“Then you need to keep your wits about you.”
“And what do I do until then?”
Ned thought of Clarissa’s complaint about Mars, about how he had no purpose in life, and realized she might be right. “You find something that gives your life meaning. That is what you do.”
“Youare saying this tome?” Mars shook his head. “What of you, my friend?”
“Me?” Ned didn’t understand. “I have mymedicine. I have my patients. My studies of science and mathematics. My plans for my lecture series.Thoseare the passions of my life, and it is a very full life.”
“Or merely a busy one to fill empty space. Don’t you find everything a trifle boring?”
“How could I?” Even as Ned answered, he experienced a niggling of doubt, one he pushed away. His life wasnotempty. “What we understand of the world is in constant change, especially over the past few decades of this modern age. There is so much to learn. I can barely wait for the Frost lecture. Which brings me to the reason I sought you out—”
Mars cut him off. “I am not ready to discuss why you dragged me back here. We are on a theme of particular importance. I may dance with the opium pipe from time to time, but I don’t lie to myself. Not like you are.”
“What the devil do you mean by that?”
“That your patients, your medicine, your lectures, well, they are your opium, aren’t they?” He spoke as if he was laying out something clever.
Ned sat back. “I think your skull is cracked. What a ridiculous thing to say.”
“No, what an honest one to say. Look at us, Thurlowe. Two old roués—”
“We are not old. And I’m not a roué.Youmay be one.”
“Iforgot,” Mars said with great exaggeration. “You are the monk.”
“I’m not a monk.”
The earl raised a skeptical eyebrow. “When was the last time you dipped your sword?”
“Do you mean had sexual relations? I take back what I said. Youareold.Dipped my sword?How quaint.”
“Answer the question.”
“I see. I’m being interrogated.”
“For your own good.” Mars pretended to dust off his hands. “Isn’t that why you sent Royce to hunt me now? For my own good?”
“I’ve dipped my sword.”
Mars took his feet off the stool and leaned forward. “When?”
“It is none of your affair.”
The earl considered that a moment and then repeated, “You aren’t a lothario, Thurlowe. I’m not accusing you of that. I’m the rake in the room. But you are a man with a man’s needs. So one week? Two weeks—?”
“Stop this.”
“Six weeks?” Mars paused, considering. “I’m absolutely certain you haven’t been with the saintly Miss Taylor.” He gave a shiver.
“I don’t know why you don’t like her,” Ned answered, pleased to have a change of topic.
“She’s boring.” He spoke as if there was no worse epithet. “She offers nothing.”
“I’m marrying her the day after the Frost lecture.”
“God.And I’m not using the Lord’s name in vain. I am praying for mercy on your ever-livingsoul. I thought you were wrong to offer for her. Now you will spend the rest of your life with the future matron to end all Matrons of Maidenshop? You poor fool.”
