Chapter 6 #2
Aragon offered her his arm. “Shall we walk back together, my lady? I’m sure you’ve had enough of Julian’s nonsense. He’s all very good in a drawing room charming the ladies, but his equine knowledge is sadly lacking.”
By the time they reached their horses, Carenza had worked out that Aragon was horse-mad and very little other than that mattered to him.
She’d barely had to speak as he’d enumerated on the breeding of the mare he’d lent her to ride, the pedigree lines of all the horse’s immediate ancestors, and the prospects Aragon was considering as studs.
As her groom approached, Aragon finished his monologue with, “Jolly good show, Lady Smythe-Harding. You’re just the kind of filly I like to mount.”
Carenza thought she heard the groom give a quiet snort. She smiled at Aragon. “Thank you for the chance to ride your beautiful mare, sir. It was a privilege.”
Aragon looked ridiculously pleased with himself. “Next time we’ll go out without my annoying little brother, eh? We can have a proper gallop.”
“And another race?” Carenza asked.
He laughed and bowed. “Only one when I let you win again, my lady.”
“I’d much prefer to beat you fair and square,” Carenza said. “I mean, if you are so sure you’ll win, it wouldn’t hurt to prove your point, would it?”
Aragon considered her. “But you’ll cry, and I don’t know how to deal with crying ladies.” He turned to Julian, who had come up alongside them. “Tell Lady Carenza that I’m not one of those poetic types.”
“Poetic types?” Julian raised an eyebrow.
“One of those poets who write love sonnets for ladies.”
“Like Shakespeare?”
“That’s the chap.” Aragon slapped his thigh. “Met him at Eton. Such a bore. I’d much rather talk to my horse.”
With that, he bowed again and went to speak to his groom, leaving Carenza staring up at Julian.
“Your brother …”
“Yes, I know,” Julian said. “He’s delightfully single-minded. Horses are his passion, and he doesn’t care who knows it.”
“He is very nice, though,” Carenza added, to be fair. “But not the sort of man I wish to marry.”
“Don’t worry. My mother will decide whom Aragon marries, and he’ll oblige her. As long as the lady likes horses and doesn’t mind being referred to as his favorite filly, his wife will be remarkably happy.”
“You like him, don’t you?” Carenza said.
“He’s my brother. Of course I like him.” He paused. “Despite my mother’s attempts to keep him away from me.”
“Have you ever asked your mother why she treats you as she does?” Carenza asked.
“No, why would I?” He smiled at her. “We’re not the sort of family who indulge in that kind of emotional nonsense.”
“I think if I were you, I’d like to know.” Carenza held his gaze.
“Well, I do not,” he said firmly. “What if I’m illegitimate or something? Why on earth would I wish to know that? May we speak of something else?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve found a safe place for us to meet.” He took a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “Direct your coachman, or the hackney cab if you’re being discreet, to drive around to the back of the establishment. Come to the kitchen door and ask for Mrs. Mountjoy.”
“And who might she be?”
“I promise I’ll tell you all about her when we meet. Would tomorrow at eleven be convenient?”
“I’ll have to check my appointment diary,” Carenza said. “I’ll send you a note.”
Julian bowed. “Excellent.” He glanced over his shoulder. “My brother is glowering at me. I suppose we should mount up and go home.”
After Carenza changed into a morning dress, she went down to the drawing room and found Allegra with Olivia. One look at her sister’s face told her that Allegra had been talking far too freely with their friend.
“You’re bedding Julian Laurent,” Olivia said.
Carenza looked at Allegra, who went red. “I’m sorry! It just slipped out.”
Carenza sat down. “While Olivia was torturing you?”
“She didn’t need to do that. My shock over seeing that man kissing you was too big to contain within my person,” Allegra vigorously defended herself. “And Olivia said she’d guessed anyway.”
“Of course she did.” Carenza sighed. “Goodness me, Allegra, you are worse at keeping a secret than I am.”
“That wouldn’t be hard,” Olivia commented. “And I did guess. You were very flustered when you came back into the drawing room after your little chat. If the monstrous Smythe-Hardings hadn’t turned up and started demanding you turn out your pockets, I would’ve said something at the time.”
“They were rather horrible, weren’t they?
” Carenza, who was far more willing to discuss Hector’s relatives than her relationship with Julian, carried on.
“I don’t think Hector would’ve liked them at all.
I know I was at fault for not returning the tiara, but I’d grown so used to hiding it from Hector that I’d almost forgotten it belonged to his family. ”
“They were completely at fault,” Olivia stated firmly. “Now, tell me everything about Julian Laurent.”
“There isn’t much to tell. He simply offered to be my lover.”
“Just like that?”
“Well, obviously, he was annoyed about the advertisement, and he said that if I was determined to take a lover, it had better be him because at least he’d be discreet.”
“That’s hardly romantic,” Olivia objected.
“I’m not looking for love or romance,” Carenza reminded her friend. “Just a lover.”
“I’ve heard he’s very good.” Olivia winked. “From reliable sources. Can you confirm that?”
Carenza gave her friend a pointed look. “I am not going to reply to that, Olivia.”
“After all my help to bring him to such a point?” Olivia looked pained. “If it hadn’t been for the advertisement—”
“I wouldn’t have ended up in danger of losing my reputation,” Carenza reminded her friend. “What possessed you to use the exact wording of our made-up advertisement?”
“I thought it would draw a larger crowd,” Olivia said. “And when I say larger, I mean—”
Allegra loudly cleared her throat. “At least no one suspects Carenza of being that particular lady. That is good.”
“Did I mention that Mr. Cox is still getting letters from aspiring applicants?” Olivia said. “I am enjoying reading them.”
“Please don’t share them with me.” Carenza shuddered.
“Why would I? You’ve already found the perfect man for the job.” Olivia nodded. “In truth, it has turned out very well indeed for you.”
“I hope you are right,” Carenza said. “I like Julian.”
“It is possible to remain friends with your lovers, Carenza,” Olivia said. “You just have to remember not to have feelings for them. It makes it so much easier to let them go. I’ve never found it a problem.”
“That’s because you don’t have feelings.” Allegra winced. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
“Rude, perhaps, but still true,” Olivia said. “I trained myself not to feel during my marriage and succeeded beyond my wildest imagination.”
Carenza hated the derisory note in her friend’s voice. “Someone will show you how to love again, Olivia. You just haven’t met him yet.”
“And I hope I never will,” Olivia responded. “Life is far simpler when I can be selfish and think only of myself.” She rose to her feet. “Speaking of which, I’m meeting a delicious naval officer for dinner this evening.”
“Did he reply to the advertisement?” Allegra asked.
“No, but I have seen some intriguing candidates who wish to be considered.” Olivia winked at Carenza. “If Julian doesn’t come up to scratch, let me know.”
Allegra waited until Olivia left before she spoke again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told her about you and Julian.”
“If you hadn’t told her, I would probably have blurted it out myself,” Carenza said. “But please don’t mention it to anyone else.”
“Even Maude?”
“If Maude asks, you may tell her,” Carenza conceded. “But that’s it. The last thing I want is Father coming up to town and insisting I marry Julian.”
“Father would approve of him,” Allegra said. “He told me once that he’d always thought Julian would be a better match for you than Hector.”
“I wish he’d mentioned it at the time,” Carenza muttered. “It would have been most helpful.”
“You were very adamant that it was Hector or no one.”
“Don’t remind me,” Carenza said.
“Are you really happy about Julian becoming your lover, sister?” Allegra asked, a note of concern in her voice.
“Yes, I believe I am.” Carenza smiled at her sister. “At least he’ll be discreet.”