Page 33 of The Duke of Deceit

“No, she didn’t. That’s not what she wrote.” His expression grew sympathetic. “She wanted me to marry her to save her reputation over being caught together in the garden. There was no mention of a child.” His voice turned impossibly softer. “There couldn’t have been because we were never intimate, not in that way.”

“But I saw you with her. You were disheveled, and her skirt was—” She swallowed. Hard.Her skirt was up around her waist.But she couldn’t make herself say it.

“Yes, there were kisses and touches. But she took the lead in all of it. She wanted to seduce me, not the other way around. She invited me into the garden and beneath the bower, then lifted her own skirt.”

Jess wrapped her fingers tightly in her pelisse to keep them from shaking. “Amanda would never have done anything like that, certainly not with a rake.”

“I was surprised by it, too. But who am I to stop the advances of a pretty woman?”

She wanted to slap him. Again. “Isawthe two of you together.”

“You saw me kissing her. That was all.” He shook his head. “I’m a man, and I don’t apologize for taking the pleasures she offered. But I would never have crossed any line that claimed her innocence, even if you hadn’t interrupted us. As I said, I’m always very careful. I would never put myself into the position of being trapped into marriage. Not with your sister, not with anyone.” He lowered his head, his gaze focusing on the rug. “You don’t know me very well, but please believe me, Jessamyn, when I tell you that the last thing I would do is create a child who isn’t wanted.”

Jess stared at him, too stunned to find any words to counter that. What he was saying—it couldn’t be true. It simplycouldn’tbe! For Amanda to have behaved as he claimed, for her to have lied about her baby’s father…impossible. Amanda had never lied to Jess before, and she would never mislead her about something this important. What Lucien was insisting was completely, utterlywrong.

She knew her sister to be a kind, generous, and sweet soul who would never wrongly and intentionally place blame on anyone.

What she knew of Lucien Grenier, however…mercenary, scapegrace, rakehell, blackguard. A man who associated with courtesans and light skirts, who spent his nights in bouts of fisticuffs or foxed to the gills.

“You’re lying,” she rasped out in a low whisper.

“Go on, then,” he urged gently, nodding toward the letter. “Read it.”

She pulled in a deep breath and snatched up the letter, unfolded it, and scanned it, prepared to point out exactly how wrong he was.

Except…she couldn’t. The words blurred before her stinging eyes until she couldn’t read the missive all the way to the end, but she didn’t have to. She’d seen enough to know he wastelling the truth—about this letter at least. Not once did Amanda mention that she was with child. What she did was stress the scandalous situation they’d been found in, how the gossip would ruin her completely, and how he needed to marry her to save her reputation. There was no mention of conception in any context. Just a simple demand that he reply immediately.

Lucien had done exactly that, most likely laughing at the excessive solution she presented for a scandal which had never materialized…No.

“And here we are—more sugar!” Matilda announced brightly while still outside the room and halfway down the hall. Her shout was as good as a hue and cry in warning that she was returning. “That didn’t take too long at all.”

Jess promptly rose to her feet and shoved the letter into the pocket of her pelisse as Auntie finally entered the room.

Lucien politely rose, but his concerned eyes remained on Jess.

Matilda stopped beside the tea table and set down the sugar bowl, which to Jess seemed to be at the exact same level as before. Auntie glanced between the two of them, and her bright smile wavered but never faltered when she saw the grim expressions darkening both their faces.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important,” she said, although clearly she knew she had.

“You didn’t,” Jess answered. “We had finished our conversation.” She cleared her throat. “His Grace was just saying how he needed to be on his way, to return the necklace to Lord Fitzsimmon’s house in case its true owner came looking for it. Isn’t that so, Your Grace?”

“Yes.” Backed into a corner, he had no choice but to agree. “Thank you for the tea, Miss Davidson.” He bowed to Matilda, then to Jess. “And for the conversation, Miss St Claire.”

He took his leave, and Jess followed him politely to the door, where Simms waited with his hat and coat. Lucien took them, and Simms hurried back to the drawing room as Matilda called out for him to collect the tea things.Immediately.

Jess nearly rolled her eyes. Auntie’s timing, as always, was impeccable. And utterly infuriating.

While slipping on his coat and gloves, Lucien murmured to her, “We should talk again. We still have a lot to discuss.”

Instinctively, she knew he meant far more than just her sister, and a low heat slithered down her spine. She returned in the same low voice, “I think we’ve said everything that needs to be said.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Jessamyn—”

“Here.” She reached into her pelisse pocket to retrieve the slightly crumpled letter and held it out to him, as if presenting papers of dismissal.

“All right.” He took the letter and shoved it into his coat pocket, then added in a low warning, “For now.”

He grimly sketched her a bow, then turned and left, jogging down the front two steps and across the footpath to his coach. As he bounded up into the compartment, he signaled for the coachman, who flicked the whip over the team of four horses. The impressive rig started forward, and Jess watched as it turned the corner and vanished from sight before she closed the door.