brief curtsey when he entered the room. They had yet to exchange a single word, a fact not lost on the majority of the company. Leo decided it would be best to get the initial confrontation over with in public and strolled towards her. Charles Chester and Peter Nugent were still vying for her attention.
“Lady Dupont.” He offered her a fastidiously correct bow. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“My Lord Kincade.” She stood and curtsied but didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s been too long.”
“Alas, duty has kept me from these shores these several months.”
She offered him a playful half smile that, given the nature of their discourse, didn’t seem entirely appropriate. “Was it ever thus?”
“My travels prevented me from congratulating you upon your nuptials. Allow me rectify that.”
“Thank you.” She inclined her head but kept her eyes focused on the ground. She had every reason to be embarrassed in his company, but he was shaken to discover that she was sensible of the fact, and wondered about the change in her. The lack of vitality and spirited retorts that had always set her apart were totally lacking today. Had marriage already quelled her liveliness? He decided to press the point, all in the furtherance of his investigations, naturally.
“Your husband isn’t here with you?”
“No, he’s engaged in Brighton with His Royal Highness.”
“Ah, I see.”
Leo ought to have made some light remark about Dupont’s stupidity in leaving his young wife to her own devices. He didn’t do so, instead allowing a silence to lengthen between them, anxious to see if the Julia of old would fill the void with bright chatter. To his astonishment she remained silent, still examining the paving stones beneath her feet with rapt interest and keeping her parasol tipped at an angle to shade her face even though there was little or no sun to speak of.
“Do you plan to stay long in England, Lord Kincade?” she asked when the silence was in danger of becoming embarrassing.
“My plans are not yet finalised.”
“Then nothing has changed in that respect either.” She offered him a brief glance from behind her parasol but just as quickly dropped her eyes again.
“You do me an injustice,” he said softly.
“Do I?”
“I don’t believe I ever misled you about my duties.”
“I trust your brother is well,” she said in an abrupt change of subject.
“Thank you. To the best of my knowledge I believe that he is. But I dare say you’ve seen him more recently than I have.”
She looked taken aback, which caused Leo to wonder. Richard had told him he attended a small dinner party at the prince’s behest just two weeks previously and that Julia had been there with her husband. But she appeared to have no recollection of the event.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said, flustered. “I’d quite forgotten.”
“A theatre party, was it not?”
“Yes indeed, the theatre.”
Another long silence ensued. Leo’s mind was alive with possibilities and he made no effort to break it. Richard hated the theatre and could never be persuaded to attend. Julia had lied about when she last saw his brother. But why? The atmosphere radiated with tension. Leo sensed that she was about to take her leave and was gripped with an urgent desire to keep her with him. And to make her talk to him. There was something altogether strange about her attitude that had little to do with embarrassment, and he needed to get to the bottom of it.
Or, at least, that was how he excused his behaviour to himself.
“Your young friends will think us very dull companions if we have nothing to say to one another,” he said, including her two admirers with a sweep of one hand. “Perhaps you can tell us how matters stand in Brighton. I feel sure that will interest them.” Both men dutifully nodded but looked understandably perplexed. “Tell us, my lady, how does the prince do?”
“I believe he rather enjoys himself in Brighton,
“Lady Dupont.” He offered her a fastidiously correct bow. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“My Lord Kincade.” She stood and curtsied but didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s been too long.”
“Alas, duty has kept me from these shores these several months.”
She offered him a playful half smile that, given the nature of their discourse, didn’t seem entirely appropriate. “Was it ever thus?”
“My travels prevented me from congratulating you upon your nuptials. Allow me rectify that.”
“Thank you.” She inclined her head but kept her eyes focused on the ground. She had every reason to be embarrassed in his company, but he was shaken to discover that she was sensible of the fact, and wondered about the change in her. The lack of vitality and spirited retorts that had always set her apart were totally lacking today. Had marriage already quelled her liveliness? He decided to press the point, all in the furtherance of his investigations, naturally.
“Your husband isn’t here with you?”
“No, he’s engaged in Brighton with His Royal Highness.”
“Ah, I see.”
Leo ought to have made some light remark about Dupont’s stupidity in leaving his young wife to her own devices. He didn’t do so, instead allowing a silence to lengthen between them, anxious to see if the Julia of old would fill the void with bright chatter. To his astonishment she remained silent, still examining the paving stones beneath her feet with rapt interest and keeping her parasol tipped at an angle to shade her face even though there was little or no sun to speak of.
“Do you plan to stay long in England, Lord Kincade?” she asked when the silence was in danger of becoming embarrassing.
“My plans are not yet finalised.”
“Then nothing has changed in that respect either.” She offered him a brief glance from behind her parasol but just as quickly dropped her eyes again.
“You do me an injustice,” he said softly.
“Do I?”
“I don’t believe I ever misled you about my duties.”
“I trust your brother is well,” she said in an abrupt change of subject.
“Thank you. To the best of my knowledge I believe that he is. But I dare say you’ve seen him more recently than I have.”
She looked taken aback, which caused Leo to wonder. Richard had told him he attended a small dinner party at the prince’s behest just two weeks previously and that Julia had been there with her husband. But she appeared to have no recollection of the event.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said, flustered. “I’d quite forgotten.”
“A theatre party, was it not?”
“Yes indeed, the theatre.”
Another long silence ensued. Leo’s mind was alive with possibilities and he made no effort to break it. Richard hated the theatre and could never be persuaded to attend. Julia had lied about when she last saw his brother. But why? The atmosphere radiated with tension. Leo sensed that she was about to take her leave and was gripped with an urgent desire to keep her with him. And to make her talk to him. There was something altogether strange about her attitude that had little to do with embarrassment, and he needed to get to the bottom of it.
Or, at least, that was how he excused his behaviour to himself.
“Your young friends will think us very dull companions if we have nothing to say to one another,” he said, including her two admirers with a sweep of one hand. “Perhaps you can tell us how matters stand in Brighton. I feel sure that will interest them.” Both men dutifully nodded but looked understandably perplexed. “Tell us, my lady, how does the prince do?”
“I believe he rather enjoys himself in Brighton,
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