Page 60 of Five Ways to Bed a Duke

“Oh, I have missed you so!” she cried when she released her. “Richard told me you were ending our arrangement because of your ill health. Are you better now? You do look a little pale. I’m still upset you did not think to tell me yourself, but you are forgiven.”

Catherine did not meet Lord Livingston’s eyes because she was sure he had a curious look on his face. He would definitely beasking her about the said arrangement later, so she would have to think up an excuse quickly.

“It is good to see you too, Emmy,” she answered once she was finally free of her friend’s grip. “I am sorry also for not informing you of my illness. I am better now, so we will have time to speak later. Maybe you could call on me tomorrow?”

“Alright.” Emmy smiled. “Will you be attending the Summers’ ball?”

Catherine was grateful for the question because it helped her ignore Richard’s presence, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see her mother and the Dowager Duchess talking and looking at them with matching smiles. She wondered briefly what that was about.

“I will be attending,” she answered with a nod.

Emmy let out an excited squeal that had her covering her ears. “I am glad! I look forward to seeing you.”

“Likewise.”

Catherine noticed Lord Livingston and Richard were having a tense discussion out of the corner of her eye and tried hard not to stare at them, but her traitorous heart and body remembered too well everything that had happened between her and Richard.

She felt the familiar sparks of desire inside her as her eyes roamed over his powerful body, her mind replaying with vivid detail how he had imprinted himself on her body with his hands and lips.

When her eyes moved back up to his face, she found that his eyes were on her. Startled, she moved away from their party, not looking where she went.

Watching Catherine leave and continuing the annoying conversation with Lord Livingston was one of the hardest things Richard had to do in a long while, second to watching her walk out of his house and life, knowing he had hurt her terribly.

But he had decided it was best to let her go because there were too many eyes on them, waiting to see what would happen.

He had spotted her even before Emmy had noticed her, and he had seen the exact moment she had spotted them. The alarm that flashed in her eyes had been hilarious, but the effect was minimized by the fact that she had been walking hand in hand with Lord Livingston, laughing and flirting if her blush was anything to go by.

He had felt an unfamiliar pang in his chest as he had seen what the future would look like for her if only he stayed away from her. Lord Livingston could give her the dream life she wanted. Yes, he might not keep her bed sufficiently warm like Richard could, but he could give her the stability that she craved.

It was that thought that kept Richard from punching the man who was trying and failing to keep him away from Catherine.

“I have bought a pretty emerald ring that will complement her eyes perfectly. But since you know her better than I do, what kind of proposal do you think she favors?” Lord Livingston asked, grinning with self-satisfaction.

He obviously thought the news should bother Richard. It did, but Richard would be damned if he gave the man the satisfaction of knowing that.

“She seems the type to prefer private proposals, but if I know anything about women, it’s that they always say the opposite of what they mean. Plus, I’d like to send a message to other men that she is finally off the marriage mart and is going to be mine.” Lord Livingston added that last part with a wink, squaring his shoulders.

Richard was sorely tempted to discard his chivalry and confess his feelings to Catherine and be done with it. She might not agree to marry him, but it would at least leave her confused enough to not marry this cad.

“I see no reason why this is any concern of mine,” he answered tonelessly.

“You are friends with my dear Cathy, are you not?” Lord Livingston asked, still grinning. “I hear she has been a close friend of your family since childhood. I wonder how you neversaw her charms and took her for yourself. She is a rather nice lady.”

Richard scoffed and looked away from the man. The only reason he had stayed away from Catherine was to not ruin her courtship, but with every word coming out of the Viscount’s mouth, it was obvious he was only marrying her to prove a point to him and not because he cared for her.

“I wonder about your reasons for marrying her,” Richard mused. “It seems as though you’re trying to market her charms to me instead of waxing lyrical like a man in love. Do you even like her?”

Ideally, he wouldn’t even give away the fact that he cared for Catherine by asking such a question, but he would be damned before he let anyone hurt her again.

It was better that she remained single than trapped in a marriage she would surely regret for the rest of her life.

The Viscount grinned as though he had finally gotten the reaction he had been aiming for, but Richard ignored it, very much wanting to know the answer to his question.

“Why? Do you care so much for her?” Lord Livingston teased. “I do like her. I mean, she is not a great beauty, but she has the necessary curves, so she’ll do. Plus, she has a great sense of humor and has an innocence about her that I haven’t seen in a while. It stirs something inside me, and I cannot wait to teachher new tricks. She is also well-learned, so I could grow to like her even more. So yes, Your Grace, I do like Miss Burlow.”

Richard’s vision turned red—he had to clench his fists to stop himself from punching the man. But finally, he had gotten all the answers he needed.

He would find a way to warn Catherine off agreeing to the Viscount’s proposal. There were many more decent gentlemen than him.

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