Page 83 of Beyond Scandal and Desire
Their road would not be an easy one, but all the same she wanted to travel it.
“I daresay, the gardener has outdone himself this year,” she announced, approaching the couple.
The duchess turned, smile softly at her. “I was just saying the same thing to Hedley. I’m particularly fond of the pink ones.”
“They’re quite lovely.”
“I suppose you’ve come to tell us you’re going to make another visit to that awful orphanage.”
“It wasn’t—” She bit back her retort. This was not the direction she wanted this conversation to go in. “No, actually. I wanted to get your permission to invite someone to dinner.”
“Kipwick, perhaps? I don’t know where he’s been of late, but he certainly doesn’t require an invitation.”
“He’s been at his clubs.”
The duke furrowed his brow. “Every night?”
“As I understand it, yes.”
“He attributed his recent absence to business dealings concerning the estates.”
“You’ve spoken with him?”
“A couple of days ago.”
“Perhaps I have the wrong of it, then.” Although she very much doubted it. “But no, I wasn’t considering inviting him. As you say, he requires no invitation.” Although things were likely to go more smoothly if he wasn’t present. “I was hoping you’d be open to inviting Mick Trewlove.”
“No.”
The duke’s response came so fast, so stern and with such thunder that Aslyn was taken aback, wasn’t quite certain what to say.
With her eyes blinking and her delicate brow creased, the duchess looked from him to her. “He’s the bastard Kip was telling us about, isn’t he?”
She hated that that particular moniker was associated with him when he was so much more. “He’s a successful businessman.”
“He’s not welcome here,” the duke said.
“But—”
“No discussion. That is the end of it. Bella?” He held out his hand to his duchess.
“He’s quite right, my dear. We don’t associate with that sort.”
“With a man who works hard, who has risen from nothing, who helps others? A man who—”
“That’s enough!” the duke bellowed. “You are not to speak his name, and you most certainly are to have nothing to do with him.”
“Do you know him, Hedley?” the duchess asked.
“No. I only know of him, and none of it good.”
“If you believe that,” Aslyn said, “then you don’t know him at all.”
“How is that you do?” he asked, his gaze boring into her.
Swallowing, she clasped her hands before her. “Kip and I met him at Cremorne. He was quite fascinating—” She couldn’t tell them that she’d met him on several occasions since. The awful realization struck her that the duke might actually lock her in her chambers. She’d never seen him so angry, so forceful. “I thought we all might enjoy the opportunity to get to know him better.”
“No.”
