He leaned to hang out the window, his elbows on the door. “Being carried off sounds far more entertaining than marriage.”
“Are you mad? It sounds scary.”
“Well, life is scary.”
She frowned at him. “Only because you don’t have any challenges.”
“I have challenges.”
“Oh, yes? Such as?”
“There are so many expectations on my shoulders it is as if I am weighed down by blocks from ancient pyramids—”
“Blocks from pyramids? What are you talking about?”
“The big stone blocks that they used to make the pyramids.” He acted as if she should understand. “I feel as if I’m weighed down by one of them, much like Sisyphus, who had to roll that stone up a steep hill for eternity, except his is round and mine is rectangular.”
Clarissa frowned, and then she said carefully, “You are foxed.”
He held up the flask. “Here was your first clue. I do carry it off well, don’t I?”
“Not if I can notice.”
“I miss Old Andy.”
His change of topic caught her. “We all do. He was a kind man.”
Lord Marsden hummed his thoughts and then said, “He always gave good advice. Occasionally, he’d take me to task. He was the only one who would. See,” he said, wagging a finger at her, “that is what you are missing. Someone who can help you sort out what is bedeviling you. Of course, I have a sense of what you might need.”
“You do? You know nothing of me.”
“I have some clever powers of deduction.” She snorted her derision. He ignored her. “I am certain this all involves Thurlowe, who is one of my closest friends. He is also deadly dull. I admit it. I would say it to his face. In fact, I believe I have a time or two. All he thinks about is science, and studies and lectures and studies. Andpurpose. This is a big theme of his—”
“And Gemma.”The words were out before she realized it. She was shocked at herself and clapped a hand over her mouth. She knew how to be discreet. That was not it.
Lord Marsden appeared to sober. “So that is the lay of the land. I can see it. No wonder he gave me a look that could fry bacon after I danced with her. He thought he was being discreet. He wasn’t. And it makes sense. They both probably entertain each other talking about rashes and poxes.”
“No, that isn’t how they entertain each other.”
He gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Why, Miss Taylor, there is some humor in you.”
“I see nothing humorous about the situation. He waspromisedto me. I waited for him to come up to scratch for two years.Two yearsof hisweeklycalls where he’dboreme because he never saidanything.”
“I told you he could be dull,” Lord Marsden said with a shrug.
She waved him off, too lost in her catalog of complaints to care. “In truth, he was justthere. A placeholder in my life. One of many, it turns out.”
That was the gist of it.
He’d wasted her time, and she was a woman. The matrons warned her time was limited for a woman.
“Then you will have to do something else,” the earl said reasonably, and Clarissa thought she would scream. She turned on her heel and went marching off. The dance was better than arguing with Lord Marsden.
She forgot her intent to hide, to escape to someplace to think. Consequently, she almost ran into Ned.
He caught her by the arms before she barreled over him. “Thank heavens I found you.”
She yanked away from him and he let her go. “I am not interested in anything you have to say to me.”
