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Markhaestured to the seat opposite him "May I?"

"Certainly" Gerard set aside his reading, as the viscount settled into his chair

"You look altered"

"I would like to think I ay was sincere"

"It was"

The viscount ran a hand through his dark blond locks, and s immeasurably But tell me this, as I’ve wondered for years, did she set me aside for you?"

"No Honestly, you were our only connection up until the moment we spoke our vows"

"I fail to understand Why denybetween you?"

"Does any man discuss the reasons why his wife married him? Does any man ever know? Whatever her impetus, I am a most fortunate man"

"Fortunate? You have been absent for four bloody years!" the viscount cried, studying hireat deal can happen in that time span"

"Or not happen," Markham said "When did you return?"

"Yesterday"

"I spoke with Pel the day before, and she said nothing to ave a h "And, unfortunately, she is not as pleased as I would wish"

Markhaestured to a nearby footman for a drink "I a faed My tastes are different, as are oals"

"I wondered hoas that you were i "Fate does have a way of balancing the scales, if given enough ti if I said I wasn’t pleased to see you suffer a bit"

Gerard gave a reluctant smile "My wife is a mystery to me, which deepens my dilemma"

"Isabel is a mystery to everyone Why do you think so e is irresistible"

"Do you re why he had never bothered to inquire before "I would like to hear of it, if you do"

Markha offered to hie who has forgotten Lady Isabel Blakely as she was in her youth She is Sandforth’s only daughter, and he doted on her Still does, as far as I know It was known that her doas substantial, which attracted the fortune hunters, but she would have been popular, regardless We all awaited her coerly I had plans to offer for her even then But Pelham ily He did not wait He seduced her fresh out of the schoolroo her"

"Seduced?"

"Yes, seduced It was obvious to everyone The way they looked at one another…Theirs was a grand passion Whenever they were in close proximity, the heat was palpable I envied hi I had hoped to have that with her, but it wasn’t to be Even after he began to stray, she still adored hireatly Pelham was a fool"

"Hear, hear," Gerardthe flare of jealousy he felt

Markha drink "You remind me of him Or rather, you did before He o and twenty when he married her, and just as cocky as you In fact, Pel used to note often how much you reminded her of Pelham When you married, I assumed that hy But then you kept on with your distractions, and she with hers You confounded all of us, and angered more than a few It seemed a waste to have Pel finally remarried, only to have it be to a man who had no interest in her"

Gerard stared down at his hands, which were reddened and callused froold band he wore, a piece of jewelry he and Pel had bought as a lark, jesting that it would never see the light of day He wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to wear it, but now that it was on, he found he liked it It was an odd feeling, the feeling of belonging to so he’d bought her this afternoon, and if that hy she had rejected it so suhed "I really should hate you, Gray But you make it damn difficult"

Gerard’s brows lifted into his hairline "I’ve done nothing to stop you fro If those are not signs that you have changed, I’ve no notion ould be Cheer up She’s yours now, and unlike myself or Pearson or any of the others, she cannot set you aside"

"But there is Hargreaves," he reminded

"Ah yes, there is that," Markharin "As I said, fate does have a way"

"I am horribly disappointed that your errant spouse is not at home," the Duchess of Sandforth complained

"Mother" Isabel shook her head "I cannot believe you hastened here sile Gray"

"As if I wouldn’t" Her Grace shty cat "Bella, you should know by now that overwhel curiosity is one of ru-Moore caine how dreadful it was that she knew every minute detail of Grayson’s appearance, while I did not even knoas in town"

"The only dreadful thing is that woth of her boudoir "I’ry ears as she could e in one day"

"Is he as fine as she says?"

Sighing, Isabel admitted, "Yes, I’m afraid so"

"She swore the way he looked at you was indecent, is that true as well?"

Isabel paused, and stared at herinto eyes of rich, dark brown The duchess was still considered a great beauty, though her auburn hair was now liberally shot with silver strands "I a this with you, Mother"

"Why not?" Her Grace replied, affronted "How delicious! You have a stunning lover, and a young husband who is even e of her nose, Isabel sighed "You should not envy me This is a disaster"

"Ah ha!" Her mother leapt to her feet "Grayson does want you About ti to wonder if he wasn’t a bit touched"

He was touched in the head, in Isabel’s opinion They had known one another for years, and lived together for six ration whenever she ht, perhaps she was touched, too "I need to find him a woman," she muttered