“Not to worry,” his mother smiled, taking her seat. “Cook will be able to prepare something for you. It is as you say, you are here so often that she likely plans for your arrival in advance.”
Lucien was smirking at him. Philip did not understand what he was doing at all. He was not there for him, that much was clear when Jackie entered, and he changed his seat to the one beside her. Fortunately, Philip’s seat was at the head of the table, and Jackie had chosen a seat beside him, so Lucien could not block him out completely.
Not that easily, at least, but he had other ways.
“My, Lady Jacqueline,” Lucien said kindly to her. “You look wonderful this evening.”
“Thank you, My Lord,” she replied. “I must admit, I was unsure of the new gowns at first, but they have made me far happier. It’s strange, for it is only a dress, but it makes me happy.”
“You certainly seem happy this evening. Would it happen to have anything to do with anyone here?”
She flashed Philip a smile, and it was precisely what he needed.
“There might be a correlation,” she replied. “Though I must say, being here has made me quite content all around.”
“As you deserve to be. I would hate for a lady such as yourself to be unhappy.”
Philip blinked. Once again, his friend had come to visit and only taken any notice of Jackie. It did not make any sense to him; Lucien was supposed to be his friend, not Jackie’s. She did not seem to notice what Lucien was doing, and Philip wondered if that was simply because there was nothing to notice at all.
“Then it is a good thing that I have been very well kept here.”
“And it is my hope that you will find a gentleman to make that continue.”
Philip shot him a look. For all intents and purposes, as far as Lucien was concerned, Jackie had found a gentleman. The purpose of her visit to begin with was to meet Philip and marry him, even if that was not what had happened on her part. Theywere courting, and Lucien knew that, yet here he was acting as though she was not already spoken for.
Dinner continued with Lucien focusing all of his attention on Jackie, and by the time it ended Philip had reached his limit.
“Might you join me in the study for a brandy?” He asked Lucien, as everyone else left for the drawing room.
“Might it be best for us to join your guests?”
“We can do so afterward. I require a word.”
Lucien sighed and followed him, and when they reached the study Philip poured two glasses of brandy before sighing himself.
He did not want to have a conversation of this nature with a friend.
“I would prefer not to speak around this issue,” he began. “So I shall ask you outright. What is the purpose of you coming here to only speak to Lady Jacqueline?”
“That is not the purpose of my visits. I would have thought that my friend of many years would think better of me.”
“I want to, but it is difficult to do so when I cease to exist the moment you see her. You come here and speak with her more than is normal for an unmarried gentleman to a lady who is spoken for.”
“You can see it that way if you wish, but I am simply trying to learn more about the girl that you are showing an interest in. She and I ought to have a friendship of some kind if the two of you are going to continue your courtship, should we not?
“Not at the expense of ours, no.”
“Philip, the only thing coming between us right now is your jealousy. There is no need for you to be so insecure that you accuse me of acting unbecoming with a lady.”
“I am not accusing you of anything. I am simply asking you why you feel the need to act this way when she is around, because you have never done that before. You were not this interested in knowing Lady Ophelia, for example, and we were engaged.”
“That is because I did not like her, but I had to bite my tongue around her because you were so smitten.”
Philip was unsure of what to say to that. In the aftermath of all that had happened, he did notice that Lady Ophelia was not thekind lady that he had thought her to be, and so it was no surprise to him that others saw through her act.
“All I am asking,” he sighed. “Is that you do not forget that other people exist when you are around her.”
“I do not forget, and it is not my fault if she is the most interesting one in the room. You should be pleased that I am making such an effort to get to know her, not making me feel as though I am doing something that I am not. It is not fair, especially after everything that I have done for you.”
