"I told you there was something fishy about him! But the news about Emerson must be old information. He became engaged recently."
"Yes, I know. To the daughter of a wealthy cit."
"Then you must realize that his taste in mistresses, expensive or otherwise, is no longer an issue."
"Thea, do not be naive. Many gentlemen keep mistresses after marriage."
How dare he sound so condescending? "If I were to marry, my husband would not keep a mistress."
He reached around and pulled her chin toward him and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "No, I won't. You are the only woman I want."
She warmed at his words, but wasn't ready to let go of their earlier conversation. "What makes you think that Emerson is one of the men who will keep a mistress?"
"He already has one."
"Are you certain? Perhaps she used to be his mistress."
"That's what I tried to verify tonight. My man of affairs said that Emerson's current paramour is a widow in the ton. A lady with very expensive taste in jewelry. Unfortunately, the gentleman I hoped to speak to was too involved in his hand of whist to gossip. He did say that he'd heard the widow was seeing someone involved in trade."
She chewed on that thought for a moment. "Drake?"
"Hmm?"
"You are involved in trade, but no one appears to censure you because of it."
"I am very discreet."
"Oh."
"It makes my mother happy."
"I see. She would be embarrassed if you flaunted your business acumen."
He shrugged. "It's part of living among the Polite World."
"The thing is, I don't know if I can live my entire life in bondage to the rules of Society."
Would he understand her need for freedom? He had refused to accept her fear of marriage, taking it as a personal aspersion on his considerable honor.
"You are unique, Thea. I don't expect you to behave as every other English lady of the ton."
She bit on her lip and tried to marshal her thoughts. "You do expect me to be proper."
He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I expect you to be you."
"But what if that is not enough? What if I embarrass you or Lady Upworth? Aunt Ruth says that I'm not at all proper in most of my thinking. On the island, that didn't seem to matter, but here every word I utter is scrutinized. I can't even wear the same gown to more than one major engagement or I'll be considered gauche. Your aunt said so. It's all so frustrating. Why do the gowns I wear matter more than who I am and what I think?"
During her tirade, he had begun to kiss a path down her jaw line.
He kissed the corner of her mouth. "You'll get used to the ton and they will come to adore you."
She turned her head away. "What if I don't want to get used to them? I don't like the way everyone here avoids discussing the really important things like abolition, yet will spend hours exploring the ramifications of wearing kid gloves versus silk ones with a ball gown."
He went back to kissing her, this time focusing on the nape of her neck since her face was turned away. "I'm not in the least bit interested in gloves and I'll talk abolition with you anytime you like."
"No, you won't. You don't want me to discuss important moral issues for fear I will offend someone. You said so aboard ship."
His hand slid inside her cloak, and strong, warm fingers skimmed over the exposed flesh above her bodice. "I thought someone had tried to kill you because of it."