To Catch A Duke (6 page)

Benjamin had just turned the
horses, trying to think of something appropriate to say when a beautiful
stallion the color of warm honey pulled up beside them.
 
The man tipped his hat, and Benjamin
recognized him immediately.
 
It was none
other than Charles Strathwaite, the Marquess of Landover, and Benjamin's only
true enemy.

For all that he was rumored to be a
ruthless, uncaring man and a great seducer of women, only Landover truly
believed those rumors, mostly because the woman the marquess had intended to
marry, Lady Catherine Huffton, had pursued Benjamin with a single-minded
purpose over the years.
 
Much to
Benjamin's annoyance, not to mention Landover's

Three years previous, Benjamin had
come home to find Catherine naked in his bed, ready to offer herself to him,
but he had sent her home, telling her with great finality that he would never
tie himself to a woman like her.
 
Mortified, Lady Catherine had run off to a French convent rather than
marry someone else - especially someone like Landover who did not have the
fortune, nor the looks, of the Duke of Radcliffe.

For that debacle, as well as the embarrassment
that followed, Landover laid the blame squarely at the duke's feet, even if the
only thing Benjamin was guilty of was sending Catherine from his house,
unwilling to bed her.
 
In the marquess'
mind, that did not matter.
 
He only saw
Benjamin as the man who had spurned Catherine and driven her away from England,
and any attempt Landover might have made to seduce her into his arms.
 
Ever since, Benjamin had avoided Landover at
all costs.
 
That the man was here now
while he and Julia were about was not a good sign.

"Radcliffe," the other
man inclined his head, his mouth an unflattering attempt at a smile.
 
"And who is your lovely
companion?"

Beside him, Benjamin felt Julia
stiffen, and prayed that she would not either attempt to flee or let loose the
tongue she had once been known for when they were younger.
 
She was full of surprises today, so he was
fully prepared for either outcome.
 
When
she did neither, he breathed a small side of relief.
 
"Landover, I would like you to meet Lady Julia Rosemont,
sister to the Duke of Candlewood."
 
He risked a quick glance at Julia who had, thus far, kept strangely
silent.
 
"Lady Julia, my I present
Charles Strathwaite, the Marquess of Landover."

"My lord."
 
Julia dipped her head, her eyes never
leaving Landover's.
 
She did not like
this man, nor did she trust him.
 
She'd
seen him at various events throughout the season, but he'd never approached
her.
 
Why now, when she was with
Radcliffe, would he request an introduction?
 
There had to be a reason.
 
If she
hadn't been suspicious before, his comment about her beauty would have put her
on alert anyway.
 
No man, not even her
brother, thought she was beautiful.
 
She
was not that stupid.
 
"It is a
pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, my
lady."
 
Landover smiled but it
didn't reach his eyes.
 
In fact, there
was a vaguely empty air about him, as if the horse he rode - which really was a
magnificent animal - was more intelligent than he.
 
"I have not seen you about before."
 
Which, of course, was a blatant lie, but she
wasn't willing to call him on it.

Instead, she offered him an
enigmatic smile in return. "I have my reasons, my lord.
 
The season is such a crush, is it not?
 
Each event a true squeeze.
 
I dare say that I have not met many of the
people I should have just yet.
 
There
simply hasn't been the time."
 
It
was a diplomatic answer and one that pleased Benjamin, given the way his
expression went from extremely displeased to only moderately annoyed.

"Hopefully we shall remedy
that soon, Miss Rosemont."
 
Landover
was oozing so much charm that he was practically oily with it, and Julia had to
keep herself from shuddering with disgust.
 
"I will request a dance with you as soon as the opportunity avails
itself."

Inclining her head, Julia had to
fight to keep the smile pasted on her face.
 
The last thing she wanted to do was dance with such an odious man, but
there was no way to politely refuse.
 
"I would much enjoy that, my lord.
 
Until then."

From Benjamin's perspective, it
seemed as if Landover wanted to take Julia's hand and kiss it, but clearly
thought better of it, especially with so many people about on such a fine
weather day.
 
Instead the marquess
managed a proper goodbye and then rode off towards the Serpentine.

"I find that I do not much
care over much for that man," Julia whispered as Landover disappeared over
a small rise in the ground.
 
"He
makes my skin crawl.
 
And he clearly
does not like you one bit."
 
The
poisonous looks he'd been directing at the duke had been all too obvious, even
to her.

Benjamin saw no reason to lie to
Julia about Landover.
 
He never had
before.
 
"No, I dare say he does
not.
 
He blames me because a woman
refused him."

"Catherine Huffton."
 
Julia said the name quietly, not wanting
others to overhear, not that it was likely given the distance and the chatter
around them.

"I was not aware you were
acquainted with her.
 
She is a year or
so older than you, and you were still in Sussex at the time."
 
His association with the woman, limited as
it had been, was a secret he'd prefer to keep to himself, but then, this was
Julia.
 
There was very little he could
hide from her.

She studied her gloved hands,
clearly trying to avoid looking at him.
 
"I hear a great many things I should not, my lord."
 
He stiffened at the use of that phrase.
 
She only did that when she was afraid she
was in trouble.
 
"The women of the
ton
gossip like harpies, particularly about scandals where there are none to be
had, but some people wish there were.
 
You have not married, Ben, and neither has Lord Landover.
 
While he is not considered a prime catch,
you are."
 
She paused, as if
considering her next words carefully.
 
"There are some mamas who hope to discover more salacious details
about you and Lady Catherine, if there happen to be any, so that they might,
um, convince you to marry their daughters in exchange for silence."

Benjamin had heard many outrageous
tales and propositions over time, but that one was beyond anything he'd ever
encountered.
 
He couldn't help it.
 
He laughed.
 
Loudly and boldly.
 
"Eavesdrop often, Lady Julia?" he teased, finding the entire
situation humorous almost beyond words.
 
"Because certainly no woman is bold enough or stupid enough to
speak that preposterous tale aloud!
 
There is nothing more to tell!
 
Truly!"
 
Well, there was the
part about Catherine naked in his bed, but he thought it best not to mention
that, lest Julia begin to believe everything she heard whispered about him.

"Last night was not my first
time hiding behind the columns and potted palms," she replied with a
twinkle in her eyes, finding herself enjoying his wit and forgetting about Lord
Landover, which she was certain had been the duke's goal.
 
"I have great skill at it and,
occasionally, I learn a thing or two."
 
She wasn't about to mention that the conversation had also included a
fairly lively discussion about how big Benjamin's cock was, and whether or not
he would be able to sire a child on the first go with a virgin.

Still chuckling, he clucked at the
horses and set them on a path for Candlewood House so that he could return
Julia before any more gossip started.
 
"While I am not certain what you heard, I will give you the truth
of it.
 
Lady Catherine desired me as a
husband, but I did not desire her.
 
Landover, on the other hand, salivated over her at every turn, even though
she did not return his affections.
 
When
I made my final refusal of her so absolute that she could no longer deny the
truth of my disinterest, she removed herself to a convent in France where she
has remained to this day."

"Really, my lord?" she
questioned as another carriage breezed past, though she no longer paid much
attention to the occupants as they stared at her and Benjamin openly.
 
"There was no seducing of virgins or
eating of small children?
 
You
disappoint me."
 
She clucked.
 
"After so many, many stories, I am
saddened to find that there is no truth in them."

Had another woman said that,
Benjamin would have been hurt, or as much as he allowed himself to hurt.
 
He knew how he was viewed by the rest of
society.
 
He had grace, manners, charm,
devastating good looks and a fortune unparallel in all of England.
 
However, there were also rumors of his
voracious sexual appetite, started mainly by the women he had politely
discouraged.
 
Few females liked to be
told they were not desired, especially by the man they hoped to trap into
marriage.
 
He was also rumored to be
vicious and cruel, though those that truly knew him, again, knew it to be
nothing more than lies, those started by men who had lost to him at cards or
whose own estates failed while Benjamin's prospered.

The eating of small children?
 
Well, he wasn't certain where that had come
from, but it did persist.

Despite all of that, women still
flocked to him, eager to tempt him into their beds - or find their way into
his, preferably - and men continued to seek his counsel and company at White's
or other clubs when he was about.
 
Just
about everyone, however, knew he wasn't to be trifled with, especially when
someone he cared about was at risk.
 
He
also knew that since he'd been seen with Julia today and danced with her the
previous evening, tongues would begin wagging and gossip would spread.
 
It could not be avoided.
 
For once, however, he found that he did not
mind in the least.

"You know I am not so bad as
all of that.
 
I may be somewhat of a rake,
and those that do not know me well, might mistake my protective instincts for
anger.
 
You, however, have seen the
truth of me all these years, and yet you do not flee."
 
Then he turned serious for a moment.
 
"But, Julia, you must also know what
being seen with me will mean for you.
 
For there are repercussions or could be.
 
We might be friends, but here in town, that matters little.
 
Others will, in all probability, view you as
simply another virgin I am attempting to seduce.
 
The people here care little for truth.
 
What matters is my reputation.
 
I know that Nicholas told me last evening that you would not care, but I
find that I do."

More than anything, Benjamin did
not want to see Julia hurt any more than she already had been.
 
She had suffered so much in her life, and
she did not need any more pain.
 
Being
seen in his company, having to deal with Landover, for he was certain that the
man would not simply leave things be, could potentially bring her a great deal more
aggravation and misery.
 
He did not want
that.

So he was surprised when she
reached out and laid her gloved hand over his.
 
"Benjamin, do not think that I am unaware of what people will say
if I am seen with you.
 
I have lived
those tales all of my life.
 
I
understand perfectly.
 
However, you must
also understand what it will mean to
your
reputation to be seen with a
woman like me."
 

She paused for a moment, wondering
if she should couch the truth in pretty words, but ultimately decided that
brutal honesty was her best option.
 
He
had done no less for her.
 
"I am no
beauty and no one will think you are truly courting me.
 
A man like you would never pick me as a
wife, and all of the
ton
knows that.
 
Long-standing friendship or not, they will question why you are with me,
wonder if you have gone soft in the head or if you are playing a cruel
game.
 
As you have said, they will
assume that you are simply attempting to bed me.
 
I know you are not, but they will wonder."

"Let them."
 
He didn't hesitate, not when it was so
obvious that Julia not only understood the risks, but accepted them.
 
"I do not care what they say.
 
I have heard all that and worse."
 
He pulled the carriage over to a secluded
area so that they could speak freely.
 
"It is you I worry about.
 
If they wonder about my intentions, if they think I have deflowered you,
that might harm your chances of ever making a match."