mention it before because though she can be prickly, I am fond of Lily. I thought it better if the two of you got to know each other a little before any judgment was made.”
“I’m not judging her, James. I’m no choirboy, as everyone is aware,” Jonathan muttered in irritation. “I just need to know what happened.”
An eruption of boisterous laughter from a nearby table prevented his cousin from answering right away, and in truth James looked reluctant anyway. In the subdued light his face was somber. “Actually, Jon, I am not sure exactly what happened either. I do know Sebring convinced her to elope four years ago, but in the end the marriage never happened. They made it halfway to Scotland and then came back to London, but not before staying in the same room overnight at some tawdry village inn. Had she not made such a successful debut that season, she might have escaped . . . well, not unscathed, but maybe with a good deal less notoriety. Sebring was quite the catch and it was immediately clear he was interested in her. There were enough jealous young ladies and their even more vindictive mamas that she was crucified socially over that night at the inn and their failed engagement. When the Incomparable of the season falls from grace, it is not an easy landing. She was torn apart in a very public manner. In my opinion she has never recovered from it and I am not sure I can blame her for being reclusive.”
His brandy arrived and Jonathan took a small sip, the smoothness and fire easing down his throat. It bothered him to think Lily had suffered in such a manner. “Did she love him? Does she still?”
His cousin choked on a sip of whiskey, coughed, and then cleared his throat. “Love? You are asking about love?”
“I have a child. I understand the concept. You also know how fond I was of my father.”
“We aren’t talking at all about the same thing. I didn’t realize you had a romantic soul, Jon.”
Was he a romantic? Jonathan wasn’t sure the word applied, but then again, he wasn’t sure it didn’t either. His possible romantic interest in the lovely Cecily was based on a more primitive inspiration: lust. Two brief encounters could not inspire a deeper emotion, but they certainly could cause sexual attraction. “Just answer the question, please.”
“How would I know?” James retorted with asperity. “We’re cousins, not confidants. Lily is the least likely person I know to reveal her personal thoughts. To me or to anyone else.”
Jon smiled ruefully, sinking down a little more in his chair. “There you are wrong. She can be quite forthcoming. Case in point, my behavior has not met with her approval. I fear I didn’t help it this evening either. The Duke of Eddington’s daughter was at the performance. My attempt at an apology for the other evening and the resulting gossip wasn’t all that successful. I’m going to guess just the two of us speaking tonight will raise more eyebrows.”
“I am sure you are correct there.” James looked amused and interested. “What did she say?”
“The beauteous Lady Cecily? She admitted the situation surrounding our brief first meeting is garnering a ridiculous amount of attention. I couldn’t agree more.”
“You are in accord? I see. Do I sense a covetous tone to your voice?”
Was covetous the right word? She intrigued him, and it was unexpected because he hadn’t really ever imagined himself drawn to a haughty pale English beauty. But lust was an elemental emotion and it would pass. “She isn’t an American,” he said simply.
“Nor am I.” James refuted the statement with inarguable logic. “Or Lily, or your other two sisters. Nor was your father. You are not in America. I think you need to accept that.”
“I won’t be in England long.” His tone was just short of curt.
“Won’t you?” James ran a finger around the rim of his glass, his expression thoughtful. “I admit I wondered how long you’d tolerate the strictures
“I’m not judging her, James. I’m no choirboy, as everyone is aware,” Jonathan muttered in irritation. “I just need to know what happened.”
An eruption of boisterous laughter from a nearby table prevented his cousin from answering right away, and in truth James looked reluctant anyway. In the subdued light his face was somber. “Actually, Jon, I am not sure exactly what happened either. I do know Sebring convinced her to elope four years ago, but in the end the marriage never happened. They made it halfway to Scotland and then came back to London, but not before staying in the same room overnight at some tawdry village inn. Had she not made such a successful debut that season, she might have escaped . . . well, not unscathed, but maybe with a good deal less notoriety. Sebring was quite the catch and it was immediately clear he was interested in her. There were enough jealous young ladies and their even more vindictive mamas that she was crucified socially over that night at the inn and their failed engagement. When the Incomparable of the season falls from grace, it is not an easy landing. She was torn apart in a very public manner. In my opinion she has never recovered from it and I am not sure I can blame her for being reclusive.”
His brandy arrived and Jonathan took a small sip, the smoothness and fire easing down his throat. It bothered him to think Lily had suffered in such a manner. “Did she love him? Does she still?”
His cousin choked on a sip of whiskey, coughed, and then cleared his throat. “Love? You are asking about love?”
“I have a child. I understand the concept. You also know how fond I was of my father.”
“We aren’t talking at all about the same thing. I didn’t realize you had a romantic soul, Jon.”
Was he a romantic? Jonathan wasn’t sure the word applied, but then again, he wasn’t sure it didn’t either. His possible romantic interest in the lovely Cecily was based on a more primitive inspiration: lust. Two brief encounters could not inspire a deeper emotion, but they certainly could cause sexual attraction. “Just answer the question, please.”
“How would I know?” James retorted with asperity. “We’re cousins, not confidants. Lily is the least likely person I know to reveal her personal thoughts. To me or to anyone else.”
Jon smiled ruefully, sinking down a little more in his chair. “There you are wrong. She can be quite forthcoming. Case in point, my behavior has not met with her approval. I fear I didn’t help it this evening either. The Duke of Eddington’s daughter was at the performance. My attempt at an apology for the other evening and the resulting gossip wasn’t all that successful. I’m going to guess just the two of us speaking tonight will raise more eyebrows.”
“I am sure you are correct there.” James looked amused and interested. “What did she say?”
“The beauteous Lady Cecily? She admitted the situation surrounding our brief first meeting is garnering a ridiculous amount of attention. I couldn’t agree more.”
“You are in accord? I see. Do I sense a covetous tone to your voice?”
Was covetous the right word? She intrigued him, and it was unexpected because he hadn’t really ever imagined himself drawn to a haughty pale English beauty. But lust was an elemental emotion and it would pass. “She isn’t an American,” he said simply.
“Nor am I.” James refuted the statement with inarguable logic. “Or Lily, or your other two sisters. Nor was your father. You are not in America. I think you need to accept that.”
“I won’t be in England long.” His tone was just short of curt.
“Won’t you?” James ran a finger around the rim of his glass, his expression thoughtful. “I admit I wondered how long you’d tolerate the strictures
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