Page 70 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke
‘Do not pry, Katherine. I do not want to speak.’
She sighed. ‘Very well, I shan’t. But seeing as you said you planned this event all for me, I am sorry it seems to be like torture for you.’
He laughed, but it was a hollow laugh. ‘I told you I do not get along with them, did I not? Now you have seen it for yourself. And I cannot blame it on them, can I? They are all perfectly nice. Which means the fault must lie with me. By the way, you look beautiful, that dress suits you, and I like your hair. Did you dress it?’
‘No, Eleanor’s maid did. You do not know I am staying here, do you? Your mother and Eleanor organised it.’
He drew on his cigar.
She moved closer and touched his arm. ‘I can understand, John.’
‘Can you?’
‘Yes. Stop pushing me away.’
‘Is that what I am doing? And there was I, thinking I was protecting you from what I should not have done in the first place.’ His hard gaze turned to her. ‘You cannot understand, Katherine. I know you have felt alone, you said so, but you have a very good reason for it, your mother is horrible. The fault is not yours.’
‘But she is not my mother. I had no parents as you had no father. There are things in your life I can understand more than anyone else.’
‘I had no mother either until I was ten, and no one will tell me where she was.’ Almost instantly, as though he regretted telling her that, his gaze shuttered and his body stiffened, and he sucked on his cigar before rising and turning and throwing the thing out into the darkness.
‘You can trust me,’ she whispered. ‘I promise.’
‘Can I?’ he answered, standing with his back to her and looking outward into the dark.
‘Yes, John, you can, and stop hiding from me by answering with questions. I am here for you if you need me.’
‘I don’t need anyone. I am a duke.’
She hated the barrier he was setting between them. ‘I survive without bitterness because I have Phillip and Papa. You need someone, John.’
‘Do I?’
‘Kate! Kate!’
Katherine turned to see her brother stepping out through the French door. ‘What is it?’ Her heart thumped.
Phillip stopped and looked at them. ‘John.’
‘Phillip.’
His gaze returned to Katherine. ‘The other guests have left, so the younger members of the family have rolled up the carpet so we can dance. I thought you would want to dance…’
‘Yes,’ Katherine answered. ‘I will come.’ She turned back to John, met his gaze and whispered, ‘You do, John, you need someone.’ With that she turned and walked briskly towards Phillip.
‘What were you speaking to John about?’ he asked quietly.
‘He is in a bad mood. He has argued with his family. But do not say anything to him, Phillip, he will not thank me for telling you.’
* * *
Katherine could not believe how easily John deceived and manipulated people. He had rejoined his family an hour after leaving them and managed to charm his way out of giving any explanation for his absence. His cousins fawned over him and he smiled or nodded as though nothing was wrong.
His family were more reticent, however, and she had watched them watching him with questions in their eyes. They knew something was wrong, as she did, but she also guessed he would not accept their help any more than he would accept hers.
Sitting up in bed, Katherine thumped her pillow to fluff up the feathers before lying back down on her other side. She could not sleep. John was in a room barely yards from where she lay and his stark look as he had stood on the terrace in splendid isolation continued to haunt her.
She could not balance the John she saw now with the young man who had romped with Phillip in the lake years ago.
