Chapter 8

Several days had passed since the theatre show, which according to her brother, was a great success. The reviews were splendid, and the show was the talk of the town for days afterwards. Not that Catherine doubted it would be. However, she did not regret not going. She had spent several quiet evenings at home with a good book. Which according to her, was time well spent.

That afternoon, Catherine and her brother found themselves in the elegant drawing room of their residence, indulging in the refined ritual of afternoon tea. Seated in plush chairs near a polished tea table, Catherine smiled at her brother as the delicate aroma of tea and the sweet note of pastries filled the air around them.

"I must say, these scones are absolutely delightful," Catherine said with her mouth still full, but with her brother, she didn't care much for social niceties. "Mrs. Jennings has truly outdone herself."

"I do agree," Reginald nodded, taking another one. "And this tea is new. Have you purchased it recently?"

"Yes," she nodded. "At that quaint little tea shop on Baker Street."

"Marvelous," he smiled, inhaling deeply. "It truly is the little things in life that make one truly happy. And speaking of happy, tell me what have you been reading lately? I'm always curious about your literary pursuits."

Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she replied. "Oh, I stumbled onto a lovely little novel by Mrs. Eliza Haywood. The plot is quite enthralling, filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat."

"Ah, yes, I do believe I've heard of Mrs. Haywood's works. They are known for their captivating narratives."

"And you, Reggie?" Catherine inquired. "Yours are always more political sort of readings."

"Quite," he chuckled. "I've been engrossed in a philosophical treatise by Mr. David Hume. I must say, it challenges the mind."

"Perhaps I ought to take a peek once you are done," she teased.

"By all means," he took her up on it.

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Yes?" Reginald called out, and the aging face of their loyal butler appeared in the doorway.

"I apologize, my lord, but you have a visitor," he informed him.

"A visitor?" Reginald's eyes widened in surprise. He turned to Catherine. "Are you expecting someone, Cate?"

"No," Catherine shook her head, equally perplexed. She was actually hoping for at least a single day more of peace and quiet without any visitors. However, fate had arranged it differently. "Not that I know of."

"Who is it, Jones?" Reginald inquired, standing up.

"It is His Grace Dominic Worthington, the Duke of Fairhaven," Jones announced the guest's name, sending both of the hosts into a state of utter shock.

"The duke?" Reginald gasped. "What is he doing here?"

"I don't know," Catherine replied, caught completely off guard by the sudden visitation of a man she had not heard from since she had refused his offer of courtship.

"Well, I suppose we'd best find out," Reginald said in a calm demeanor, turning to his butler. "Do show him in, Jones."

"Yes, my lord," Jones bowed, disappearing behind closed doors. Then, several moments later, he reappeared, with their guest by his side.

"Thank you, Jones, that is all," Reginald dismissed the butler, turning his attention fully to the duke. "Your Grace," he bowed before him. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Lord Stanhope." The duke returned the bow courteously. He turned to Catherine then. "Lady Catherine. I apologize for appearing here unannounced. I know that is highly irregular."

"That is quite all right," Reginald smiled cheerfully. "Please, take a seat. May we offer you some tea? Cate had just purchased it recently and I must say, it is rather delicious."

The duke glanced around, then shook his head. "No tea, thank you, although this is a social visit. You see, there are matters of some importance that I wished to discuss privately…"

"Oh," Reginald nodded, gesturing at Catherine, but before he could ask her to leave, the duke continued.

"… with Lady Catherine."

"With me?" Catherine gasped. Yet another thing which was highly irregular. However, she knew that she could not refuse him.

"Yes," the man nodded calmly, which made her even more shocked. The entire room sank into the very depths of shock, and Catherine eyed the duke, then her brother, then the duke again.

"You know that this is highly irregular, Your Grace," Reginald stepped up, his brotherly duty burning bright inside of him. Catherine instinctively moved closer to him, although she did not fear the duke. This was her home. No man would come to her own home to intimidate her for whatever reason. However, her brother's presence was a welcome shield she chose to hide behind.

"Yes, I do know," the duke nodded, locking his hands behind his back as he spoke.

A cascade of anticipation and curiosity welled up within her at this unexpected private audience. Her gaze constantly lingered on the duke's handsome countenance of the man who stood before her with an air of refined confidence, as if he had waltzed into his very own home. She didn't know whether to be in awe of such confidence or to be infuriated by it.

"But it is a matter of courtship as well as marriage," the duke clarified. "Of course, it won't take long and the door is to remain ajar. However, I would like to have privacy while talking to her."

"Marriage?" Reginald echoed, glancing at Catherine, who was as shocked as he was, expecting at least some semblance of an explanation, only he had none. "Catherine?"

She cleared her throat a little, her curiosity veiled by a composed demeanor as she offered a polite nod. The duke was obviously here to provoke a reaction from her. Well, that would be the last thing he would obtain from her.

"I do believe that the duke and I have reached an understanding when it comes to the matter of courtship and marriage, but it seems that he needs more elaboration," she spoke rebelliously, staring at the duke, whose lip slightly curled into a smile. "I will be fine, Reggie. Please, give us a moment."

Reginald hesitated for a moment, then he left the drawing room, but he did not close the door. He left it slightly ajar, just to signal to the duke that although he was not physically there, her brother was still here, like a hawk watching over his sister, and that was what provided Catherine with comfort and even more confidence as she prepared to listen to the duke's monologue.

***

Dominic had her exactly where he wanted her. Now, all he had to do was present her with the knowledge he possessed regarding her brother's illicit affair and the child that resulted from it. There was no way that his plan would backfire.

"If you would be so kind as to state your business, Your Grace," Catherine spoke to him in a matter-of-factly voice as she turned to him, her hands crossed at her chest. It was evident that she tried to appear unshaken, but that was far from the truth. Her body language betrayed her when her words would not.

She continued in the same confident manner. "You already know how I feel about courtship, and marriage is no different. If that is all you came here to discuss, I really do not wish to waste your time."

But Dominic refused to be dissuaded so easily. "Lady Catherine," he spoke softly, in a very intimate manner, almost as if the two of them were the closest of confidants, "I believe it is my duty to share some unsettling revelations about your brother's private affairs."

"Reginald?" she echoed her brother's name. He could see the look of surprise on that beautiful face. He resisted smiling.

"Indeed," he nodded gravely, approaching her. "Perhaps it would be better for you to take a seat. The news is rather… disconcerting."

"I will stand, thank you," she said, her nostrils flaring. She didn't want to do anything he told her, as if that helped her retain the semblance of control she felt she had over the entire situation.

He had to admit that this game they had been playing was amusing him more and more. Also, he had never had to work so much for a lady's attention, which made the thrill of the race all the more titillating.

"Now, I am a busy lady. What is it you wish to share with me, Your Grace?" her melodious voice demanded.

"Very well," he nodded, as he recounted the tale he had come to know. "It seems that your brother is not only entangled in a forbidden affair with the actress by the name of Annabel Thompson, but he also has a child from that illicit affair."

He watched as the news settled, her eyes widening at him in disbelief. With a self-satisfied smirk, he continued to weave his tale like a spider's web that would entangle Catherine and make her his. He relished the thought, dreaming of the day when he would have her in his arms and taste the sweet fruit of her lips. But he had to be patient. The time for that had not come yet. The web had to spin until the very end.

"It will be comforting to you to know that he has been assuring that the child receives a quality education and that both the mother and the child are living comfortably in apartments that he himself is supporting financially," he added sounding proud of her brother.

"Therefore, you come to see that your brother has been living a double life. One that coexisted with the respectable fa?ade of aristocratic society that you two belong to, and another one that unfolded in the shadows, hidden from prying eyes," he finally concluded theatrically.

He expected her to say something, but she didn't. She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide and incredulous. He attributed it to the weight of this newfound knowledge, so he allowed her a moment or two to gather herself. In the meantime, he gave himself the permission to add some more flair to his story.

"From what I've come to know, he visits them often, maintaining this dual existence that if exposed, I'm sure you can agree, could jeopardize not only his political ambitions but also tarnish your well-respected family name. Now, you may not know me well, but my reputation is impeccable. You have my solemn promise that I will keep your brother's secret life a secret from the rest of the ton, under one small condition."

"Which is?" she shot her question hastily.

"All you have to do, Lady Catherine… is marry me."

There. He had told her the truth, which had probably been kept from her. She would be grateful to him. Of course she would. And she would see that he was there to help them keep this secret… well, a secret. All he wanted in return was her affection. He wasn't asking for much, was he?

"How do you know all this?" she asked, her voice down to a whisper. She was probably too weakened by the weight of this knowledge, perhaps even hurt that her brother would keep such a secret from her. He couldn't even imagine what she was feeling at that moment.

He smiled at her, taking a step closer. She remained firmly planted where she stood.

"I have stumbled onto him at the theatre," he explained in as few details as he could.

"I saw them both there. It occurred to me that if I could see them, then anyone could. She is, after all, a married woman, whether or not her husband lives in London, or wishes to have anything to do with her. He is quite fortunate that it was only me who saw them, and not someone else." He paused for a moment, then continued. "I know this must be quite a shock to you, finding out such a secret about your brother."

"Yes, I am in shock," she nodded, swallowing heavily. He resisted the temptation to smile. This was the beginning of her transformation, when she would see that trusting him would lead to good things, to happiness.

"Of course you are," he neared her even more, then took her hand into his. "It was quite a shocking discovery, even for myself. Allow me to soften the blow by being by your side in this hour of need."

It was then that her brows locked, and her hand was yanked out of his fervently, as if his touch scorched her. Her following words felt like molten hot lava was being poured all around him, and there was no way out but to burn in the fiery pits of hell he had created himself.

"I'm not shocked at what he has done," she clarified, her luscious lips moving fervently as she spoke. "For your information, I have known all along. In fact, I have even met the little girl, and she is the sweetest thing you could imagine.

Or perhaps not. A scoundrel like you knows nothing of innocence and sweetness. I am shocked that you would stoop so low as to blackmail me into marriage, by threatening my brother's political ambitions, his love, his family, and with it, my family's reputation. How dare you!"