Chapter 8 #3
“I had no need of someone attending me full time. But she’ll be staying on and coming by every day to check on the apartment.”
Tulip was glad, for it was obvious Alex had needed someone kind to look after him, and Mrs. Gayle had taken on that role. “How long is your lease term?”
He chuckled. “As long as I wish it to be.”
“I see. The landlord must be happy to keep you on, especially now that you are a duke. It adds a certain cachet to this place. Do you think he will raise your rent?”
“He won’t ever.”
She glanced at him in confusion. “Why wouldn’t he?”
“Because I am the landlord and own this townhouse. It was already broken up into four student apartments when I bought it, so I combined two for myself and kept the others to let in order to provide a small income on the side.”
Tulip’s eyes rounded in surprise. “This place is yours?”
This explained why he was in no hurry to move out of here. It also explained why this apartment had been decorated with such permanence. “Oh, Alex. We could live here whenever we are in London. This seems like a fun place to be.”
“It is, but I think it must be Mayfair for us…or Belgravia if we decide to keep the Davenport townhouse. As for this place, we might get away with living here for a few months. But eyebrows will be raised if we settle here permanently. It was fine for a bachelor, and I was hardly ever here while my services for the magistrate were in dire need. Investigations took up all of my time. People will expect me to provide something finer for you.”
She listened while continuing to follow him as he checked the windows and doors.
“I would like to keep Mrs. Gayle on as my London housekeeper, if you have no objection,” he said, giving the kitchen door a solid shake to make certain it was securely latched.
“No objection,” Tulip assured him.
“But I do not mean for us to remain in this place. I would like to bring her with us wherever we settle in London.”
“Yes, I suppose it must be a grander home for us.” Tulip sighed, for she would have been quite happy right here. “But this also means Mrs. Gayle may need some training to run a fully staffed residence. As a married duke, you will now be expected to do quite a bit of entertaining.”
“Would you be able to properly train her, Tulip?”
“Yes, with the help of my cousins. Dillie will happily instruct us. She is a duchess herself and her home is impeccably run. But do you think Mrs. Gayle wants this added responsibility? It is not the same as caring for a single man who mostly takes his meals outside of the home and never entertains company.”
He arched an eyebrow.
What did that mean?
Was he in the habit of bringing home friends?
Lady friends?
In the next moment, she blushed and began to stammer. “That is, I assume you did not bring anyone here. Never mind. It is not my business to know who you invited over before we were betrothed.”
“I did not bring ladies here, if this is what concerns you.” He wrapped an arm casually about her waist as he led her to the parlor. “I preferred to avoid any romantic entanglements.”
Tulip turned to gaze out the window, for the street had truly come alive at this hour and she thought it was fascinating. “None at all?”
He came up behind her and put his arms around her. “No, nothing respectable or ever serious. Until you came along, I never thought I would marry.”
She leaned back slightly, enjoying the warmth of his body and the strength of it. “Then you got entangled with me.”
“I did not mind. In that moment when you bounded into my arms while in the Fullerton garden, I knew that I had a choice to make.”
“How were you given the choice? Everything happened so fast.”
“One always has a choice. Had I put my mind to it, I could have figured out a way to get you back into the ballroom with no one the wiser. I could have discredited Caruthers when he angrily claimed you were alone in the garden with him.”
“And saved my reputation? If that is true, then why did you not do it?”
“I wanted more than one night with you,” he said with surprising seriousness. “I realized in that moment that I needed you. That was my choice. One night with Tulip? Or a lifetime? I went for the lifetime.”
She was rendered speechless by his admission.
Was it true?
Could he possibly want her?
Was there a chance of love between them?
He let out a breath. “You did not entrap me. If anything, I forced this on you. Well, now you know what really happened that night.”
She looked up at him. “Did I not also have a choice? And I do not mean choosing you or Caruthers. I could have chosen neither of you and returned to Somerset. I have many friends there and would not have lacked for suitors. They might not have been dukes, but I never desired to be a duchess.”
“Yet, you agreed to marry me. Why?”
“For the same inexplicable reasons you wanted me, I suppose. I don’t know what drew me to you, but something changed for me in that moment.
My instincts took over, perhaps. I had already been feeling badly about tossing you in with all the other Davenport wastrels and going out of my way to avoid you.
It was wrong of me. The more I saw of you, the more I realized I had misjudged you. ”
“That’s promising,” he murmured.
“When you saved me from Caruthers and did it so valiantly, I knew you were a man to trust.” She cast him an impish grin. “Also, your kiss was very persuasive.”
His entire countenance lightened and he cast her another of his melting smiles. “Speaking of kisses…would you care for more?”