Harriet observed a tiny grin curving the lips she could see reflected in the vanity mirror. “You are teasing me. It is quite acceptable for you to do that, even though I am in dire distress.”
“Cruel, would you say?”
“Brutal, if you want to know the truth.”
Letitia giggled. “Forgive me. I couldn’t resist the chance to tweak your curiosity just a little bit.” She put down her brush and turned on the stool to face Harriet. “All right. The truth.”
“Yes please.” Harriet perched on the bed.
“James and I are going to fuck.”
Harriet blinked. Drew a breath and choked. And spent the next few minutes having her back soundly slapped by Letitia until she managed to speak without coughing.
“Ow. I’m all right. You can stop hitting me now,” she protested.
“Well you worried me.” Letitia moved back to her seat. “Don’t do that again.”
“I won’t, if you promise not to drop such an enormously outrageous statement in front of me ever again.”
Letitia nodded. “I promise. But blunt as it was, it is the truth.”
“You and James are going to sleep with each other?”
“I doubt there’ll be much sleeping involved,” grinned Letitia. “But yes. That’s the gist of it.”
“And this is for your book?”
For a moment or two, Harriet could have sworn that she saw a look of yearning flash over Letitia’s face. But then it was gone. “Probably not forCytherean Tales. Mr. Lesley has it in hand now.” She lifted her chin. “But for the next one, yes. Fucking James will be excellent experience, invaluable research and will add a dimension to my writing that was lacking. Lesley was right in that.”
“You are so blunt,” said Harriet.
“I know it’s not a word heard in the drawing rooms of polite society, Harry. But it does cut through all the absurd euphemisms.”
“Yes, but…”
“It’s what I want, dear girl.”
“Are you sure? Does he have an affection for you? Does he admire you?”
“To judge by the noticeable bulge of hisexcitementwhen he touched me the night of the ball, I’d answer yes to both.” She frowned. “Or, wait, let me modify that. He has a most satisfactoryphysicalresponse to me. And that’s really all I need.”
Chilled by these words, Harriet looked at her friend. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.” Letitia’s words were far too casual for Harriet’s liking. “I am honest in all things. All I want from James FitzArden is his body, and that will be that. Word of a lady.”
“You’ll be his mistress, then.”
“No.” Letitia snapped back a fast response. “No, never that.”
“And what if James wants more?”
Letitia shrugged. “Dearest friend. What more can there be between us? I’m a Ridlington, with all the damage and unpleasantness that goes along with it. My father cast a long shadow and we’re still in it. No, James will be happy to lie with me, and I shall learn everything I need to know about fucking from a man who knows what he’s doing.”
Harriet thought that statement over for a minute or so. “How do you know that?”
This time, it was Letitia who cleared her throat. “Well…”
“Letitia?”
