As for Julia, she had idealized that kind of connection almost from the first moment she took on the life of a courtesan. She was still hopeful she would find a long-term arrangement, perhaps even one day marry.
Arabella felt a twinge of guilt at those desires of both her sisters. She always felt that more keenly when they were with their aunt. When she saw the life Evelina and Julia had left to become courtesans like she was. That had been the only choice, of course, the only mode of escape that Arabella could offer them, but that didn’t change the fact that their dreams of being gentlewomen had gone.
“Have you heard from your father lately?” Aunt Caroline asked softly.
Arabella jerked her head up and snagged her aunt’s gaze. She felt her sisters staring at her and cleared her throat before she answered as carefully as she could manage. “I have. Just his usual monthly screed against me.”
Evelina’s breath caught. “Still?” she gasped. “I thought that ended last year.”
“Oh no,” Arabella said. “He has never missed a one in all the time I’ve been gone from his home.”
“Why didn’t you tell us he has continued?” Julia asked, reaching across the table to take Arabella’s hand. There was fear in her youngest sister’s eyes. The emotion Arabella had tried to protect her from for decades, not just recently.
She shrugged. “It simply doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know what he says to me. He isn’t very creative, it’s the same as it ever was.”
Evelina pursed her lips and it was evident she was truly irritated by that response. “I’m not eight years old anymore, Arabella!” she snapped. “You don’t need to protect me or Julia anymore.”
“I’m not certain that’s true,” Arabella said softly.
Evelina pushed back from the table and shot their aunt an apologetic look. “We have this round and round conversation too often for it to be productive and I have somewhere to be, as Southwater expects me soon. Julia, may I drop you off back at Arabella’s?”
Julia looked from one sister to the other, clearly struggling with who to choose in this quiet argument that occasionally blew up into something louder.
“Go with Evelina,” Arabella said gently. “I’ll stay with Aunt Caroline for a while and then I also have somewhere to be.”
Julia nodded and got up. Caroline led them to the foyer where there were kisses goodbye and promises to meet again soon.
“I’ll see you later tonight,” Julia said to Arabella, and shot Evelina a look before she headed out to the carriage that had been brought around.
Arabella met her sister’s gaze and then Evelina huffed out a breath and kissed her cheek. “You’re impossible and I adore you,” she whispered.
Arabella smiled as Evelina followed Julia into the carriage and she and Caroline waved them away. It was over now, the argument wouldn’t carry on. They would pretend it hadn’t even come up.
“I apologize,” Caroline said as they re-entered the house. She motioned them to the parlor where they’d began the night and Arabella followed her with a shake of her head.
“Do you? I think you wanted that truth to come out and you knew it would cause a scene.”
Caroline shrugged. “Perhaps I did have ulterior motives. Your father’s continued anger…ragetoward you has always been frightening, Arabella. You stole his hopes for the future. Not just the ones that moved through you, but through your sisters.”
“If he hadn’t been willing to sell us all, I would never have rushed to save them. Anyway, what’s the point of them knowing? It only hurts them.”
“It allows them the opportunity to protect you as much as you strive to protect them,” Caroline said and took her hand. “I’d like to hope that my brother would never move against his own child, butbelievethat he wouldn’t? That’s harder to do. Especially when you’re between protectors at present.”
Arabella sighed. “I know what you’re saying. But I’ll settle for one soon enough and then his title and money will likely be enough to keep Father from pushing too hard.” She squeezed her aunt’s hand. “Now I’ll take my leave, too.”
“Not to go home though.”
“You have a lot of questions for a woman who doesn’t approve of my path,” Arabella said with a laugh. “If you must know, I’m going to the Donville Masquerade. And my invitation for you to go there one night always stands.”
Caroline blushed to the roots of her hair and swatted at Arabella playfully. “Go on with you then! Good night!”
“Good night,” Arabella answered, and then slipped out onto the drive and to the carriage that awaited her there. The carriage that would take her to distractions that she hoped might erase the sour taste which remained in her mouth thanks to thoughts of her father’s deep and abiding hatred.
CHAPTER3
Most who held membership at the infamous Donville Masquerade wore masks when they attended the hell’s gatherings. After all, a great many of them had something to lose when it came to the games of passion and pleasure that were always encouraged within.
But Silas had never worn a mask here. He was the bastard son of a man of title. In some ways, he was expected to ruin himself in whatever way he chose. Living up to that reputation had been his pleasure. Or at least it had reduced his pain.
