realized now that she had not been prepared to be pursued by a true scoundrel. For surely Lord Dunraven knew all the tricks.
And maybe she was a fool, but she had believed him when he told her he would not leak to Society that she was a writer of tittle-tattle.
The Heathecoutes always took the seat facing the horses. It didn’t matter to Millicent which direction she sat in the carriage.
The viscount climbed in behind Millicent and the footman closed the door. As usual, his lordship immediately laid his head back against the squabs and closed his eyes. It was his habit to nap on the ride home each evening.
Millicent wondered why she hadn’t seen Lord Dunraven at any of the parties. It was the first night in more than a week that she hadn’t seen him.
He’s only trifling with you.
Of course, because that’s what scoundrels do.
They woo, flatter, and kiss innocent young ladies until they are pining after the rogues, then they move on to the next unsuspecting young lady and steal her heart, too. Millicent knew all this. She should have been able to resist Lord Dunraven’s charms, if for no other reason than what had happened to her mother when she’d lost her heart and reputation over a man of the very same ilk.
If only she had been stronger than her mother, but in the end, she found she was just as susceptible to a rake’s charms. She had watched for him all evening, hoping he would appear by her side and ask her to dance. Perhaps he didn’t intend to have anything to do with her now that he knew what she was doing. A stab of envy struck her at the thought that Lady Lambsbeth was back in Town. Maybe he no longer needed any other diversion.
“Ma’am,” Millicent asked, “what do you know about Lord Dunraven and Lady Lambsbeth?”
The viscountess fanned herself. “Oh, that’s an old story, and why Beatrice wanted to run it in Lord Truefitt’s column I have no idea. It’s really passé. There are more appetizing things to be writing about than an old love affair. Perhaps it just shows that Beatrice is having trouble keeping up with the column while she’s recuperating.”
This was the first comment that Millicent had heard the viscountess make about how her aunt was handling the column. Millicent could only assume that her ladyship hadn’t heard that circulation for The Daily Reader had increased and Lord Truefitt’s column was praised for being one of the main reasons.
Just tonight she’d heard more than one lady mention how eager she was to get the paper each day to see what quote from Shakespeare was used in Lord Truefitt’s column.
Millicent decided it would be wise not to express a view one way or the other to the Lady Heathecoute. She would leave that up to her aunt. However, she wasn’t shy about asking other questions she wanted answers to.
“Ma’am,” Millicent asked in what she hoped was an offhanded manner, “do you think Lord Dunraven loves Lady Lambsbeth?”
“Loves? Good heavens, no. I doubt he’s ever loved anyone in his life. I think most everyone considers him a confirmed bachelor. What makes you ask such a question? You haven’t set your eyes on him have you? Because I have to agree with my husband that he is quite unattainable.”
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s just there has been talk about the two of them now that she’s back in Town.”
“Yes, yes. Everyone assumes they had an affair and it ended badly. Talk about it was all the rage last year. She was married and her husband found out about it. Had it not been for friends of both men one of them would be dead to—” She stopped and chuckled.
The low throaty sound of her laughter sounded ominous in the dark carriage. Millicent noticed the viscount hadn’t even blinked an eye since he stepped into the carriage. No doubt he was used to hearing his wife’s laughter.
“Ah—that is, one of them is dead, I understand. But of course, not from the challenge. After wise counsel from his friends, Lord Lambsbeth withdrew it and he and his lady left Town the next day. That’s no matter now. I don’t think anyone in the ton cares whether the earl and lady pick up where they left off. It’s old news.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“I’m more interested in hearing whether another of the Terrible Threesome, Lord Dugdale, is truly in financial straits. That could account for