Tempted By a Rake (Wicked Widows’ League #21)

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Lavinia had been honest in her reasons for asking Mr. Valentine to join her for dinner. She did not want to risk his health. Except, she also used it as an excuse.

She had wandered along the streets of Seaford and become familiar with the town. She also did not encounter any gentleman of interest. Of course, she was aware that not everybody who lived in Seaford was out and about, but she’d been discouraged by what she had seen.

It really should not be so difficult to locate a handsome man and then determine if he was a rake or not, but it had been until Mr. Valentine stepped into her path and she once again reconsidered her decision.

She also wanted to get to know him better. Both were here on holiday and they were without family so there was no reason why they shouldn’t share dinner on occasion. It was silly to pretend as if the other was not in the neighboring cottage, especially since they were already well acquainted.

Her reasons, or excuses, made sense when in truth, she did not like the idea of dining alone. However, Valentine as a dinner guest also made her nervous. In Leopold’s library while reviewing agreements and such, she was confident in what she knew, and in her opinions, especially when she was right, but Lavinia had little experience in dining alone with a man. What could they even discuss?

Perhaps that was the reason she’d already drunk one glass of wine, which was also unlike her. She had hoped that it would calm the nervousness that had built ever since he had accepted her invitation.

Except, he hadn’t. She simply ordered and walked away.

That was rather presumptuous of her, but certainly he would accept the offer, wouldn’t he?

“Mr. Valentine has arrived,” the housekeeper announced, pulling Lavinia from her worries.

“Please show him in.”

This was a mistake. She should have taken the risk of him eating his own cooking and dined alone. It didn’t have to be a lonely activity. She could have read a book or newssheets.

“Lady Teviot, thank you for the invitation.”

At his words, she winced. Normally she hid her reaction when called by the title she came to possess when she married, but she hated it.

“Is all well, Lady Teviot?”

“Yes,” she finally answered, then walked to the sideboard. “Would you prefer wine or brandy?”

“I would not mind a glass of wine,” he answered. “However, if you would rather that I left, I will do so.”

“No. Of course not. I invited you.”

“Only so that I do not die.”

Lavinia allowed a small smile as she poured the wine.

Oh, she was so weary of always doing what was right and proper. She wanted to throw off all the responsibilities that came with her station. She just wanted to be free to enjoy—relax, and if she could not do that here, then there was no other place where it would be allowed, and she’d likely never get another chance.

And, who better to do so with than the man she admired, even if her request shocked him to his bones.

“May I confide something in you?” she asked as she handed him the glass.

“Of course.”

“I detest being called Lady Teviot,” she announced as she settled on the settee, surprised at the relief with her confession.

“It is your title,” Valentine reminded as he took a seat opposite her.

“It also belongs to my former mother-in-law. My husband is dead and his brother assumed the title,” Lavinia answered.

He frowned and it was likely because he could not understand.

Lavinia took a sip of her wine and wondered how much she should explain and then decided that if she were going to have Valentine as a dinner guest, and the fact that he would be her neighbor for the next fortnight, that she might as well forge a friendship. “The name has unpleasant emotions associated with it and I wish it was not mine.”

Goodness! She had felt this way since she had buried her husband but this was the first time she had ever admitted it. Not even her siblings knew but there was something freeing in telling Mr. Valentine.

He eyed her with confusion, or was it concern.

Not that it mattered as she was determined to enjoy her holiday regardless of what her future held, whether it be here, or back to her duties in her brother’s home and as Valentine was no stranger, she forged on. “Could you do me a favor?”

“If it is possible,” he answered and watched her with what she now deemed to be suspicion, which would never do as she was not up to anything nefarious.

“I am on holiday and as I would like to enjoy my time in Seaford, would you be opposed to calling me Lavinia while we are here?” Oh, it was a bold request but she would absolutely love to go for two weeks without hearing the name Teviot. Except the servants would address her as such, but that did not mean that Mr. Valentine must.

“I have no objection, so long as you call me Demetrius.”

She sucked in a breath as her pulse hitched. She’d not considered that he would ask to be addressed by his given name. “I could not.”

“Then I cannot grant you the same courtesy,” he answered.

“Yes, but you do not hate your name.”

He opened his mouth, as if he wished to deny her words, then said nothing.

“Please?” she nearly begged.

“I have stated my grounds. You address me as Demetrius or I address you by your title.”

Did she dare? “So long as we do not do so when we return to London as it would not be proper.”

“I would not dare show such disrespect,” he assured her with a partial smile and warm humor in his brown eyes.

“Dinner has been served,” the housekeeper announced.

Lavinia came to her feet, as did Demetrius.

How often had she seen him look at her in such a manner? Often it was when she was pointing out the flaws in agreements that he had drafted.

Though, they truly had not been flaws, she just preferred certain sections be worded differently.

In truth, she enjoyed their conversations and sometimes arguments because he listened and treated her with respect, as if her opinion was valued even though she was a female.

As he escorted her into the dining room, Lavinia couldn’t help another small smile. Even if she came to no conclusions about her future, perhaps a fortnight doing as she wished for herself would be enough.

Little shocked Demetrius but when Lady Teviot asked him to call her Lavinia he nearly choked on his wine. Such was not done, especially by someone of her standing. Christian names were reserved for family, or deep friends, or someone with whom a deep intimacy is shared. He was nothing more than her brother’s solicitor.

She was also the last person he would have ever thought to make such a request.

His opinion of Lavinia had always been that she was proper, stern and even rigid, almost as if she were afraid to let anyone close. Yet, despite all of that, he enjoyed being in her company and being called to task when sections of an agreement were not written in a manner of which she approved.

Was she at all the person he thought her to be or was this a side of her that he will only see while on holiday? Would she then return to the woman he had come to know in London?

He’d even seen the hint of a smile a few times today which was something that he had not witnessed before either.

Who was she truly?

A conundrum!

After he assisted with her chair, he took his own and decided that he was going to learn as much about Lavinia as possible and perhaps they would grow closer. Even if she was above his reach that did not keep Demetrius from admiring her.

Admire! Ha! It was so much more which certainly included desire.

After the soup was placed before them, Demetrius decided to ask the first question that had plagued his mind. “Why are you really in Seaford, especially for the Christmas holiday? Your family relies on you, which I have witnessed myself, and I thought you were all close.”

Lavinia studied him over the rim of her wine glass and he feared that perhaps he had asked too much of her. Just because she wanted to be called Lavinia did not give him permission to ask what she might perceive as an impertinent question from the likes of him.

“I usually keep my own counsel Mr. Val…”

He arched a brow.

“Demetrius, but it is not as though you are a stranger and I suspect that we will have many dealings with the other over the coming years.”

He certainly hoped that was the case.

“You would likely not be surprised to learn that when I was younger, I enjoyed reading laws and bills and all manner of papers that my father collected on his desk for consideration in parliament. The debates offered within had fascinated me and if I had been born a male, I would have been the heir and could continue in the same manner. Instead, I was the second daughter of the Duke of Claybrook, expected to wed well and produce an heir and a spare and settle into domestic bliss.”

Given that she did not like her name, Demetrius suspected there had been little to no bliss in her former marriage.

“When my husband died, there was no longer a place for me in my husband’s family and I returned to my former home. As Leopold was somewhat at a loss as how best to supervise our younger siblings, I took over that role and then when he let his secretary and household steward go, I took over those duties, as you know.”

Demetrius nodded because he already knew these facts.

“I have always done my duty and what was expected and needed. Not once have I ever done what I wanted.”

Ah, now he understood, or thought that he was beginning to.

“I am tired of duty and of taking care of others,” she admitted. “Thus, my sudden decision to come here, alone, to determine exactly what I want for my life and do something for myself for a change.”

Her reasons for being here were not much different than his own, though Demetrius only needed to make a decision that should be simple, not contemplate changing his life completely.

“Is His Grace aware of your feelings on the matter?”

“No, and I beg you not to mention it to him,” Lavinia insisted. “It is possible that nothing will change and a simple holiday is all that I need, but I will not truly know until it comes to an end or I find something that I would much rather do.”

An odd and unexpected warmth spread through Demetrius at the realization that Lavinia was confiding something deeply personal and he would hold her secrets.

“Perhaps you might wed again.” Though in truth, he hated the idea of her being married to someone else when he did not yet know her as well as he wished to.

Her lips pursed as those blue eyes narrowed with determination. “I see no need to wed, though I can understand that being a man you would assume that would be the solution to my dilemma.”

“I apologize,” he quickly offered and realized his error. “You are correct, my assumption was made because of your gender and had any of my sisters heard me say such, they would likely box my ears.” He hoped that his attempt at levity would lighten her mood.

“Apology accepted,” she finally offered. “I married at ten and nine because it was expected of me and to a gentleman that I believed would be a good match. I will no longer do what others wish, but discover what I want for myself, which does not include a husband.”