“You know I’m the perfect fellow for smoothing things over, Edmund. Leave this to me.”
A knock on her door.
“Caro.” It was her brother. “Caroline, may I come in?”
The room was gloomy. It must be evening now.
Slowly and stiffly, she got off the bed and went to the door and unlocked it.
Edmund stood there. Was he angry? No, he was concerned.
She stepped back from the door.
“Oh, Caro,” he said as he came in and held out his arms as if to embrace her. When she did not come to him, he dropped his arms and closed the door instead.
“Why did you leave the library? Phineas thought I might have frightened you. Did I?”
She shook her head.
“You should have stayed. We need to talk, the three of us. You, me, Burchester.”
She shrugged and went to sit in a chair by the fire.
“I don’t know what to make of this. I really don’t. Phin says he very much wants to marry you.”
She snorted. Phineas Edge was capable of saying anything.
Her brother went on. “Burchester and I suffered through tea with Lady Huxley and her daughter. Phineas did a good job, acting like everything was fine. Even flirted with the daughter. Of course, neither of us think that means Lady Huxley won’t reveal everything. The gossip is too good.”
Edmund crossed and sat in the chair opposite hers. “Do you think you might consider marrying him?”
She shook her head.
“It will probably be impossible for you to make another match once it is known you kissed Burchester.”
She wanted to laugh.Kissed? Kissed? So much more than kissed, dear brother.
“I d-d-don’t plan to m-marry.”
Edmund shook his head. “I wish I could convince you that your speech is not the blemish you think it is.”
“Do you think Lady Huxley will t-t-tell p-p-p-people how I talk?”
Edmund looked down at his hands. “Yes. But I think it will not be much remarked upon. Not when it is also reported you shouted that you had kissed Phineas.”
“I didn’t shout!”
“You did, Caro.”
She shook her head. How could she have been so wild? In the moment, she had only been able to think of Phineas being injured by Edmund. How strange she had not even considered the other possibility. That Edmund could be injured by Phineas. Because she knew Phineas wouldn’t raise a hand to Edmund. Phineas knew he was in the wrong.
“But don’t you think you like Phineas a little bit?” her brother asked.
Like him? The man should pay rent for the space he has taken up in the intimate recesses of my brain for thirteen goddamn years. I don’t like him. I’m obsessed with him. Butobsessedhas far too manyesses.
“He told me he has broken off with all his mistresses. He says he’s fond of you. And why would you kiss him if you didn’t like him?”
She glared at her brother.
