“Yes, and of little fortune, so do not start making plans about my sister.”
“I am more interested in making plans about myself. He may have little fortune, but he has the best connections, unless that family has forsaken him entirely. You must ask him to dinner tomorrow, so he can meet Wesley. I will invite some other young men to meet Rebecca.”
“For Rebecca’s sake I will try, but do not expect much success.” She truly did not want to be successful. Gareth would probably think she pursued him if she posed the invitation.
She gave her attention to the performance then, at least until she heard a low masculine voice in her ear.
“You ran away, Eva. Did you fear being found in my house?”
“Yes.”No, I gazed down at my own naked body and my behavior shocked me silly.
“I told you I would not allow that to happen.”
She found some spine. “Even so, I had to go. My behavior cannot be excused. I needed to leave, to reclaim some dignity.”
That voice again, closer. Quieter. “Are you saying you regret it?”
If I regretted it, I would not relive it every night before I sleep, and touch my own breasts to know something of that pleasure again.
“Yes.”
“You did not enjoy it?”
“No. I am sorry. I am not one of your London sophisticates, I fear.”
“I am aware of that. Your hasty departure prevented me from apologizing. The blame is entirely mine. You were overwhelmed, and did not know your own mind. I should have never kissed you, or let things get as far as they did.”
It was the apology she expected, and probably deserved. Yet she rebelled at the way it described her.
“You are too kind in taking all the blame. I may regret my recklessness, but I was not so overwhelmed that I lost all ability to reason. I think that perhaps you have begun to believe the gossip that says you are irresistible.”
“Convenient gossip, for your purposes. I am impressed you do not embrace it. Although your honesty leaves me confused.”
“How so?”
“You were not overwhelmed, and you did know your own mind, yet you allowed me liberties that you now regret. One would conclude that although I am not irresistible, perhaps pleasure was. Yet you claim you did not enjoy it.”
“I was curious. At my age, that is not uncommon.”
“Ah. Of course.”
Nothing. No more words for what seemed a long spell. He watched the performance. His hands fell to the chair beside his legs.
A touch on her left thigh’s side almost made her jump up. His hidden hand’s finger meandered up toward her hip, pressingthrough the silver silk. She stared at the singer, wondering what to do.
“You are lying,” he whispered. “Even now you tremble. Or perhaps you merely shake with curiosity.”
She did tremble, so much that Rebecca glanced over quizzically. That finger’s caress continued, raising scandalous thoughts and yearnings as she imagined it on her bare skin.
“I insist you stop that,” she hissed.
He took mercy on her and did stop.
The singer’s performance ended, and she left the stage. The noise in the theater multiplied as numerous fists thumped approval on chair backs and arms.
“I think Eva is chilled,” Rebecca said to Sarah. “She has been shivering. Although I would be sorry to miss the rest of the program, I think we should go.”
“Oh, dear. Are you ill, Eva?” Sarah peered over, and reached to feel her neck. “You do seem too warm. Perhaps we should do as Rebecca suggests.”
