“I do. YouknowAunt Caroline always guesses things about us?—”
“When?” Evelina asked with a shake of her head. “You’re making things up.”
Arabella continued as if she hadn’t heard a word. “And I have inherited that same gift. He’sdefinitelya boy.”
“If that’s true, Vaughn will be mightily pleased,” Julia said as she brought tea back and handed a cup to each sister. “He’ll have his heir.”
“I know he desires an heir, and it’s his duty as earl to provide one,” Evie said. “But I think he’d be just as over the moon with a little girl. I cannot imagine how he would dote over her. She’d have the most beautiful wardrobe a child could ever instantly grow out of.”
Julia smiled at the pure joy on her sister’s face. Arabella’s matched and for a moment she felt a streak of jealousy toward them both. She had never and probably would never experience such happiness like that which they both now held. She shook the bitter emotion away and it was replaced by only the good.
“I’m surebothof my brothers-in-law them will be wonderful fathers,” Julia agreed. “Assuming Arabella and Silas would want children.”
Arabella had always swiftly denied her desire for such a thing, but now she seemed to ponder the question more deeply. “I think, having seen how happy we can be, how easy we can make things for each other, Imightat some point want a child.”
Julia’s brows lifted and she leaned in to tap her cup against Arabella’s. “Well, that is an admission! And I will be a very happy aunt to any children you two add to the world.”
“And what about becoming a mother, yourself?” Evie asked gently. “When we were little girls, you used to talk about having children. Do you still wish for such a thing?”
“Thanks to the protection of my elder sisters, I was able to have those kinds of dreams.” Julia dropped her gaze to her cup. “But I’m not a child anymore and my circumstances aren’t like yours. I’ve no husband, and I wouldn’t be so cruel as to bring an illegitimate child into the kind of life I lead. They would have so much to overcome, stuck between worlds.”
“You’ve no husbandat present,” Evie said, and set her cup down so she could take Julia’s hand. “You cannot count yourself out. You’ve always been such a romantic, I must believe that you’ll find someone who will love and appreciate you just asmuch as you deserve. Someone who will give you a future even more beautiful than any you ever imagined as a little girl.”
Tears stung Julia’s eyes and she blinked so they wouldn’t become obvious. “Well, that’s a lovely idea. But not very practical, I don’t think. I might not always be a courtesan, I don’t think I’ll have the stamina or interest someone like Simone has maintained over the years. But I cannot put too much stock into love, or else risk the kind of disappointment one doesn’t recover from. I think I must simply look for stability. The kind I can only provide myself.”
Arabella opened her mouth, clearly to protest, but Julia got up and walked away, continuing on as if her sister hadn’t begun. “On that score, Idoneed some sisterly advice.”
“Julia—” Arabella said.
Evie covered their eldest sister’s hand gently and gave a little shake of her head as if to dissuade Arabella from pushing too hard. “What advice do you need?”
“I…” Julia trailed off and shook her head. “I can hardly say it, it’s so foolish. But…but I think I must end things with Castleton.”
She waited for questions, for surprise, even for judgment, for the viscount was certainly a catch. Instead, Arabella and Evie exchanged a long glance and then Arabella smiled.
“We wondered when this day would come. And of course we support you.”
“In every way!” Evie added with a little too much enthusiasm.
Julia shook her head. “You were waiting for me to end things? How? Why?”
“Well.” Arabella shifted a little. “We’ve seen you with the man for months now and it doesn’t seem you have much in common.”
“Nor does your affection seem to go too deep,” Evie added. “There isn’t anything untoward or troublesome, of course, or we would have intervened.”
Her sister grew pale as she said those words and memories of a desperate time that had broken all their hearts moved across her face. Julia moved toward her. “I would have told you if there were. I wouldn’t have stayed.”
“Good. Good.” Evie gathered herself. “But things don’t have to be terrible to not be…right.”
“But he provides for me generously, including this house. He doesn’t ask overly much and treats me well. What more could a courtesan desire?” Julia pressed.
Arabella tilted her head. “Are you talking yourself back into his company?”
“No!” Julia said, but realized she might be doing just that. Trying to find some reason to make things easy instead of right. “I only meant I thought you two would make those same points. I’m a courtesan. I must be practical.”
“You are a woman and you must be attentive to your own needs.” Arabella sniffed. “As for a home, you’re always welcome in my old place. Silas and I will never get rid of it as long as I have a sister who might need the security it provides. You’ve saved carefully, and even if you hadn’t, you now have two brothers-in-law, as well as your sisters, who would happily take care of your expenses for the rest of your days if it would keep you safe and content.”
Arabella meant it as a kindness, that was plain as the nose on her gorgeous face. But those words felt more like…pityin that moment. Like Julia was becoming some kind of burden, even happily carried, that her family would bear. First by her sisters and their husbands, then her future nieces and nephews, she supposed.
