Leaving Jack was a painful decision, one she hadn’t made easily. Marriage to a duke was out of the question. It just wasn’t done. Spence’s reaction to Jack’s announcement that he was going to marry Moira had indicated the folly of Jack’s decision. He had been stunned, to say the least. Spence may be her friend, but friendship extended only so far. His silent disapproval of Jack’s intention to marry her spoke louder than words. Earlier that day, Spence had paid a visit. When she’d left the room to see to refreshments, she lingered outside the door long enough to hear Spence say, “You’re treading on dangerous ground, old boy. Granted Moira is a beauty, but you have a duty to society now. You haven’t been wholly exonerated yet for the prank we played on them. Set Moira up as your mistress, but don’t flout society by marrying beneath you. Black Jack could get away with thumbing his nose at the gentry, but the Duke of Ailesbury must conform to certain rules.” She hadn’t heard Jack’s reply, for she’d fled in tears.
