“I won’t be your mistress, Hadrian. If I gave you a wrongful notion last night, that was a mistake. One kiss doesn’t mean I’m willing to be your kept woman.”

The source of her offended state cleared the fog from his brain. Having learned scorn for the nobility at her father’s knee, she had presumed Hadrian’s intentions to be dishonorable. If only she knew how wrong she was!

“Allow me to put your mind at rest,” he said. “If I harbored such a wicked design, I certainly wouldn’t have invited you to stay at Clayton House. My mother lives there.”

“Your mother? But … I thought you were estranged from her.”

“As a child, yes, when I was allowed to visit her only twice a year. Once I reached my majority, however, I took control of my properties, including the town house. That has always been her primary residence, and I saw no reason to evict her. In truth, we rub along quite well together—so long as I can keep her from beggaring me with her shopping.”

“Oh.”

Natalie looked charmingly nonplussed by the revelation. The sight of her blushing confusion aroused tenderness in him as well as desire. He ached to draw her into the circle of his arms and kiss away all of her worries. But there would be time enough later to woo her, once he had her under his own roof.

“You’ll be adequately chaperoned,” he went on. “As well as having my mother underfoot, we’ll undoubtedly see quite a lot of my sister, who lives nearby. I didn’t ask you to come to London for any nefarious purpose.”

“You didn’t ask me, period. You issued a decree.”

He smiled ruefully. “Forgive me. Miss Fanshawe, will you and Leo kindly consent to stay as guests in my house? Mama will adore the brat, judging by the way she dotes on her one grandson, who is near Leo’s age.”

Natalie still looked uncertain. “Won’t the duchess object to my presence? She might agree with Lord Godwin that I’m a fortune hunter.”

“Hardly. My mother has never forgiven Godwin for taking me away from her all those years ago, so there’s nothing to fear in that quarter. Besides, if you’d wanted to run a scam, you’d have set your sights on me the moment we met. Becoming a duchess would reap you far greater rewards than scheming to place a little boy in an earl’s household.”

Natalie stared at him, then gave a trill of laughter, amusement adding a bloom to her lovely features. “Now, there would be a mésalliance! As if I would ever think that a lofty English duke would wed a common upstart like me!”

He smiled blandly, intrigued that she could have so little notion of her own allure. “I’d never presume you to think any such thing, Natalie. By the way, we are back to first names again, I hope. Formality would be awkward while living under one roof. If you and Leo will accept my hospitality, that is.”