away from the parental eye.”
“Is Mrs. Fitzherbert in occupation with His Royal Highness?”
“Really, my lord,” Chester said, his cheeks bright red with indignation. “I hardly think that a suitable question to pose to a lady of the marchioness’s sensibilities.” He shook his head emphatically. Leo struggled not to laugh. If Chester knew Julia a tenth as well as Leo himself did, then he’d be aware that there was no subject on this earth more likely to engage her attention. “Perhaps we should talk about something else.”
“It was a perfectly proper question, Chester,” Leo drawled. The day had yet to dawn when he would allow a Johnny raw to presume to tell him how to behave. “The activities of the prince’s paramour are reported extensively in the news sheets.”
“Even so—”
“Well, Lady Dupont?” Leo spoke with exaggerated civility. “Shall you enlighten us?”
“Since I am not in Brighton, I don’t see how I can satisfy your curiosity, Lord Kincade.”
Leo inclined his head, completely baffled by the change in her. “As you wish,” he said languidly. “For now,” he added, so quietly that only she heard him. He was surprised to see the effect his words had on her. Far from the feisty retort he expected, what little colour she retained drained from her face and she looked almost afraid. Like a cornered rabbit. “Well, Chester,” he continued affably. “It appears that we must live in ignorance of the prince’s private life until someone better informed has the goodness to enlighten us.”
It was now Julia’s turn to blush. “Excuse me, my lord,” she said stiffly. “Gentlemen.”
And with a swish of muslin she was gone, leaving all three men staring after her in mute astonishment at her abrupt departure.
“Damn!” muttered Leo quietly, not too sure why he felt so aggrieved.
Chapter Five
Katrina used a side door when she returned to the house. That way she avoided the other guests thronged in the drawing room and reached her chamber without being intercepted.
“You’ve heard?” she asked Celia, at last able to give vent to her anxiety as she closed the door behind her.
“About Lord Kincade’s unexpected arrival?” Celia tutted. “Yes, milady. A most unfortunate development.”
“I so hoped he wouldn’t speak to me until I’d had a chance to ask you how things stood between him and your mistress. But naturally he approached. He was deliberately taunting me, I’m sure of it, odious man! I wanted the ground to swallow me up.” Katrina threw herself onto the bed, still acutely embarrassed by the incident. “Everyone was watching us, although of course they pretended not to, and I had no idea how I was supposed to behave.”
“That’s not to be wondered at. About people watching you, I mean.” Celia pulled a disapproving face. “There’s nothing the gentry enjoys more than a little salacious gossip.”
“Yes, so I just discovered. Anyway, you might as well tell me how things were left between Kincade and Julia. Then I shall know if I committed any indiscretions that will give me away.”
Celia shuffled her feet. “Well, actually, milady, I don’t know all the particulars.”
“What!” Katrina stared at her, panic welling up inside her. “But you must do. Julia tells you everything, and I’m relying upon you to direct me.”
“Usually she does honour me with her confidences, it’s true, but I never really knew what happened between her and Lord Kincade.”
“Hmm, this is worse than I supposed. After all, her name was linked with his for several years.” Katrina scowled. “You must have some idea, Celia.”
“I do know that she was greatly enamoured of him.”
“I can’t imagine why.” Liar, said a small voice inside her head. “He’s far too full of his own self-importance.”
“He travelled a great deal in a diplomatic capacity, and my lady didn’t care to be left behind for months on end with no gentleman to escort her. I
“Is Mrs. Fitzherbert in occupation with His Royal Highness?”
“Really, my lord,” Chester said, his cheeks bright red with indignation. “I hardly think that a suitable question to pose to a lady of the marchioness’s sensibilities.” He shook his head emphatically. Leo struggled not to laugh. If Chester knew Julia a tenth as well as Leo himself did, then he’d be aware that there was no subject on this earth more likely to engage her attention. “Perhaps we should talk about something else.”
“It was a perfectly proper question, Chester,” Leo drawled. The day had yet to dawn when he would allow a Johnny raw to presume to tell him how to behave. “The activities of the prince’s paramour are reported extensively in the news sheets.”
“Even so—”
“Well, Lady Dupont?” Leo spoke with exaggerated civility. “Shall you enlighten us?”
“Since I am not in Brighton, I don’t see how I can satisfy your curiosity, Lord Kincade.”
Leo inclined his head, completely baffled by the change in her. “As you wish,” he said languidly. “For now,” he added, so quietly that only she heard him. He was surprised to see the effect his words had on her. Far from the feisty retort he expected, what little colour she retained drained from her face and she looked almost afraid. Like a cornered rabbit. “Well, Chester,” he continued affably. “It appears that we must live in ignorance of the prince’s private life until someone better informed has the goodness to enlighten us.”
It was now Julia’s turn to blush. “Excuse me, my lord,” she said stiffly. “Gentlemen.”
And with a swish of muslin she was gone, leaving all three men staring after her in mute astonishment at her abrupt departure.
“Damn!” muttered Leo quietly, not too sure why he felt so aggrieved.
Chapter Five
Katrina used a side door when she returned to the house. That way she avoided the other guests thronged in the drawing room and reached her chamber without being intercepted.
“You’ve heard?” she asked Celia, at last able to give vent to her anxiety as she closed the door behind her.
“About Lord Kincade’s unexpected arrival?” Celia tutted. “Yes, milady. A most unfortunate development.”
“I so hoped he wouldn’t speak to me until I’d had a chance to ask you how things stood between him and your mistress. But naturally he approached. He was deliberately taunting me, I’m sure of it, odious man! I wanted the ground to swallow me up.” Katrina threw herself onto the bed, still acutely embarrassed by the incident. “Everyone was watching us, although of course they pretended not to, and I had no idea how I was supposed to behave.”
“That’s not to be wondered at. About people watching you, I mean.” Celia pulled a disapproving face. “There’s nothing the gentry enjoys more than a little salacious gossip.”
“Yes, so I just discovered. Anyway, you might as well tell me how things were left between Kincade and Julia. Then I shall know if I committed any indiscretions that will give me away.”
Celia shuffled her feet. “Well, actually, milady, I don’t know all the particulars.”
“What!” Katrina stared at her, panic welling up inside her. “But you must do. Julia tells you everything, and I’m relying upon you to direct me.”
“Usually she does honour me with her confidences, it’s true, but I never really knew what happened between her and Lord Kincade.”
“Hmm, this is worse than I supposed. After all, her name was linked with his for several years.” Katrina scowled. “You must have some idea, Celia.”
“I do know that she was greatly enamoured of him.”
“I can’t imagine why.” Liar, said a small voice inside her head. “He’s far too full of his own self-importance.”
“He travelled a great deal in a diplomatic capacity, and my lady didn’t care to be left behind for months on end with no gentleman to escort her. I
Similar Books
