Free Portrait of My Heart by Patricia Cabot

sharply.
    Edward let out a bark of humorless laughter. “Good God, no. This hasn’t a thing to do with the fact that your mother was a whore.” When Jeremy didn’t flinch at the word, Edward went on, feeling slightly more respect for the younger man. “No, you don’t deserve Maggie—or any other decent sort of woman—because you’re nothing but a ne’er-do-well.”
    Jeremy blinked at him. “A what ?”
    “Jerry, I’m surprised at you.” Edward shook his head as if greatly disappointed in his nephew … but inwardly, he was smiling. “Haven’t you ever noticed how dedicated your aunt Pegeen is to all those charities and foundations she donates to in your name? Why, there are a dozen orphans tearing up the rose beds in the garden this very instant, because Pegeen is hosting some kind of picnic for them.” When Jeremy looked blank, Edward rolled his eyes. “She raised you from a baby, Jerry. Hasn’t anything she taught you sunk in? Your aunt has devoted her life to making this world a better place, for children, for women, for the poor. That’s what you ought to be doing.”
    “Philanthropic works?” Jeremy asked, the distaste he felt
at the thought of involving himself in such activities evident in his expression.
    “Not necessarily,” Edward said impatiently. “But you’ve got to make something out of the life you’ve been given.”
    “Why should I have to?” Jeremy inquired belligerently. “I’m a duke.”
    “It’s because you’re a duke that it’s even more essential that you make something of yourself. You’ve got to show that you’re worthy of the title. You can’t simply spend your entire life fighting duels and seducing young women—”
    “Why not?” Jeremy demanded. “When you were my age, that’s all you did.”
    “Yes,” Edward said. He raised an index finger. He didn’t mean to look pedantic. He simply couldn’t help it. “Yes, you’re right, I did. I was like you. I thought my only obligation in life was to enjoy myself. But you see, Jeremy, when I met your aunt, I learned how very wrong I’d been. Because if winning a particular woman is important to you, you can’t simply try to seduce her in a stable and expect her parents to force her to marry you—”
    “That isn’t precisely what I set out to do,” Jeremy grumbled, flushing a little.
    “—and you can’t expect any woman worth winning to be impressed with you simply because you’re in possession of a title. No, you’ve got to make yourself at least appear to be worth her while … and quite frankly, the man I was when I met your aunt wasn’t worth anything, except a few hundred pounds a month in tailoring bills, which she quickly pointed out to me. But I changed, you see, Jerry. I made something of myself. I found something I did and did well—arguing—and I turned it into an occupation. Now I argue, quite effectively, for the betterment—I believe, any way—of the people of England. That’s what you’ve got to do, Jerry. You’ve got to find out what you do well, and then do it. That’s when you’ll find a girl like Maggie and—”
    “I don’t want a girl like Maggie,” Jeremy snapped. “I want her .”
    Edward raised his eyebrows. It wasn’t that he was surprised, particularly. After all, Maggie Herbert was one of the
only women in Jeremy’s acquaintance who hadn’t the slightest interest in becoming a duchess. It was just that Edward wasn’t sure that Jeremy was aware that that might be exactly where his attraction to her lay. “Well,” Edward said. “Regardless. You’ve got to find something—”
    “The only thing I can do,” Jeremy said firmly, “is fight.”
    Edward nodded. “Well, yes, you’ve certainly shown a certain aptitude for that. Certainly a scholar’s life hasn’t held any appeal for you, and I doubt politics is exactly your cup of—”
    “I can fight,” Jeremy said, again. He didn’t seem to be listening to his uncle anymore. In fact, he turned his back