Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

T he gentlemen’s club was dark and cool, with a smell of ale in the air. Allan sat back in his chair and surveyed the scene, happy to be there. He probably would have been happier to be at a party with a beautiful lady—but then, he reminded himself, he was promised to the unattainable spinster for the next few weeks. He didn’t want to ruin his chances of impressing her by being seen with someone else.

Across from Allan, his good friend Seth, Duke of Loxburgh, sipped his ale. It was always a miracle to get Seth to come out for a drink—indeed, it was surprising to get him to come out at all.

But it was less surprising than it had been a few years ago, before Seth had married. In those days, he had kept to himself almost all the time, never wanting to socialize with anyone. Allan still felt fortunate that he had persuaded Seth to attend the house party where he and Lavinia had met one another, and he prided himself on his role in their coming together in marriage.

“How does your wife feel about the fact that you’re out tonight?” he asked his friend. “I know you just returned from time away on business. Surely, she would rather have you home.”

“She would,” Seth agreed. “But Lavinia understands that I’ve been working hard and that I need to spend some time relaxing. She knows that the gentlemen’s club is good for me in that regard, and she wants that for me. She also wants me to be able to spend time with my friend.”

“Good of her,” Allan said. “She’s a remarkable lady.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Everything worked out so well for you,” Allan observed. “I’m overjoyed to see how happy you are these days in your marriage to Lavinia. To tell you the truth, I never would have imagined it would happen for you. You pushed everyone away for so long. I don’t know how she managed to be the one to penetrate the walls you had up, but I’m very happy that she did.”

“You’re very happy, and yet you have no intention of marrying yourself?”

“Oh, no. Don’t make this about my life. I wanted to express my pleasure that your life has turned out so well. We’re not comparing me with you.”

“Perhaps we should, though,” Seth said. “Especially since you’re involving yourself with the unattainable spinster now. My wife’s sister. How can we help but make a comparison when you’re going on dates with my wife’s sister?”

“It’s entirely different,” Allan insisted.

“Explain to me how.”

“You know I don’t have any serious intentions with the unattainable spinster. I’m not going to marry her. Just as you weren’t going to marry Lavinia when the two of you first met—except that in my case, I mean it.”

“I meant it too,” Seth said. “I had no intention of marrying Lavinia. I had no romantic interest in her at all—until suddenly, out of nowhere, I did.”

“And you believe the same thing will happen to me.”

“Well, it could. Have you met with her yet?”

“Not significantly. I went on a walk with her, nothing more.” Allan laughed at the memory of that brief outing. “She certainly is outspoken.”

“Yes, she is. She always has been,” Seth agreed. “She’s like her sister in many ways. When Lavinia feels passionate about something she doesn’t hesitate to let you know. But I suspect that Lady Edwina feels more passionate more frequently.”

Allan shook his head. “Truer words were never spoken,” he said. “She’s a firecracker. She’s going to pose an interesting challenge to me.”

“But what’s the challenge if you don’t wish to marry her?” Seth asked. “I don’t know why you bid so much money on her in the first place if you don’t have an interest.”

“She’s the unattainable spinster, Seth. Her very existence is a challenge to me,” Allan observed. “I pride myself on my ability to charm ladies, you know that. I should be able to win her over, and if I can’t do that, I’m not as charming as I think I am.”

“I see. So this is a test you’ve set yourself.”

“Does that bother you?”

“She’s my wife’s sister. I don’t know that I like the idea of you using her in one of your games.”

“She may be your wife’s sister, but she’s built her reputation on her ability to resist the charms of gentlemen,” Allan pointed out. “In a way, she’s set herself up for this challenge.”

“I suppose there’s some truth to that.” Seth sighed. “You know, your grandmother wishes very ardently that you would simply go ahead and marry.”

“I know she does.” Allan had had that conversation with his grandmother numerous times. “She wants an heir to the dukedom.”

“She wants your happiness, I think.”

“Well, perhaps that as well.”

“I think you wish to marry too,” Seth said.

“Perhaps I do. But I won’t have a marriage to the first lady who comes along.”

“The first lady who came along was years ago. You’ve turned your nose up at more ladies than most of us will ever meet.”

“You’re exaggerating. Anyway, what’s important to me is to find the perfect duchess. She must be captivating and engaging and light up every room she enters.”

“You don’t think Lady Edwina could be the one?”

“Perhaps she could if that was what she desired, but she has no interest in the responsibilities of being a duchess. I know my duty to my title. Lady Edwina is widely known for ignoring her duties, so she could never be my perfect duchess. No, rest assured, the only thing I’m interested in when it comes to her is proving that not even the unattainable spinster is able to withstand my charms. Once that is proven, I’ll be known as the most irresistible gentleman in in all of London. Ladies will clamor to win my attention.”

“You are arrogant.”

“I’m merely interested in finding the duchess I’m looking for. That’s why I need to prove myself in this way, Seth. I need to be sure that whoever she is, wherever she may be, she sees the way I’m capable of treating a lady. People will wish they were in Lady Edwina’s shoes, and once our five dates are at an end, they will have their chance.

“I don’t think you ought to be wasting your time with a lady you have no intent to marry,” Seth said. “Leave Lady Edwina alone. That’s my advice to you.”

“I didn’t ask you for any advice,” Allan pointed out. “Besides, I paid handsomely for my five dates, and I intend to get them. I should have what I paid for.”

“You should focus on fulfilling your duty as you yourself said. If it’s a perfect duchess you’re looking for, then find yourself one. You know perfectly well that Lady Edwina is not the person you’re looking for. And I don’t know why you feel any need to prove how charming you are. Ladies already vie for your attention. You’re already one of the most desired gentlemen among the ton. What difference will this make?”

“It will set me apart,” Allan said. “No one wins her favor. I will be the first to do so.”

“I just can’t see why it would be so important to you. Do you doubt your own ability? Is that it? You have something to prove to yourself?”

“I want no ladies in any doubt when it comes to the fact that I can win them over. I want them to line up to experience it.”

“And you don’t mind that this is all happening at Lady Edwina’s expense?”

“You’re not thinking about it the right way. She’s the unattainable spinster. She doesn’t want to marry. Everybody knows that. Even when I have charmed her, made her fall for me, she still won’t want to marry. And besides, it will work to her advantage in the end. Just as ladies will rush to experience my charms, seeing Lady Edwina finally be won over by a gentleman will give the rest of London hope that they might have a chance. It will increase her prospects in the end.”

“You want to break her heart!”

“But it isn’t going to matter, Seth. Don’t you see that? Her heartbreak will be temporary because she doesn’t want to be married anyway. There’s nothing so horrible I can do to her. At the worst, she’ll be sad for a while, and then she’ll remember that she never wanted a marriage to begin with, and she’ll move on. And at the best, she’ll discover that she does like being romanced after all, and she’ll accept it from one of the many other gentlemen who are sure to come her way.”

Seth shook his head. “I don’t know if you’ve thought this all the way through,” he said.

“Trust me! I’ll take her for a few nice dates and show her a good time. She already knows that I’m not going to propose when it’s all over and done with. She’s a clever lady, and she’s under no illusions about what’s going on here. She knows I purchased the right to these dates at an auction. She knows we’re only doing this because it was paid for.”

“Which is another thing I find odd,” Seth admitted. “It’s not the sort of thing I would have expected Lavinia to do—arranging an auction like that for the right to a date with her sister. She’s always been so protective over Lady Edwina. It’s stunning that she would make a move like this.”

“She couldn’t possibly believe that Lady Edwina isn’t able to find a suitor on her own, could she?”

“I don’t think Lavinia could ever doubt her sister’s beauty. No, that isn’t it. She thinks it’s for the best—that this is what Lady Edwina needs. But she must know that you’re not the kind to marry on a whim. Everyone knows that about you—so how could she have accepted a bid from you, knowing that no proposal would be coming at the end of the dates?”

“Perhaps your wife believes that Lady Edwina will be the lady to capture my interest at last,” Allan suggested. “She is beautiful after all. She has turned many a head in her time, and I would imagine that it’s a rare gentleman indeed who isn’t charmed by her beauty.”

“But you won’t be charmed by her beauty.”

“Of course not. How many young ladies have I spent time with? And how many more are in my future? It would take one in a million to win me over,” Allan said confidently.

“You’re every bit as unattainable as she is.”

“Oh, much more so. That’s what I’m counting on.”

Seth laughed. “I don’t know how anyone can tolerate you, Allan, I really don’t. And I don’t know how you’ll ever find a marriage with the way you behave.”

“When I find a marriage, it will be with a lady who understands the duties of a duchess and is worthy of my position,” Allan declared. “I will not marry someone just because she’s lovely—and certainly not just because she fancies herself unattainable .”

“Well, I see you’ve made up your mind that this is what you’re going to do,” Seth relented. “I admit that I can’t wait to see what comes of it all. It should be entertaining to witness if nothing else. Just take care that you don’t hurt her. I don’t believe I’ll ever hear the end of it from Lavinia if you do.”

“I’ll do my best,” Allan said, though the truth was that he didn’t believe the unattainable spinster could be hurt. She would have her dignity bruised, perhaps, when she was forced to accept that she wasn’t quite as unattainable as she had believed herself to be, but she would be all right. No one had ever managed to do her any harm.

The two gentlemen finished their drinks and got to their feet, ready to end their day. Allan knew that Seth needed to go home and be with his wife. Personally, he would have liked to stay longer at the club, but there was no point in doing so alone.

Besides, he had plans to make. He had five dates with Lady Edwina coming his way, and he wanted to make sure that each and every one of them was something to remember—an outing that she would never forget.