chest. “This had better be serious ... at least serious enough to warrant my traveling all night without sleep.”
“It’s serious enough. Our mamas have decided to give me a London come-out.”
“What?” He gaped in astonishment at her shadowed shape looming over him. That she could have such a ridiculous reason for summoning him had never occurred to him. He wanted to murder her! “A come-out?” he ranted. “You summoned me here about a come-out? Are you mad? I thought that someone was deathly ill! Or that one of our houses had burned to the ground! Or—at the very least—that one of our mothers had lost a fortune on the ‘change.”
“Hush, will you?” Julie hissed. “Someone will hear you!” She sat down on the table beside him. “You don’t realize how serious—”
“Serious? You call that serious?” He grasped her by the shoulders and gave her an angry shake. “Dash it all, Julie, do you realize what you’ve done? You made me lose my chance to win the most magnificent woman in London just so that you could tell me you’re having a come-out. I ought to wring your blasted neck!”
She flung his hands from her arms. “What do you mean? How could I have affected your suit?”
“Never mind how! The fact is you did.” He got up and strode over to the window, where he stood glowering at the slowly brightening landscape, feeling very sorry for himself.
She stared for a moment at his form silhouetted in the light seeping in from the reddening sky. Then she rose, came up behind him and put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Tris. I never meant to cause you harm. I thought I was helping you.”
“I know,” he said softly, his anger melting away at her gentle touch. “I’m sorry I shook you. But how on earth did you think you’d be helping me by sending for me to talk about your damnable come-out?”
“It’s not the come-out that’s the problem. It’s the ramifications. They are dreadful.”
“Ramifications? What ramifications?”
“You’ll be expected to play a part in the affair, don’t you see?”
“No, I don’t see. What has your come-out to do with me?”
“Everything. You see, the trip to London is intended to affect you, not me. Our mamas mean to make you escort me everywhere. To every ball, every dinner party, every gala and rout for which I’ll require a partner. And furthermore, they’ll see that I’m thrust in your way wherever you go. They’re determined to make you see me in a new light ... a London light.”
“Good God!” he swore, gaping at her with sudden comprehension.
“Good God, indeed.”
“It’d be worse than being betrothed!”
“Yes, just so! That’s why I sent for you. It’s the very situation we’ve been trying to avoid all these years.”
They eyed each other in silence, each trying to envision being perpetually yoked to the other.
“You were right,” Tris admitted at last, crossing back to the table and sinking down upon it. “Something must be done.”
“Yes,” Julie agreed. “But what?”
“I don’t know.” Tris stared down at the floor glumly.
“You know, Tris, I’ve been giving the matter a great deal of thought ever since I heard them making their blasted plans, and I think the best solution is for you to wed your Miss Smallwood as soon as possible. Once you’re wed, as you yourself pointed out to me, our mothers will be forced to give up.”
“Yes, that would have been a possible solution yesterday,” Tris said in disgust, “but didn’t you hear what I said a few moments ago? I can’t wed Miss Smallwood. I’ve lost her.”
“Oh, Tris, no! Are you absolutely sure?”
“As sure as one can be in such matters. I fully intend to try my luck with her again, but at best I’ve set my chances back by weeks, or even months. It will take time to win her again. And my cause will not be helped if, while I’m courting her, they drag you to London, and I’m obliged to squire you about right under Cleo’s
“It’s serious enough. Our mamas have decided to give me a London come-out.”
“What?” He gaped in astonishment at her shadowed shape looming over him. That she could have such a ridiculous reason for summoning him had never occurred to him. He wanted to murder her! “A come-out?” he ranted. “You summoned me here about a come-out? Are you mad? I thought that someone was deathly ill! Or that one of our houses had burned to the ground! Or—at the very least—that one of our mothers had lost a fortune on the ‘change.”
“Hush, will you?” Julie hissed. “Someone will hear you!” She sat down on the table beside him. “You don’t realize how serious—”
“Serious? You call that serious?” He grasped her by the shoulders and gave her an angry shake. “Dash it all, Julie, do you realize what you’ve done? You made me lose my chance to win the most magnificent woman in London just so that you could tell me you’re having a come-out. I ought to wring your blasted neck!”
She flung his hands from her arms. “What do you mean? How could I have affected your suit?”
“Never mind how! The fact is you did.” He got up and strode over to the window, where he stood glowering at the slowly brightening landscape, feeling very sorry for himself.
She stared for a moment at his form silhouetted in the light seeping in from the reddening sky. Then she rose, came up behind him and put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Tris. I never meant to cause you harm. I thought I was helping you.”
“I know,” he said softly, his anger melting away at her gentle touch. “I’m sorry I shook you. But how on earth did you think you’d be helping me by sending for me to talk about your damnable come-out?”
“It’s not the come-out that’s the problem. It’s the ramifications. They are dreadful.”
“Ramifications? What ramifications?”
“You’ll be expected to play a part in the affair, don’t you see?”
“No, I don’t see. What has your come-out to do with me?”
“Everything. You see, the trip to London is intended to affect you, not me. Our mamas mean to make you escort me everywhere. To every ball, every dinner party, every gala and rout for which I’ll require a partner. And furthermore, they’ll see that I’m thrust in your way wherever you go. They’re determined to make you see me in a new light ... a London light.”
“Good God!” he swore, gaping at her with sudden comprehension.
“Good God, indeed.”
“It’d be worse than being betrothed!”
“Yes, just so! That’s why I sent for you. It’s the very situation we’ve been trying to avoid all these years.”
They eyed each other in silence, each trying to envision being perpetually yoked to the other.
“You were right,” Tris admitted at last, crossing back to the table and sinking down upon it. “Something must be done.”
“Yes,” Julie agreed. “But what?”
“I don’t know.” Tris stared down at the floor glumly.
“You know, Tris, I’ve been giving the matter a great deal of thought ever since I heard them making their blasted plans, and I think the best solution is for you to wed your Miss Smallwood as soon as possible. Once you’re wed, as you yourself pointed out to me, our mothers will be forced to give up.”
“Yes, that would have been a possible solution yesterday,” Tris said in disgust, “but didn’t you hear what I said a few moments ago? I can’t wed Miss Smallwood. I’ve lost her.”
“Oh, Tris, no! Are you absolutely sure?”
“As sure as one can be in such matters. I fully intend to try my luck with her again, but at best I’ve set my chances back by weeks, or even months. It will take time to win her again. And my cause will not be helped if, while I’m courting her, they drag you to London, and I’m obliged to squire you about right under Cleo’s
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