Free The Notorious Nobleman by Nancy Lawrence

quietly. “I find the villagers have enough tales
to tell of me without my adding any more fuel to their
fires.”
    He departed before Julia could think any
reason to make him stay. No sooner had the door closed upon him
than Harriet directed a rather horrified gaze upon her and said,
“You, Julia Pettingale, are playing with fire! You have had more
than ample opportunity to hint the Duke away, which is what any
prudent woman would do! Instead, you invite him into my very own
drawing room, as bold as you please!”
    “ I did not invite him in. Your maid
announced him and he came in before I could put two thoughts
together.” She took the sewing basket from Harriet’s lifeless
fingers and began sorting through its contents.
    “ Why was he here?”
    “ He explained the reason for his call.
I believe his motives were quite gentlemanly.”
    “ I don’t!” retorted Harriet. “I saw the
way he looked at you just now, and I also noticed how you looked at
him. For heaven’s sake, Julia, stop this madness before it goes any
further!”
    Julia felt her temper rise, and said, rather
defiantly, “I have met the duke on only two occasions and in both
instances, he was very kind to me. I cannot think why you have
chosen to hold him in such low regard.”
    “ Julia, the Duke of Warminster is a
libertine,” said Harriet, bluntly. “It pains me to say such a
thing, but you must face that fact.”
    “ So you have told me,” Julia answered,
calmly.
    “ He gambles away small fortunes on a
turn of a single card,” said Harriet, undeterred, “and he runs
sporting mad to the exclusion of all other pursuits.”
    “ I am sure he regrets such behavior!”
Julia said, her voice seriously weakened.
    “ When he is at Merrified, he spends his
leisure time at the local inn, where his favorite drinking
companion happens to be a serving maid by the name of Leggy Liz.
And in London, he has a house on Albermarle Street where he has
installed his latest flame! My dear Julia, this man is not for
you!”
    “ Are you simply repeating gossip or do
you know such things for a fact? I thought so!” she said, when
Harriet could not reply. “Will you condemn him based on rumors and
gossip? I refuse to judge a man merely based on stories that
neither you nor I know in fact to be true!” protested
Julia.
    “ Then here is some truth for you,
Julia, and I shall speak it plainly to you, as a friend. When I
invited you to visit I promised I would do my best by you to find
you a husband; but you must know that no man will offer for you if
it is put about that you are on intimate terms with the Duke of
Warminster. For your own sake, you must end your friendship with
him now.”
    “ Harriet, I cannot  ”
    “ My dear Julia,” Harriet said, a bit
more kindly, “no man of honor will ever propose marriage to a woman
who counts a libertine among her acquaintance.” Julia was quiet for
a moment, prompting Harried to add, “You do see that I am right,
don’t you?”
    Julia knew very well that Harriet was
speaking nothing but the truth, but she fought against it with a
feeble protest. “I don’t think you would say such things if only
you knew him as I do.”
    “ I know him well enough to know that he
will never offer you marriage. He can only prevent you from
marrying another, and then where will you be?”
    Where, indeed? In Harriet’s rather direct
words, Julia was forced to acknowledge a truth she would rather
dismiss: She was fast falling in love with the Duke of Warminster,
and had been from the moment he had set her upon his horse and
wrapped his strong arm comfortingly about her. She thought that
since that moment, she had witnessed changes in him, that she had
detected a softness whenever he was in her company. But she also
recalled how guarded he was of his emotions and how much he grieved
still for a wife who was long gone from him. Harriet was right; he
would never offer her marriage. Just moments ago he said very
plainly he would