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.But he said, “Apology accepted.”“Thank you,” Victoria replied.“I’m glad we can move beyond any unpleasantness, and I hope you are still planning to attend the village social with us.We would be delighted if you would deign to meet some of our neighbors.”“I will,” he curtly stated.Victoria nearly collapsed with relief.If he was willing to suffer through their paltry rural dance, then the wedding was a distinct possibility.“Felicity has one other comment.”Felicity was doggedly silent, and Victoria’s vicious scowl spurred her on.“I would be eternally obliged if you would.would.”—she was choking on the request—“tell Mrs.Bainbridge and Mr.Adair that we are charmed by their company, and that we would like them to join us at the village social, too.”“I will extend the invitation,” he said.“Mrs.Bainbridge will likely be eager to go, but I’m certain Mr.Adair would rather not.”He whirled away and left.They were frozen in place, his footsteps fading down the hall, then Felicity whipped around to Victoria.“I hate you,” she hissed, “and I will never forgive you for this as long as I live.”“I don’t care,” Victoria repeated.Felicity raced out, and though Victoria had tried to pretend great aplomb, she was shaken by the scene.She staggered to the sideboard and poured herself a stiff brandy, downing it in one quick gulp.In the stress of the moment, she’d forgotten that Cassandra was in the room.“That was ghastly,” Cassandra chirped.“Are you happy now?”“I’m very happy.”“Why would you do this to her?”“She’ll be a bloody countess,” Victoria seethed.“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter.”Cassandra gaped at Victoria as if she was insane, and Victoria barked, “What are you looking at?”“I’m looking at you and wondering why you behave like this.What are you trying to prove? That you can make Felicity miserable all her days?”“I don’t have to explain myself to you.Get out of here.”Without further argument, Cassandra left, too, and Victoria was alone with her brandy and her fury.“SIT, darling, sit.”They were in Jordan’s bedchamber, where Lauretta had had a table set in front of the fire.She gestured to it and flashed her most seductive smile.“All right.” He sighed and plopped down in a chair.Though she’d traveled to the country for the express purpose of entertaining him, they’d spent hardly any private time together, and she was panicked.He had to be dabbling with a housemaid, but though she’d snooped and pried, she couldn’t determine the woman’s identity.If an affair was occurring, he’d been extremely furtive, and the fact that he would engage in stealth was troubling.Why was he concealing his antics? Since he was never concerned as to what others thought of his conduct, he must have grown fond of someone who needed secrecy.But who was it?The possible answers to that question kept her up at night, kept her fretting over the consequences both for her immediate and long-range future.It was difficult to latch on to a nobleman like Redvers, and though he was temporarily in a financial bind, it would pass.When it did, she intended to be at the center of his life.He had to recollect why he continued on with her, so she’d surprised him by having a special meal prepared for just the two of them.She was attired in a red robe and negligee he’d given her the prior Christmas.The color accentuated her features, and the negligee was sewn of lace, and thus, transparent in all the pertinent spots.For all his incorrigible ways, he was quite a romantic person, and she’d often organized similar evenings, which he’d thoroughly enjoyed.He should have enjoyed this one, too, however when he’d entered the room, he’d appeared irked, and she had to make him forget that he was displeased.She walked behind him and massaged his shoulders.“You’re tense as granite.Let me relax you.”As she dug her thumbs into his muscles, he groaned with relief.“That feels good.”She rubbed more vigorously.“This visit is taking its toll on you.”“Yes, it is.”“Felicity has been so horrid.”“She certainly has.”“What shall we do about her?”“We shan’t do anything.”“But you can’t let her treat you so shabbily.Not with others watching!”“I spoke with Victoria.She has the problem well in hand.”In the matter of his marriage, Lauretta was his constant confidante.They’d analyzed his choices at length, and he’d heeded all of Lauretta’s advice.Yet suddenly, he was reluctant to confer on the topic, which was a very bad sign.“What if Victoria isn’t able to rein her in?”“Don’t worry about it, Lauretta.I’m not.”“But she—”“Lauretta! I don’t wish to talk about Felicity.”He shrugged her off and leaned forward to lift the lids on the dishes the maids had delivered.There were slices of roast beef, a thick gravy, roasted vegetables, pie, and a hunk of cheese.He seemed bored by the selection, and she scurried around the table and grabbed his wineglass, pouring to the rim, hoping some alcohol would loosen him up.“Shall I fill a plate for you?”“If you’d like.”She heaped servings of everything, then did the same for herself and began to eat.He was very distracted, and he picked at his food.“I had the chef prepare all your favorites,” she mentioned.“Be sure to thank him for me.”“I will.”He laid the fork next to his plate and sipped at his wine, the meal ignored.She’d known him for years, and they were actually close friends, with common hobbies and acquaintances.Conversation between them was never difficult, but for some reason, she couldn’t think of a single comment.A silence grew, then became awkward.“What’s going on with you?” she asked.“Nothing.Why?”“I rarely see you anymore.”“We played cards yesterday.”“That’s not what I mean.”“Isn’t it?”He was being deliberately obtuse.He’d never been the type to discuss their relationship, and he was making it clear that he wasn’t about to start.“You brought me with you,” she reminded him, “so that I could entertain you, but you haven’t let me.”She smiled, but it fell flat.To her own ears, her remark sounded resentful and desperate, like a shrewish housewife who feels her husband’s affection waning but has no idea how to reclaim it.He wouldn’t tolerate jealousy or possessiveness, and she had to smooth over any misconception she might have generated.The best way to divert him was with sexual activity, so she slithered out of her robe, her elbows on the table.The position gave him a perfect view of her breasts, but he looked at them with the same amount of interest he’d shown the roast beef.Undeterred, she tried to slip onto his lap.But before she could, he moved away, and she plopped onto the empty seat he’d vacated.She was seething, wanting to demand, What the hell is wrong with you?But she didn’t dare.He was entitled to brood, and if he kept his thoughts to himself, it wasn’t her business to inquire why.He ambled over to the window and he gazed out at the park.It was evening, dusk settling in.Something in the distance had caught his eye, and he stared at it for a long while.Eventually, he turned to her, and her heart lurched in her chest [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]