Bear chuckled in response.
“That fun, eh?”
“We had more fun the time we were snowed in at the hut in the French Alps. I keep forgetting how philistine the members of the ton are.”
Devlin took off his clothes and washed quickly before he put on a robe and sat down by the fireplace.
“Want something to wash all the tittle-tattle away?”
“Why, yes,” Devlin breathed, and soon he had a glass of brandy in his hand, as did Bear, who seated himself in the other chair.
The giant put his feet on a pallet before he leaned back with a growl that made Devlin shake his head with a chuckle. Sometimes Bear seemed more like a force of nature than the youngest son of an earl, but Devlin didn’t mind.
In fact, he embraced Bear’s directness and honesty.
There was not a person on this earth he trusted more than the man who sat beside him. Bear would always tell him the truth, no matter what. In war or in peacetime, loyalty and honesty were the best traits.
The only thing Bear didn’t share with him was his reason for pretending to be a valet instead of taking his rightful place among the ton .
Devlin did wonder, but out of respect to Bear he didn’t ask. Some things you needed to keep to yourself, and he knew Bear would tell him when he was ready.
“I met my friend Rake today, a nice surprise. I haven’t seen him since my father’s funeral, and then was neither the time nor the place to get reacquainted.”
“I guess it wasn’t a complete waste, attending the ball?”
“Not completely.” Devlin grinned. “However, I will never understand why most of our peers find these functions so important. The same old people gather at the same old places, gossiping about the same old things, and no one finds this strange or boring. The only difference is the latest debutantes, but even they share the same mission as debutantes from earlier years: catch an eligible husband.”
“Oh, come on—” Bear laughed—”There is more to the social season than a boring repetition of last year.”
“You think?”
“Yes, I do. However, I haven’t been around the ton for quite some years now, and I guess things might have changed.”
“Probably not,” Devlin chuckled as he ducked to avoid being hit by the boot Bear threw at him.
“Come to think about it,” Bear continued, without acknowledging his boot, which Devlin held a little too close to the fire crackling in the fireplace, “The only good thing about the Season was all the ladies who were more than willing to lift their bedspreads for me.”
“Really? I certainly didn’t meet any of those today. I was surrounded by desperate mamas and the offspring they kept shoving in my direction. Lord, I felt for the poor girls. They looked just as uncomfortable as I felt.”
“Surrounded by mamas with a mission? I must say I owe you an apology. It must have felt like hell, being caught in the middle of all those dimwitted young misses. Debutantes are extremely boring, and I prefer them much more when they have been married for a couple of years, had their heirs, and are free to roam. Then they are interesting indeed.”
“Now you’re exaggerating,” Devlin objected with more force than he had intended. “Some of them happen to be all right.”
“Oh,” Bear breathed with a knowing smile. “You met a lady.”
“No,” Devlin growled. “I did not. I only disagree with you when you say they all are the same, because there could be some poor young lady out there among them who happens to be both nice and intelligent.”
Bear didn’t answer but gave his friend a look that told Devlin exactly how pathetic he sounded.
Oh, for the fires of hell, he thought. Why not share the truth with Bear? The pretend-to-be valet knew everything about him anyway, so why bother to hide something that might affect both their lives in the future?
“I might have.”
“Really?”
Devlin sighed. “Yes, really.”
“I have to admit I find this hilarious. Here you have been
“That fun, eh?”
“We had more fun the time we were snowed in at the hut in the French Alps. I keep forgetting how philistine the members of the ton are.”
Devlin took off his clothes and washed quickly before he put on a robe and sat down by the fireplace.
“Want something to wash all the tittle-tattle away?”
“Why, yes,” Devlin breathed, and soon he had a glass of brandy in his hand, as did Bear, who seated himself in the other chair.
The giant put his feet on a pallet before he leaned back with a growl that made Devlin shake his head with a chuckle. Sometimes Bear seemed more like a force of nature than the youngest son of an earl, but Devlin didn’t mind.
In fact, he embraced Bear’s directness and honesty.
There was not a person on this earth he trusted more than the man who sat beside him. Bear would always tell him the truth, no matter what. In war or in peacetime, loyalty and honesty were the best traits.
The only thing Bear didn’t share with him was his reason for pretending to be a valet instead of taking his rightful place among the ton .
Devlin did wonder, but out of respect to Bear he didn’t ask. Some things you needed to keep to yourself, and he knew Bear would tell him when he was ready.
“I met my friend Rake today, a nice surprise. I haven’t seen him since my father’s funeral, and then was neither the time nor the place to get reacquainted.”
“I guess it wasn’t a complete waste, attending the ball?”
“Not completely.” Devlin grinned. “However, I will never understand why most of our peers find these functions so important. The same old people gather at the same old places, gossiping about the same old things, and no one finds this strange or boring. The only difference is the latest debutantes, but even they share the same mission as debutantes from earlier years: catch an eligible husband.”
“Oh, come on—” Bear laughed—”There is more to the social season than a boring repetition of last year.”
“You think?”
“Yes, I do. However, I haven’t been around the ton for quite some years now, and I guess things might have changed.”
“Probably not,” Devlin chuckled as he ducked to avoid being hit by the boot Bear threw at him.
“Come to think about it,” Bear continued, without acknowledging his boot, which Devlin held a little too close to the fire crackling in the fireplace, “The only good thing about the Season was all the ladies who were more than willing to lift their bedspreads for me.”
“Really? I certainly didn’t meet any of those today. I was surrounded by desperate mamas and the offspring they kept shoving in my direction. Lord, I felt for the poor girls. They looked just as uncomfortable as I felt.”
“Surrounded by mamas with a mission? I must say I owe you an apology. It must have felt like hell, being caught in the middle of all those dimwitted young misses. Debutantes are extremely boring, and I prefer them much more when they have been married for a couple of years, had their heirs, and are free to roam. Then they are interesting indeed.”
“Now you’re exaggerating,” Devlin objected with more force than he had intended. “Some of them happen to be all right.”
“Oh,” Bear breathed with a knowing smile. “You met a lady.”
“No,” Devlin growled. “I did not. I only disagree with you when you say they all are the same, because there could be some poor young lady out there among them who happens to be both nice and intelligent.”
Bear didn’t answer but gave his friend a look that told Devlin exactly how pathetic he sounded.
Oh, for the fires of hell, he thought. Why not share the truth with Bear? The pretend-to-be valet knew everything about him anyway, so why bother to hide something that might affect both their lives in the future?
“I might have.”
“Really?”
Devlin sighed. “Yes, really.”
“I have to admit I find this hilarious. Here you have been
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