Chapter 3 #2
“A very successful one.”
“But still—forgive me—not of your father’s class.”
“Surely that was for him to decide?” Carenza raised her eyebrows.
“But society—”
“Society may think what it likes, Lady Brenton,” Carenza said firmly. “May I offer you more tea?”
The clock on the mantelpiece chimed the quarter hour, and Mr. Walcott rose to his feet.
“We must take our leave, Lady Smythe-Harding. Are you attending the Ross ball tonight?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Carenza said as she set down her cup and also stood up.
Lady Brenton curtsied and took Mr. Walcott’s arm. “Thank you for the tea, my lady.”
“You are most welcome.” Carenza smiled.
Olivia, who hadn’t bothered to get up, waved her farewells from her chair. Allegra followed the visitors out, claiming that she wished to speak to the cook, and Carenza returned to her seat.
“I apologize for bringing them with me,” Olivia said. Like Carenza, she was no longer wearing black, instead wearing something summery. “They were impossible to shake off.”
“Perhaps they wished to come here.” Carenza regarded her friend. “They were certainly curious enough.”
Olivia winced. “Lady Brenton was incredibly rude.”
“We are fairly used to having to defend our parents, Olivia. It’s not the end of the world.
They don’t come to town very often for that reason.
My father can’t stand watching my mother being treated with disdain.
” Carenza gathered the cups and set them on the tray.
“I thought you handled Mr. Walcott very well.”
“He literally quivers with fury every time someone mentions Julian’s name.”
“I suppose he feels justified in doing so when Julian was only related to his family through his godmother. It must have come as something of a shock to be disinherited like that.”
“Dear Percival and the rest of his family made no effort to visit Lady Beryl in her declining years. Julian was the only one who made sure she kept her house and her health, and so he deserves every penny of her fortune.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, Olivia,” Carenza said. “I am, however, quite cross with you for leaving without me earlier today.”
Olivia grinned at her. “But Julian was positively insistent that I allow him to take the matter into his hands.”
“Still …”
“In fact,” Olivia continued as if she hadn’t heard the reprimand, “he’s highly protective of you, and one has to wonder why.” Her gaze returned to Carenza’s face. “You’re blushing. What’s afoot?”
“It’s simply because I’m still angry with both of you.”
“And that is unlike you.” Olivia sighed. “I do apologize if I’ve truly offended you, but I did think Julian had a point about us leaving separately, and I knew he’d take good care of you.” She paused. “Which reminds me, how did he find out in the first place?”
Carenza sat down and fussed around with the tea tray. “Find out what?”
“Your involvement with the advertisement.”
“He thought you had placed the ad, and I felt obliged to tell him the truth.”
“Hence his interest in preserving not my good name but yours.” Olivia sat down as well. “I’ve never seen him quite so animated on someone else’s behalf. He always struck me as an observer rather than a participator in chaos.”
“I can assure you that he participated with an extreme lack of humor and a ruthlessness to get his own way that bordered on insulting.”
“Did he?”
Carenza didn’t like the way Olivia was looking at her. “Please don’t read anything into it. He and I are old friends.”
“Like brother and sister?”
“Hardly.” Carenza didn’t even want to think about that—especially after what Julian had proposed. “Although we do squabble rather a lot.”
Olivia finished her tea and rose to her feet. “I must be off. I just wanted to reassure myself that you got home safely.”
Carenza smiled at her friend. “Hopefully no one will ever know that it was us, and the whole thing will die down when the next scandal occurs in the ton.”
“You don’t wish to continue the scheme?” Olivia looked surprised.
“You saw the quality of the applicants. I’m not that desperate.” Carenza followed Olivia to the door. “I’ll have to resign myself to finding a paramour in the usual fashion.”
“Or ask Julian.” Olivia kissed her cheek. “I’m sure he’d be delighted to assist you.”
As she got ready for the Ross ball later that evening, Carenza was still considering exactly what Olivia had meant by her parting remark.
Carenza had chosen a gown in pink that flattered her skin and had her maid dress her hair in elaborate coils on the top of her head to support the Smythe-Harding tiara.
She added diamond eardrops and a necklace left to her by her grandmother that Hector had been unable to pawn.
Long white gloves, kid slippers, and a fine shawl completed her outfit to her satisfaction.
Anyone who saw her at the ball would never believe she’d spent the earlier part of the day interviewing candidates for the position of her lover.
Except Julian—he would know.
She went down to the hall to await Allegra and make sure the carriage was ready at the front of the house. Her sister was always punctual, and she appeared at the top of the stairs dressed in her favorite blue.
“You look rather fine this evening, Carenza,” Allegra said. “Are we expecting royalty at this ball?”
“Not that I know of. I just felt like making an effort.” Carenza got into the carriage, and Allegra followed her.
“I’m not surprised after this morning’s fiasco.” Allegra folded her hands together on her lap. “One can only hope that you are done with such nonsense now. I did try to warn you.”
Was there anything more annoying than a sanctimonious younger sister?
Carenza simply ignored her and looked out of the window.
Would Julian be at the ball? And if so, how did she intend to deal with him?
She’d recently discovered she did not have the face for subterfuge, and pretending everything was fine might be a challenge.
The problem was that Julian knew her better than almost anyone outside her family.
She’d have to avoid him. Perhaps if she filled her dance card very quickly, she wouldn’t have a moment to spare.
Carenza relaxed back against the seat. Dancing would be a good opportunity to meet a gentleman who might give her what she needed without her having to deal with Julian’s provocative offer at all.