Her Devilish Marquess (17 page)

“
Warren thinks much too
highly of himself. The world doesn’t exist to cater to his every
whim. If he keeps it up, he’ll push everyone away from him. I’m
surprised you manage to bear with him as often as you
do.”

He stopped tapping the edge of the chair’s
arm and leaned toward her as she added lumps of sugar to her and
Danette’s cups. “Did you really tell Lady Iris she’d be better off
if she didn’t continue to let him call on her?”

“
I did, and,” she added
before he could argue with her, “I won’t apologize for it. Marriage
is a lifetime commitment, and a lifetime is much too long to spend
with a gentleman who holds you in contempt.”

“
He didn’t hold her in
contempt.”

She sat back in the chair and gave him a
pointed look. “Yes, he did. She knows just as much about money as
he does, and yet when she tried to engage in the conversation you,
he, and Robert were having at the dinner party, he ignored her. If
you ask me, the only reason he invited her was to get in the good
graces of her father.”

Malcolm stared at her for a long moment then
asked, “You really think he ignored her?”

Only a gentleman too engaged in the
conversation would have missed the obvious, and as much as she
loved Malcolm, she wasn’t so stupid she couldn’t see his faults.
“Yes, he did. I felt sorry for the poor lady. She’s very
intelligent. If you and Warren had paid more attention to her that
evening, you two might have learned something new about money. Her
father is a shrewd businessman. Evidently, he taught her what he
knows.”

“
I don’t understand it. If
my behavior was so deplorable, why didn’t you tell me?”

“
Because my concern was with
Warren. I wanted to protect her from a lifetime of
misery.”

“
Warren’s not all bad. He
does have some good qualities to offer a wife.”

“
Sure, as long as the wife
prefers a gentleman who only sees her as a brood mare.”

She could tell by the way his eyes widened
that she’d caught him off guard, but if she didn’t tell him how
Warren was acting, then who else would? She’d been willing to put
the matter aside about that evening. In fact, she hadn’t said a
word about it to Malcolm out of respect to him. Warren was his
friend, after all. However, if he was going to ask for her opinion,
then she saw no reason to hold back.

“
I make no apologies for
telling Lady Iris to run as fast as she could from Warren,” she
added. “If I had to do it again, I would. Maybe this way she’ll
meet a kind and sensitive gentleman who will appreciate
her.”

The butler came into the drawing room and
announced Danette and Derek had arrived. Glad for the reprieve from
the awkward conversation, Regan hurried to greet their guests.

Chapter Thirteen

D
erek thought the dinner went well. Regan did most of the
talking, and he couldn’t help but note she made it a point to
include everyone in the conversation. Between her and Malcolm, this
proved she was the more social of the two. And it was easy to like
her. She had an easygoing nature mixed with fun and compassion. It
was no wonder Danette considered her a good friend. The two seemed
to balance each other very well, and he suspected Regan benefited
just as much from their friendship as Danette did.

At the end of the meal, Derek and Malcolm
went to the den so the ladies could have time to talk alone.

“
Would you like some
brandy?” Malcolm asked as he went over to the decanter.

“
Yes, thank you.”

Derek sat in one of the chairs and glanced
around the room. He didn’t know much about Malcolm, except that he
didn’t dare do anything to upset the Ton. But as he examined the
books lining the shelves, it occurred to him Malcolm placed a high
importance on the acquisition of wealth.

The other items in the room were all neat
and organized. The papers on his desk were in a neat stack, and the
ledger had been closed with a ribbon to mark his place. Never in
his life did Derek see anyone so meticulous. Even Malcolm’s hair
and clothes were immaculate. Indeed, he resembled a statue more
than an actual human being.

After Malcolm poured brandy into their
glasses, he came over to Derek and held one of the glasses out to
him. “Congratulations on getting into White’s.”

Surprised, Derek accepted the glass. “Thank
you,” he said. Malcolm didn’t strike him as the type of gentleman
who’d be particularly thrilled to have him in the club. “No one was
more shocked than I to hear the news.”

Malcolm sat across from him and crossed his
legs. “You didn’t expect to get in?”

“
No. I assumed no one except
for a very few would have the courage to be seen with me. My past
isn’t exactly the kind of thing gentlemen brag about.”

“
Well, your wife seems to be
happy with you.”

“
Danette is braver than
other ladies. I guarantee you no one else would have agreed to the
match.”

Malcolm chuckled. “If you made it into
White’s, you can’t be that bad.”

“
That depends on who you
talk to.”

Derek took a sip of the brandy, and he had
to admit the rumors about Mr. Jasper serving the best brandy
weren’t exaggerated. The meal had been just as delicious. Much as
his attire and his home, everything he did was with the desire to
be the best. Derek had to hand it to him. At least he knew what he
wanted and went for it.

After a moment of awkward silence passed
between them, Derek said, “I hope I don’t damage your reputation by
being here.”

“
My brother-in-law is Lord
Toplyn,” Malcolm replied. “If he hasn’t damaged it by now, then you
have nothing to worry about.” He took a sip of his brandy. “Do you
know Lord Toplyn?”

“
No, I haven’t even heard of
him. I keep to myself most of the time. That is, when I’m not
tending to the sick.”

“
Lord Toplyn became my
brother-in-law by kissing my sister at a ball. Granted, we were
outside by the carriage, but it was enough to secure a marriage
with her.”

“
That doesn’t seem so bad.
I’ve heard of gentlemen who did worse to secure a marriage. Had he
been banned from any balls?”

“
No,
unfortunately.”

“
I have. I think Lord Edon
and Mr. Robinson are the only gentlemen who invite me to their
balls, and we both know what a rake Lord Edon is. If your
brother-in-law is able to show his face at other gentlemen’s balls,
then he’s more reputable than I am.”

Malcolm raised an eyebrow and grinned, as if
he suspected Derek was joking. “Are you trying to tell me I should
make you leave my townhouse?”

“
I figure your friends at
White’s will think the only reason I’m here is because your wife
insisted on it. I am her friend’s husband. I just don’t want you to
go through the pretense of liking me. I understand you have to be
pleasant to me while we’re in the ladies’ company, but you don’t
have to do that when we’re alone.”

Malcolm’s smile faltered. “Is that what you
think? That I’m only being nice to you because of my wife?”

“
Will you deny the only
reason you’re allowing me into your townhouse this evening is
because of her?”

Malcolm shifted in his chair, a clear sign
the conversation was making him uncomfortable.

Derek put his glass down and leaned forward.
The sooner they got this out of the way, the better. “I’m not
judging you. I don’t mind it if we’re pleasant to each other when
we’re with our wives or when we’re at White’s. The one thing I
don’t like is when someone says one thing and means another. I grew
up with it, and I see it a lot with the Ton. I prefer honesty above
all else.”

Malcolm waited for a moment before
answering. “I admit I wasn’t all that excited to learn you were the
gentleman Danette was marrying. Regan’s talked of little else but
finally having Danette over for dinner parties. It wasn’t that we
didn’t invite her before. She just didn’t have anyone to come here
with, and she didn’t want to feel left out.”

“
No one can blame her for
that.”

“
I agree. I wouldn’t want to
go to a couple’s dinner party if I didn’t have a lady with me.” He
paused then added, “I love Regan. I’d do anything for her. She
asked me to give you a chance. Already, I can say you’re better
than my brother-in-law. He does and says things for the sole
purpose of annoying me.”

“
Does he?”

“
One time he was giving me
tips on how to pleasure my wife right in front of everyone at
White’s. It was so embarrassing. Some of the gentlemen at White’s
think I’m awful in bed because of it.”

Malcolm grimaced, and Derek had to force
back the urge to laugh. Not that it was a laughing matter. Really,
it wasn’t. No gentleman wanted to be thought of as being inadequate
in bed. But considering how perfect Malcolm was in appearance, it
was startling to see him portray a sincerely human emotion. He no
longer seemed like a statue.

“
Perhaps,” Derek began,
“your brother-in-law tries to annoy you because you respond to
him.”

Malcolm frowned. “How do you mean?”

“
Well, if the grimace you
just gave me is similar to how you react when he does these things,
then it’s possible your brother-in-law finds you
amusing.”

“
You think he’d stop doing
those things if I ignored him?”

Derek shrugged. “I’d try it and see what
happens. I could be wrong, but what have you got to lose by trying
a new tactic?”

Malcolm studied the brandy in his glass for
a moment and then nodded. “You make a good point. I’ll try it.”

Since there was nothing else to say on that
topic, Derek opted for, “Well, if your friends ask why you let
someone of my reputation into your home, you won’t hurt my feelings
if you tell them you only did it to please your wife.” He rose to
his feet. “Unlike other gentlemen, I’m not so fragile I can’t
handle it when someone doesn’t like me.”

“
I didn’t say I didn’t like
you,” Malcolm argued, quickly standing up.

“
I know you didn’t, but I’m
aware our worlds don’t mix.” He glanced around the room once more.
“You obviously have an excellent reputation and are proud of it. I
won’t do anything to embarrass you.”

“
Did I say something to make
you think I thought you would?”

Realizing Malcolm was sincere in the
question, he assured him, “No, you didn’t. You’ve done everything
you could to make me feel welcome.” Then, without waiting for
Malcolm to say anything else, Derek added, “If it’s all right with
you, I’d like to go to the drawing room.”

Despite the look of uncertainty on his face,
Malcolm nodded and led Derek to the drawing room.

***

“
I told you everything would
be fine,” Regan told Danette as they reclined in their chairs,
sipping tea. “Our husbands got along wonderfully during the
meal.”

“
Yes, I think they did,
too,” Danette admitted, though she truly hadn’t expected them to.
The two had seemed to have an easy enough time talking during the
meal. “Maybe it won’t be so awkward with the two belonging to the
same gentleman’s club.”

“
Both you and Malcolm have a
tendency to worry too much. I had to remind him it was perfectly
fine to have Derek over for a dinner party. You’re my dearest
friend. There was no way even Warren could find fault with
it.”

Danette lowered her cup to her lap. “Was
Malcolm worried Warren wouldn’t approve you of having Derek
here?”

“
Malcolm worries over every
little thing that might upset the insufferable earl. Honestly, I
don’t know what’s so wonderful about him. His opinion isn’t as
important as either of them believes.”

Danette knew she shouldn’t let what others
thought about Derek bother her. But no matter how hard she tried to
hold back the question, it came out anyway. “What is Warren’s
opinion of Derek?”

“
Lord Steinbeck has the same
opinion of him that he does for most of the people he meets. It has
no bearing on Derek. Warren is the rudest and most conceited
gentleman in all of London.” Shaking her head, her friend
continued, “I shouldn’t even refer to him as a gentleman. Doing so
only pays him too much respect.”

It was on the tip of Danette’s tongue to
press her to answer her question rather than avoid it, but at that
moment, Derek and Malcolm came into the room.