Page 10 of The Odyssean Duke

Stephan brought his hand down to the hem of her shirt, his fingers brushing the warm skin of her stomach. Evelina’s muscles tensed, and a gasp tore from her throat. “I—I do…” She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, giving Stephan the impression of a woman who wasenduringabove all else.

“I knew you would not be ready for this,” he said, withdrawing his hand. “Now, you see it, too.”

Stephan stepped back, and Evelina remained where she was, her hands braced against the wall and her face red. He could not determine if she was angry or mortified, likely both.

“How dare you?” she asked, though her words did not carry the expected heat.

Stephan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. He would not let himself feel guilty for tricking her. That was far kinder than allowing this sheltered woman to do something so foolish. “How dare I show you the truth?” he asked. “You ought to be thanking me.”

Her eyes widened, and she took an angry step forward. “Thanking you?” she cried. “I will do no such thing! You deliberately embarrassed me!”

Stephan tried not to smile. Perhaps it spoke poorly of him that he was so amused by a woman’s anger, but it was difficult not to be when Evelina was such a slight, lovely lady. “I am protecting you from making a terrible choice,” he said.

Evelina glared at him. “I can make my own choices!” she snapped.

“I am certain you can,” he said. “But with the men here in this tavern? Do you think any of them will respect you or give you a moment’s consideration?”

Evelina smiled bitterly, but Stephan saw the deep pain in her eyes. “Am I to assume that you believe the men of the tonwould, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

Evelina had not seen the true horrors of the world. At worst, Stephan imagined she had encountered a rakish man or aneglectful husband. She had not seen all the pain that one man might seek to inflict upon another. Evelina had no knowledge about the true depravity of the world and doubtlessly believed that an encounter between a harlot and her customer was the worst the world had to offer. A strange surge of protectiveness grew inside him, fierce and hot. He was not a good man, not by far, but he was no better for having seen the true cruelty lurking at humanity’s black heart. Stephan could not imagine leaving Evelina to discover some of it in this dark and ramshackle tavern.

“You are wrong,” Evelina said suddenly. “There is no moral difference between a wealthy man and a poor one. On the contrary, I would argue that the men of the ton are the worst of all. They may do as they like to whomever they like, and the law will never bring them to justice.”

Stephan narrowed his eyes. “Are you speaking from experience?”

“It is a simple truth that every woman knows, and which men find convenient to ignore,” Evelina said.

“Is that so?” Stephan asked.

Evelina tipped her chin defiantly up. “Yes.”

“No woman has ever told me such before you,” he said. “Maybe ladies ought to remind men more often of this inconvenient truth, so they do not forget.”

“Maybe the ladies try, and the men simply do not listen,” Evelina said, crossing her arms.

Stephan’s lips twitched in amusement. “I imagine you are a great admirer of Wollstonecraft.”

“She is an inspiration to all women.” Evelina frowned, a sudden puzzled look crossing her face. “Are you familiar with Wollstonecraft?”

“In passing.”

In truth, he had read the entirety of herVindication of the Rights of Women. Stephan had been young and foolish then, still convinced that he might be able to win his grandmother’s approval if he showed a willingness to understand the fairer sex better. He remembered approaching her, bursting with excitement to discuss the text, only to learn that Her Grace had not read Wollstonecraft.

“Most men have not,” Evelina said. “I suppose that says something about your character.”

“You make that admission sound profoundly like an insult,” Stephan remarked. “Nevertheless, I shall take the compliment, regardless of how begrudgingly you have offered it.”

Evelina sighed and looked askance. Stephan wondered if she was searching for an escape but had nowhere to which she might flee. “I suppose it would be proper to ask you to forgivemy indiscretion tonight,” she said stiffly. “I must think of a new plan, and for that, I may need my reputation to be unsullied.”

“A lady’s business should be her own,” Stephan said.

Evelina nodded. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat and sighed quietly. “Thank you.”

Stephan inclined his head. At once, an idea occurred to him. Evelina wished to have a child, but it was clear that she was not prepared to have an amorous encounter with any man in this tavern. Would she feel similarly about a respectable, titled man? Stephan considered the possibility.

“I should return home.”