“Hmm.” He sniffed the glass, then took a drink. “I forgot. Hold all wine in distaste, don’t you. Want me to call for a scotch? Brandy?”
For a moment, she considered reminding him that this was, at least for all intents and purposes,herhouse, and if she had wanted another drink, she could have arranged for one herself. But she knew his intentions were good; he had only ever tried to look after her.
“It’s all right,” she said. “It’s just . . . I’m not precisely sure how to approach the subject.”
“I can wait.” He sat back in the chair, sipping at his port and lounging back, one leg curled under him and the other outstretched, knee angled out, as though he had nothing better to do but wait for her convenience. As though he had nothing he hadratherdo. Like this, he appeared all long limbs and smouldering heat, and Evelyn briefly lost her words.
It was hardly any wonder that she loved him. For all his foppishness—and whatever he liked to claim, hewasvain—he had a kind heart, and he never treated her as anything other than an equal, even when she failed to abide by society’s dictates.
After a few moments, where she forcibly untied her tongue and reminded her heart of its given duty—pumping blood around her body, not breaking free of her ribcage—she spoke.
“I had hoped for a . . . favour,” she said carefully, and his head tilted slightly, firelight gleaming across his skin as though he were made of gold. “From you.”
“I’d assumed as much, given you asked no one else to come.”
“It’s a delicate matter.”
“You intrigue me.”
She folded her hands on her lap, wishing she had brought some scotch with her for this, after all. Perhaps then she might not feel so self-conscious, and in a way she rarely did in front of Charles. Though obviously he knew she was a lady, and he made allowances for the fact, he never treated her as one of his flirts, never made her feel as though he judged her for her appearance or her lack of beauty. With him, she knew her value lay elsewhere. A touching sentiment until she considered that forthis, physical beauty would go a long way.
“I’ve thought about this for quite some time,” she began, “so I hope you will hear me out before coming to any decisions. You see, I do believe I am being logical about this.” She took a deep breath before plunging on, not allowing herself to look at his face or see the expression there. “As you know, I am not particularly skilled in the art of making friends. You are my only male friend, and you are currently unmarried, though not for much longer. I have very little chance of marrying now or in the future, and there are certain things I—I wish to know. About . . .” Again, her words failed her, this time at the most crucial moment. “About the act of, ah, lovemaking, as it were. Coitus. Physical intimacy.”
Charles held up a hand, his face, once so open, now carved in hard lines. His eyes glittered with an unreadable emotion. “Enough,” he said sharply. “Am I hearing right? Are you asking me to seduce you?”
“Yes,” she said, relieved he had finally got the idea. “That’s precisely it.”
“Evelyn Davenport,” her oldest friend exploded as he pushed himself to his feet. “Are you out of your mind?”
Chapter Two
In his almost forty years on this earth, there were few things that surprised Charles. This, he could say with certainty, was one of them.
“Youmustbe out of your mind,” he repeated, more forcefully this time.
“Must I?” She looked at him in that clear, direct way of hers. “Why is that?”
“Because—” There were, he knew, countless reasons, but he said the first that came to mind. “It’s not right. Your husband should be the one to teach this to you.”
“I have no husband.”
“Well, perhaps not right this instant, but there’s no guarantee that in the future—”
“I will never marry.” Her voice held a rare note of steel. “If I have not now, I will not in the future. Besides, I have not met a man whom I would.”
“And yet you’re asking me forthis?”
“Of course,” she said, composed and gentle again. “If I do not ask now, you will have a wife, and we both know that however you should choose to live your life, I would not choose to be a married man’s mistress.”
Charles eyed her shrewdly. Evelyn never did anything in half measures, and if she had reached the stage of asking him for this favour, it meant she had already given the matter considerable thought. He doubted hecould convince her what a terrible idea this was. Terrible—and dangerous. Ever since he was a boy, he’d had to exert considerable effort over himself to tame his less-than-brotherly feelings towards her. If he gave into any remaining urges now, he would be opening a door which should remain firmly locked. For both their sakes.
“I find myself curious,” she said, looking away from him and into the fire. “About the acts my friends have experienced. I hardly think it’s fair that young men may take their pleasures as they please, but ladies must not.”
He sat back in his chair, attempting to calm the adrenaline and heat that chased around his body. “I didn’t come here to engage in a philosophical discussion about the rights of women. You have, of course, every right to do what you wish to your body.”
“So you’ll help me?”
He held up a finger. “I said you could do whatever you wished, but I did not sayIhad to be party to it.”
