Page 17 of Who Wants to Marry a Duke
That made sense but was hardly the point. Would Grey really want the world to hear about his father’s murder if there was no way of proving who did it? Somehow Thorn doubted that.
And Miss Norley had it in her power to force Grey’s hand. Thorn’s bargain with Lady Norley might have held, but he hadn’t made any such bargain withMissNorley. Assuming that the young woman knew the same gossip as her stepmother, Thorn would have to handle her with kid gloves. While Grey wouldn’t care if the reputation of Thorn’s father was damaged, hewouldcare about protecting their mother from hearing about it. So Miss Norley could end up forcing all of Lydia’s children to dance to her tune.
There was another matter to consider, too. “What if you don’t find arsenic? What if Grey is wrong, and his fatherdiddie of an ague?”
Her frown told him she was hoping for a different outcome. “Then I’ll have to find another way to prove that my methods could withstand the rigors of a trial.”
He shook his head. “I must confess, I’m shocked to meet a woman so interested in chemistry that she’s willing to do experiments on the dead to prove her hypotheses. I’m a man, and even I have no interest in such a thing.”
She shrugged. “You’re not a man of science. Or so I’ve heard.”
That caught him by surprise. Again. “What else have you heard about me?”
Her eyes widened. “I . . . um . . . well . . .”
“Miss Norley,” he said, surprised by her unexpectedly feminine response, “there’s no need for embarrassment. I am well aware of my reputation.”
“Then you don’t need me to tell you what it is,” she said matter-of-factly.
He couldn’t help but laugh. The woman was like no other female he’d ever met. “Indulge my curiosity. I never know how much young, unmarried ladies are told about me.” He took a stab in the dark. “Though I’m sure your stepmother didn’t mince words on the subject.”
“No, she did not,” she said dryly. “She rarely does.”
Ah, so the young womanhadlearned about his reputation from her stepmother. He stepped closer. Would Miss Norley also admit that her stepmother had told her the gossip about his father? Had Lady Norley even done so? On the chance that she had not, he refused to tell Miss Norley himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t question her.
“What exactly did your stepmother say about me?” he asked.
“That you were a ne’er-do-well.”
“A duke can’t be a ne’er-do-well, my dear, especially not one as wealthy as I.”
The lady didn’t look impressed. “Mama said you spend your evenings with . . . loose women rather than with respectable people.”
“I don’t deny it. Like you, I sometimes find the life of a person of rank rather dull.”
“Yes, but I fill my hours doing something useful.”
He chuckled. “So do I. Loose women need entertainment, too. Not to mention, money. I provide them with both. Isn’t that useful of me?”
She shook her head, clearly fighting a smile. “You are hopeless, Your Grace.”
“So they tell me. And there’s no need to keep calling me ‘Your Grace.’ Everyone calls me Thorn. You might as well, too.” He wished it weren’t too dark to see if she was blushing. He pushed further. “And I shall call you Olivia.”
“That’s rather forward of you, isn’t it?”
“My sister-in-law is calling you Olivia. Why can’t I?” He waited for her to make the standard argument that a woman could call another woman by her Christian name when a man could not.
Instead, she eyed him askance. “Fine. But not when Mama is around. Or any of your family.”
“Very well. It will be our little secret.” He tucked one of her errant curls behind her ear, pleased when the intimacy elicited a shaky breath from her. He wasn’t sure of her motives with this chemistry business, but clearly she was still attracted to him. “And speaking of your ‘Mama,’ I daresay she’s frustrated that you won’t oblige her by looking for a husband.”
Olivia thrust out her chin. “She and Papa insisted upon my having a debut. I did. No one offered for me. So I refused to repeat the process.”
“No one offered for you?I seem to recall a certain duke offering for you, and being refused.”
“That was different.” Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “You didn’t mean it. When you kissed me you were just having your usual sort of fun. Until Mama forced you into making an offer, you had no intention of actually marrying me.”
“My ‘usual sort of’—Wait, youknewyour stepmother was forcing me?”
