Gregory shot out of his chair as the duke walked in. He was sure he’d met the man at some point, but they’d had no occasion to converse. He was nearly as tall as Lucien and quite fit for a man who had to be in his sixties. His dark brown eyes and Lucien’s were almost exact duplicates of each other, but the duke possessed a far more fearsome glower.

Lucien didn’t stand. He gave his father a bored stare. “Afternoon, Father.”

The duke’s discerning gaze fixed on Lucien’s torso. “If I’d known you were in dishabille, I would have left.”

“It doesn’t trouble me,” Lucien said with a careless smile. He gestured to Gregory. “Allow me to present Lord Gregory Blakemore. He isn’t troubled by my dress either.”

Evesham swept his focus to Gregory. “I admired your father. He was an impeccable gentleman.” Something in his expression dimmed, almost as if he were silently saying that Gregory was not. Gregory had to assume he’d seen the newspapers.

“Thank you for saying so,” Gregory said.

“Time will tell with your brother,” Evesham noted. “I have yet to spend much time with him, but he seems somewhat inconsequential in comparison. I hope he will meet his duty.”

That the duke had assessed Clifford so accurately was pleasing, but Gregory didn’t show it. “I hope so too.”

“It’s always a shame when sons don’t live up to their potential.” Evesham’s gaze had gone back to Lucien. “Like this one here. Why would you hire your former paramour to do anything other than clean your chamber pots, let alone be a patroness at your questionable club?”

Gregory had to clamp his jaws together to keep from calling the duke out. How dare he insult Evie like that?

Lucien lifted a shoulder, appearing calm, but Gregory noted the tic in his jaw. “If my club is questionable, I should think a courtesan is surely the right person to cast in a leadership role.”

The duke let out a low growl. “Don’t be clever. Have you no shame at all?”

“You’re standing there judging me about a woman—who is brilliant, by the way—in front of Lord Gregory, and I’m the one without shame? If you know she was a patroness and my former mistress, then you also know Gregory was having an affair with her.”

Gregory ought to go, but he couldn’t leave, not while they were discussing this.

The duke glanced at Gregory. “Having an affair with a courtesan is perfectly acceptable. Why anyone thought that was newsworthy is beyond me.”