Page 122 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke
‘Ignore them,’ John commanded.
‘I am not like you, I cannot,’ she answered.
She wished they were at home in bed. She loved this man, with his chiselled features and his pale all-absorbing eyes, and her fingers itched to run through his jet-black hair.
A smile hovered at the corner of his lips, but he did not let it take.
‘Letting people think they affect you only encourages their vindictiveness. They are like vultures pecking at a corpse if you show weakness.’
‘I do not understand this world.’
‘Who does? Not I, nor them. The biggest mockery of it is that behind closed doors many of them behave without restraint. The Devonshires, the Oxfords, Melbourne, they all have illegitimacy in their lines. It is an open secret everyone ignores.’ His expression hardened as he looked about the room.
‘John,’ she whispered, pleading his silence. ‘You scare me when you are like this.’
His gaze came back to hers. ‘I am trying to scare them.’
‘Well, I wish you would not. I wish you would simply be yourself.’
His gaze narrowed. ‘As I said, Katherine, let them know you are vulnerable and they will be picking over your bones in seconds.’
‘So, what does that matter? You said you do not care for their good opinion.’
‘I do not care for it but there are occasions on which I need it. But what I care for least is for them to know me at all. So no, I will not be myself, as you put it. Let them think what they like but they will not challenge me nor denounce you because I will not give them ground.’
‘Are we arguing, John? I feel as though I am dancing on a battleground with hostilities from all sides.’
The tension ebbed from him instantly. ‘You know how to make me do as you wish, do you not? Perhaps it is you I should fear. Very well, if you do not wish me glaring at them, we will have to take another tack and make friends.’
He performed one last spin as the music drew to a close, then it abruptly ended. He rested her fingers on his arm, and led her to a group standing at the edge of the floor.
She faced another facet of John then, as he moved about the room, charming and ingratiating his way into conversations and then constantly passing them to her, insisting she be included. It was cleverly done. He was a formidable force.
‘What is your opinion on this, Katherine?’ ‘Have you heard of…?’ ‘Did you see…?’ ‘Would you…?’ He refused to let anyone ignore her.
She never wished to be on the wrong side of John.
His family clearly recognised his ability too, because none of them attempted to come to his aid, though she saw them occasionally looking John’s way.
After an hour of this artistic assault, John led her back to the family group. All his aunts and uncles and cousins were gathered in one corner of the room.
Depositing Katherine into the care of his Aunt Jane, John whispered to her, ‘I have had my fill for now. We will start again after supper. Would you like a glass of punch?’
‘Yes, please.’
John walked away with his Uncle Robert.
‘How are you baring up, Katherine?’ his aunt asked.
‘Well enough, considering I am in the hands of a demon. How does he control people so easily?’
His aunt laughed. ‘I believe he learned that skill from the cradle, but I have only known John since he was about fourteen. Yet, he had a serious side even then.’
‘He can sulk like the devil too,’ Katherine stated, smiling at his aunt.
‘Yes, well, his black looks are a bit of an art. Still, he is equally charming, and let us not forget powerful and wealthy, so who cares?’
Katherine laughed. She could hear the affection in his aunt’s voice.
