
I will see you at dinner
then, my dear.” His eyes were filled with heat despite the calm in
his voice.

Arianne turned and left the study, her
heart beating so loud it sounded like thunder in her ears. She sat
at her desk in her salon and touched her tingling lips, a sigh
passing through her fingertips.

The feel of those lips against hers
brought on carnal images which made her close her eyes, feeling
herself growing flushed. Why he delayed in coming to her bed was
still a mystery. Thinking of his being satisfied with the maids,
made her pleasure over the kiss diminish in an instant. No, her
husband would always seek some other woman, undermining her efforts
to have him to herself.

She was foolish to dwell upon his words
the night she arrived. He meant nothing he said. It was obvious to
her by his later actions. No, her lusty husband would find his
satisfaction elsewhere, with others. The thought dismayed her and
made her insecurities plague her once more.