You have to remember that, culturally, there was at this time only beginning to be a concept of heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, of sexual orientation. Previous to this, sex was something that you did, not something that society considered you. For instance it was not considered abnormal for men and women to have 'passionate friendships' with members of the same sex, and younger boys were frequently taken as sort of boyfriends by older boys at the upper class schools.
And at the time, especially among the upper classes, no one married for love, or very few at any rate.
It could very well be that he was what we would consider bi. Sexuality isn't a 1/0 switch, it's a continuum and even if he was primarily attracted to young men it's quite possible that he was really in love with his wife. More likely, he had great affection for her, and her children, and the life that they represented that he really couldn't be part of but probably admired.
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