Page 58 of Cold November Rake

He turned toward her then and smiled.

A smile.

A good sign.

They had not seen each other since last night. Since he had coldly turned away from her after their passionate coupling and left her to clean up on her own.

Temperance had woken this morning to an empty bed and a deep pit in her stomach that eased somewhat at the sight of his smile.

Somewhat.

"We are barely getting any acceptances frae the ton," the duchess said, turning to Sutton. "Only the most infamous o' yer friends are daring tae accept."

The duke frowned in disbelief. "They hesitate to accept an invitation to the evening hosted by the Duchess of Hardwicke and the Countess of Sutton?"

"I don't think they want to associate with the Intemperate Countess," Temperance said with a gulp.

"We can fix that," the duchess said. "A duke and two viscounts make a formidable roster. I am afraid the other people just dinnae know o' yer associations. We need tae show them how influential yer allies are."

Sutton flicked the acceptance card from the Duke of Tyrone. "It does not help that those powerful allies were notorious rakes before getting married. And scandal still follows them wherever they go. I am afraid showing the support of those scandalous couples might not help as much as ye think."

The duchess lifted her chin. "Well, we'll see about that. How about this: ye invite yer friends and their wives tae the theater. We'll rent a couple o' boxes and⁠—"

"I dinnae think it's the best idea," Sutton said quickly.

"Why, it's a brilliant idea," the duchess interrupted. "We will call on a few families wi' dear Temperance, but we must go tae the theater tae show our faces among polite society."

"The Medusa Theater and Covent Garden draw only the most disreputable crowds. I doubt being seen there would help," Sutton said.

"Then we go tae the King's Theater. Since I wanted tae see the opera anyway."

"Not opera," Sutton snapped. "Ye'll find something else."

Temperance lowered her lashes. He didn't want them arriving at his mistress's performance.

Bringing a wife there would have been... inconvenient. She swallowed the sting in her throat and looked away to compose her features.

"Ye watch yer tone with me, lad," the duchess said, puffing up her chest. "We need tae put a stop tae all rumors about ye. And the best way tae do that is tae show yer dedication tae one⁠—"

"Must it be at the theater?" Sutton asked.

"How dare ye interrupt yer mother..." the duchess bristled, and all three descended into a family argument.

The duchess didn't just come up with the opera idea, Temperance was certain. This was more of her scheming.

Just as she had maneuvered Temperance into Sutton's bed with the translucent nightgown, now she wanted them to appear at his mistress's opera, where they'd have to play doting husband and wife and make plain to the entire ton that Sutton's dalliance was over. That he was standing by his notorious wife's side. That they were a family unit. And that they were supported by powerful allies.

That their scandalous past was behind them.

The duchess was right, though how well the plan would work depended on whether Sutton could keep his attention on his wife rather than on his lover during the opera.

Was she ready to risk watching her husband admire his mistress in front of all of London? Risk seeing love in his eyes that did not exist when he looked at her?

"I dinnae think Temperance would want—" Sutton was saying amid the flurry of the argument, his brogue getting thicker the more irritated he became, but Temperance cut him off.

"I do. I think it is an excellent plan."

The three fell silent, all eyes on her.