“Yesterday evening. I needed sleep after the journey,” Francis hurried to explain. “If I had come to see you then I merely would have fallen asleep on your settee.”
“Well, we would have thrown a blanket over you,” Josiah’s voice urged Francis to look around. His good friend and brother-in-law was standing before him with his hand outstretched. Francis eagerly took Josiah’s hand for a shake. “How are you?”
“I miss travelling already,” he said with a dramatic sigh.
“You have only just got back!” Diana pointed out with evident affront. “Or are we really so boring that you would tire of us so quickly?”
“Do not be silly,” Francis said with a laugh. “Of course, I am delighted to see you again, and I missed you dearly.”
“That’s more like it,” she said, squeezing his arm. “Say more things like that and I’ll be asking you to stay in England forever more.”
“That, I cannot do,” he admitted wryly, much to her upset. It was what he did, and what he loved. A life seeing new places, adventuring and seeing what the world had to offer. Who wouldn’t want that life? “I will be in London for a few months, but I will soon be back to the continent again.”
“We must get you married,” Josiah said jovially, “then that will give you a reason to stay.”
“Oh, do not get us started back on that old argument,” Diana declared, throwing her hands up in surrender. Francis couldn’t blame her for wishing to avoid the subject. It was a topic he avoided at all costs himself.
I will never marry.He had once quite liked the idea, but that was many years ago. No woman had turned his head for some time, and he certainly could not picture binding himself forever to any woman he had ever met. No, a single life was for him, one where he could adventure the world alone and free.
“We must get ready soon,” Josiah said, picking out a pocket watch from his waistcoat and checking the time.
“Francis, do say you will come with us tonight,” Diana pleaded, already heading toward the stairs to change.
“Come with you?” he asked, startled. “I came this evening to see you. At home.”
“Well, we will not be here,” Diana pointed out. “If you want to see us, you will have to come with us on our outing.”
Francis shifted between his feet uncomfortably, noticing as Josiah watched him, chuckling.
“I see you haven’t changed,” Josiah whispered to him.
“You know I do not like the events of the ton,” Francis complained quietly.
“It is the done thing when you’re in London,” Josiah pointed out with a sigh.
“So, Francis? Are you coming with us?” Diana asked, pausing and turning to look back at him halfway up the stairs.
He had travelled a long way to see his sister and his friend. He may resent the events of the ton and find them quite odious, but he was not going to miss out on the opportunity to see his sister.
“Very well, I’ll come,” he agreed, watching as Diana jumped for joy on the stairs.
“You have made her as happy as marchpane does,” Josiah said beside him with a laugh.
“Where is it we are going then?” Francis asked.
Chapter 2
“You look like a deer caught at the end of a hunter’s arrow,” Graham whispered in Phoebe’s ear with his hand firmly on her arm. “Smile, for god’s sake.”
She pinned a false smile in place and was led by him into the Argyll Rooms for the assembly. The moment they were through the door, Graham adjusted his hold on her, looping their arms together so no one would be able to see the way he’d been hurting her.
Phoebe was thankful for the new gown Louisa had picked out for her. Standing pinned to the chest of drawers with Graham’s hand around her throat, she had thought for one horrific moment that he would squeeze, but he didn’t. He’d merely released her and demanded she changed.
Now, she was wearing one of the demurest dresses she owned. It was long sleeved with a high neckline and made the heat of the assembly rooms even more insufferable than they would have been in the dress her husband destroyed. She pulled out the fan Louisa had packed for her and started fluttering her face with it, trying to cool down a little.
“Put that away,” Graham said tightly as he led her through the tightly packed crowd, toward the center of the room.
“Why?” she asked, earning a sharp gaze from him.
