Wilhelmina stared at Mr. Dale. Her heart fluttered in an anxious sort of way. Not so much because of the awful encounter she’d had with Cloverfield – she’d more or less recovered from that – but because she couldn’t seem to figure out the man with whom she travelled. Did he still think her sexually inexperienced in spite of her trying to play the seductress?
She wasn’t sure. But in her experience, limited though it was, men lost all control when they were in a state of want, yet Mr. Dale had made no further advances in spite of her brazen proposition. Unless it all came down to him not wanting to form a closer attachment with a woman he did not respect – not even for a fleeting moment of passion.
Which was fine with her. Really. It wasn’t as if she’d actually wanted him to accept her invitation to bed her. All it had been was a necessary ploy to convince him. And to this end, she believed she’d succeeded based on the hunger she’d noted in his expression. So then how exactly did he imagine this idea of his would work?
“I don’t see how such a thing would be possible, Mr. Dale. I am who I am. Statements were made against me during the course of nearly two years. My lovers came forward and identified me as the woman who sought them out for pleasure”—Mr. Dale winced at this—”repeatedly, I might add. All of this while I said nothing in my defense.”
“Why didn’t you, by the way?”
Wilhelmina hesitated briefly while holding his sharp eagle-eyed gaze. Nothing seemed to escape this man. She had to be cautious. “Because there was nothing to say. My husband caught me in the act.”
“Hmm…”
She did not like the skeptical sound he made. But if she persisted in trying to persuade him, she feared she might appear less credible. So she shrugged and attempted an air of indifference. “Think what you will, Mr. Dale. The point is I cannot help my daughter as you suggest since no one would ever believe me now. Not with my reputation determined in a court of law and before Parliament. All it would do is stir up the past, creating more scandal, and branding me a liar on top of everything else. So no, Mr. Dale, my insisting I’m innocent after the fact – after making no attempt at doing so before – will not clear my name or help my daughter. And even if it did, would it really make any difference to you?”
“Of course it would.”
Wilhelmina gave a snort in disagreement. “Your moral compass is exact, Mr. Dale. It does not wobble about, uncertain of which direction to point. You defend the innocent by arguing the truth.”
“Your point, Mrs. Lawson?”
“Supposing we lived in a world where everyone would believe me if I came out and said it had all been one big mistake, that I was in fact a faithful wife who never did anything wrong, how could that possibly alter your stance? Knowing it isn’t true, that I am still the adulteress I’ve been accused of being, how then could you allow your son to marry my daughter? How could you accept me as your son’s mother-in-law any more than you do now?”
He knit his brows until deep grooves puckered his skin. “Are you trying to dissuade me from supporting the match now after spending the last few weeks attempting to do the opposite?”
“No. I…” Wilhelmina wasn’t sure what she was trying to accomplish with her argument. She knew she’d had a goal in mind when she’d begun, but somehow she’d wandered off track somewhere and no longer knew where she was headed. “Sorry. I suppose I misjudged you.”
“In what way?”
“I never would have believed you to be the sort of person who cared more for public opinion than for the truth.” And there it was, the point she’d been trying to make without really being aware. It represented his strength of character, which was something she’d always admired about him although it had put them at odds with each other. He’d witnessed nearly every moment of her downfall and had spared her no mercy in his judgment, regardless of the pleasant discourse they’d shared at the Pennington ball. Mr. Dale had looked at the facts she and George had presented, and had based his opinion of her entirely on that. But if he suddenly started forgiving what she’d supposedly done just because she convinced everyone they’d been wrong, her respect for Mr. Dale would crumble.
“You mistake my meaning if that is what you think I would do.” His eyes darkened while boring into hers. “The truth is everything, Mrs. Lawson. It is the very foundation upon which I’ve built my career. Furthermore, it is what defines me as a man of integrity.”
“Then…” As relieved as she was to hear him say this with such conviction, his words made his previous statement all the more confusing.
“Forget I said anything.” Mr. Dale leaned back and crossed his arms. “It was a fanciful notion – an argument for the purpose of ethical contemplation. Nothing more.”
“Oh.” She felt oddly deflated and silly now. “I had no idea you dabbled in philosophy.”
A wry smile lifted the edge of his lips. “On occasion. Forgive me, but I probably should have preceded my idea with, imagine if…”
She chuckled. “Yes. That would have helped. I’m sorry I took you so seriously.”
“No matter, Mrs. Lawson.” His smile broadened. “How about we play a game in order to pass the time?”
“All right. What do you have in mind?”
“When we first met, you surprised me by knowing where Aboukir is, so I’m thinking we ought to test our geographical knowledge.” He gave her a pensive look. “We’ll take turns naming the countries of the world in alphabetical order.”
“Is this where I should warn you that geography is a favorite subject of mine?”
“Absolutely not, Mrs. Lawson. Why spoil the fun?”
As it turned out, Mr. Dale was a formidable match for Wilhelmina’s knowledge although she could have kicked herself for forgetting Burma. With one point against her she grinned at him with smug satisfaction when they got to the M’s and he insisted they had depleted all the names.
“Are you certain?” she asked.
“Of course I am.” He listed all the countries they’d already mentioned. “There aren’t any more.”
“What about”—she paused for effect while he raised an eyebrow in question—“Moldavia?”
“Damn.” The expletive was spoken with a laugh. “Forgive me, Mrs. Lawson.”
“It’s quite all right. I cursed too when you mentioned Burma.”
“No you didn’t.”
She gave him a teasing smile. “Just because you didn’t hear me doesn’t mean I didn’t. Shall we continue?”
He grinned at her with open abandon. How easy it was to forget the difference of opinion and the deception wedged between them when they were having fun. Eventually, it would drive them apart once more, but for now Wilhelmina took pleasure in the joy she found in Mr. Dale’s company. He was a good and decent and altogether wonderful man. Handsome as sin as well, not to mention charming, protective, and caring. A pity she couldn’t have more than this with him, but the die had been cast before they’d even met. She’d had a family – a husband and a daughter – and even though it hadn’t been perfect, they’d all loved each other. Now, with George gone and Cynthia ready to move on from her grief, Wilhelmina’s future promised solitude.