More Than a Mistress (Mistress Trilogy #1)

by Mary Balogh

The serving girl stood looking up at Jocelyn. “I must be at least half an hour late by now,” she said. “All because of you and your foolish quarreling and more than foolish dueling.” Jocelyn reached for one of the pockets of his coat, only to be reminded that he was still wearing just his shirt and breeches and top boots. “Conan,” he said testily, “oblige me by finding a sovereign in my coat pocket and tossing it to this wench, will you? It will more than compensate her for the loss of half an hour’s wages.” But she had turned on her heel and was striding away over the grass, her back bristling with indignation. “It is a good thing,” Baron Pottier said, looking after her, his quizzing glass to his eye, “that shopgirls do not challenge dukes to duels, Tresham. You would be out here tomorrow morning again for sure.” He chuckled. “And I would not wager against her.”

“If he had been killed,” she said, “it would have been by the bullet of the man with whom he was dueling. And how foolish to call such a meeting a matter of honor. You are right to call it men’s business, though. Women have a deal more sense.”

“Well, Jane,” he asked her when he knew the waltz was drawing to an end, “what is your assessment? Is this the happiest day of your life?” “Of course.” She smiled slowly at him. “How could it not be? Are you happy?” she asked him. “Bedamned,” he told her.