his silly, selfish ears for him.’
‘From your tone, I’d hazard a guess that it’s his infernal coaches that have caused this.’
‘Yes.’ She explained what had happened. ‘So you see, I really don’t know if he’s going to be there tonight or not. If he doesn’t get there, he’ll be positively thrusting Blanche into Dursley’s horrid arms, and her father will be doing all he can to help her on her way. Oh, Charles, what am I going to do?’
‘What are you going to do? I fail to see that there’s anything you can do.’
‘Should I warn Blanche what’s happened?’
‘I rather think not. What if he arrives in time after all? You’d have upset her for nothing, wouldn’t you?’
Jane sighed and nodded. ‘I suppose so.’
‘Besides, I’m sure Henry will do the right thing and present himself in good time. If he doesn’t, I’ll escort you.’ He led her to the sofa. ‘Now then, sit down and relax a little. You look positively fidgety.’
‘So would you be if Henry was your brother.’
‘I hardly want Henry as my brother, since that would make you my sister, and that’s not how I want things to be at all.’
To her relief, Melville came in at that moment with the tea, which was prompt because it had been about to be served anyway. The butler placed the elegant silver tray on the table before the sofa and then withdrew again. Jane poured the tea into the dainty pink-and-white porcelain cups and handed one to Charles. ‘What have you been up to while I’ve been away?’
‘Don’t change the subject.’
‘I wasn’t aware that we were discussing any particular subject.’
‘I was pointing out to you that I don’t regard you as my sister.’
‘I know you don’t, Charles.’
‘I’ve thought a great deal about you since you so providently handed Ardenley his congé , and I’ve come to the conclusion that now is once again my opportunity. You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?’
Slowly, she nodded. ‘Yes, but I wish you wouldn’t.’
‘I can offer you a great deal, Jane.’
‘I know.’
‘I love you very much.’
She met his steady gaze then. ‘I know, and I love you too, but it isn’t the right sort of love.’
‘But it’s still love, and I believe it would grow into that other sort of love. We could do very well together, Jane.’
She shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t work, Charles. No, hear me out. I couldn’t be satisfied with what you and I would have together, for it simply wouldn’t be enough. I’d need to feel very differently about you in order to marry you.’
He put his cup down. ‘Meaning that you’d need to feel as you did about Ardenley?’
‘Yes.’
‘And where did that get you?’
‘Don’t, Charles….’
‘No, I want to know. If that love was so wonderful and fulfilling, why did he keep the Duchess of Brantingham’s charms so very close all the time? You’re deluding yourself about that so-called love , Jane; it was a fleeting passion which was as intangible and inconsequential as a will-o’-the-wisp!’
‘It was a little more than that, Charles,’ she said quietly.
He was silent for a moment. ‘Maybe it was, but the fact still remains that it came to a very unhappy conclusion.’ He studied her for a moment. ‘That is, if it is concluded.’
‘It is.’
‘I wonder.’
‘Can’t we talk about something else? The weather perhaps? Or the queen’s return?’
‘Both are exceeding tedious subjects.’
‘Then shall we gaze at each other in amicable silence?’
He smiled then. ‘No, I’ll just say my final piece and then remove myself so that you can continue your letter writing. I’m not going to give up yet, Jane. I’m determined to win you, and I rather suspect that I will after tonight.’
‘Tonight?’
‘When you are faced once and for all with Ardenley’s love for Alicia. You haven’t seen them together, have you? You dashed off to Cheshire to lick your wounds, and that was that. Maybe you’ve
‘From your tone, I’d hazard a guess that it’s his infernal coaches that have caused this.’
‘Yes.’ She explained what had happened. ‘So you see, I really don’t know if he’s going to be there tonight or not. If he doesn’t get there, he’ll be positively thrusting Blanche into Dursley’s horrid arms, and her father will be doing all he can to help her on her way. Oh, Charles, what am I going to do?’
‘What are you going to do? I fail to see that there’s anything you can do.’
‘Should I warn Blanche what’s happened?’
‘I rather think not. What if he arrives in time after all? You’d have upset her for nothing, wouldn’t you?’
Jane sighed and nodded. ‘I suppose so.’
‘Besides, I’m sure Henry will do the right thing and present himself in good time. If he doesn’t, I’ll escort you.’ He led her to the sofa. ‘Now then, sit down and relax a little. You look positively fidgety.’
‘So would you be if Henry was your brother.’
‘I hardly want Henry as my brother, since that would make you my sister, and that’s not how I want things to be at all.’
To her relief, Melville came in at that moment with the tea, which was prompt because it had been about to be served anyway. The butler placed the elegant silver tray on the table before the sofa and then withdrew again. Jane poured the tea into the dainty pink-and-white porcelain cups and handed one to Charles. ‘What have you been up to while I’ve been away?’
‘Don’t change the subject.’
‘I wasn’t aware that we were discussing any particular subject.’
‘I was pointing out to you that I don’t regard you as my sister.’
‘I know you don’t, Charles.’
‘I’ve thought a great deal about you since you so providently handed Ardenley his congé , and I’ve come to the conclusion that now is once again my opportunity. You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?’
Slowly, she nodded. ‘Yes, but I wish you wouldn’t.’
‘I can offer you a great deal, Jane.’
‘I know.’
‘I love you very much.’
She met his steady gaze then. ‘I know, and I love you too, but it isn’t the right sort of love.’
‘But it’s still love, and I believe it would grow into that other sort of love. We could do very well together, Jane.’
She shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t work, Charles. No, hear me out. I couldn’t be satisfied with what you and I would have together, for it simply wouldn’t be enough. I’d need to feel very differently about you in order to marry you.’
He put his cup down. ‘Meaning that you’d need to feel as you did about Ardenley?’
‘Yes.’
‘And where did that get you?’
‘Don’t, Charles….’
‘No, I want to know. If that love was so wonderful and fulfilling, why did he keep the Duchess of Brantingham’s charms so very close all the time? You’re deluding yourself about that so-called love , Jane; it was a fleeting passion which was as intangible and inconsequential as a will-o’-the-wisp!’
‘It was a little more than that, Charles,’ she said quietly.
He was silent for a moment. ‘Maybe it was, but the fact still remains that it came to a very unhappy conclusion.’ He studied her for a moment. ‘That is, if it is concluded.’
‘It is.’
‘I wonder.’
‘Can’t we talk about something else? The weather perhaps? Or the queen’s return?’
‘Both are exceeding tedious subjects.’
‘Then shall we gaze at each other in amicable silence?’
He smiled then. ‘No, I’ll just say my final piece and then remove myself so that you can continue your letter writing. I’m not going to give up yet, Jane. I’m determined to win you, and I rather suspect that I will after tonight.’
‘Tonight?’
‘When you are faced once and for all with Ardenley’s love for Alicia. You haven’t seen them together, have you? You dashed off to Cheshire to lick your wounds, and that was that. Maybe you’ve
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