“My goodness, Aurelie. Why did you insist on smoking the wretched thing when you knew it would make you ill? You look quite green.”
Aurelie waved the smoke away from her face and gave Lissie a wan smile. “But it’s a lovely, flattering shade of green,non?”
“No.” Lissie rose from her seat, took the cheroot from Aurelie and tossed it into the fire. “You look like you’re about to disgrace yourself all over Charlotte’s lovely Aubusson carpet.”
Lady Annabel studied Aurelie through a cloud of smoke, then turned her gaze on Charlotte, who was sitting facing the fire, her cheeks flushed, and a soft smile playing about her lips. “Such a satisfied smile you have this evening, Charlotte. You look as though you’re thinking pleasant thoughts.”
“Or wicked ones.” Lissie gave Charlotte a playful nudge with her toe. “For your sake, my dear, I hope they’re wicked, because those are ever so much nicer.”
Charlotte roused herself from her contemplation of the fire, and turned to her friends, her smile widening. “I was thinking how happy I am to have you all here.”
There was a short silence; then all three of her friends began to laugh at once.
“What?” Charlotte frowned at each of them in turn. “Why should you find that so amusing? Iwas.”
“No, you weren’t!” Lissie gasped out another laugh, then wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her gown. “You were thinking of that handsome husband of yours, and wondering how much longer it would be before you could bid us good night, hurry off to your bedchamber, and pounce on him.”
“Well,mon Dieu, cherie,” Aurelie drawled. “Do you blame her?”
“I don’t blame her a bit. If ever a gentleman was made for pouncing upon, it’s Captain West.” Annabel studied her for a moment. “He was always sinfully handsome, but I fancy he’s even more so since you settled at Hadley House for the winter. Does the country agree with him? He looks much more rested and peaceful than he did when we met him in London.”
He was. They both were. Julian still had occasional nightmares about Colin, and every now and again a painful memory would come upon Charlotte as she wandered the house or grounds of Hadley House, but they had each other now, and they were building new memories together.
“He does look very well.” Lissie grumbled, a little crossly. “I suppose you’ll never come back to Londonnow.”
“Of course we will, Lissie, next season, and I’ll expect you all to be as entertaining as you’ve always been when I arrive.”
“Well, perhaps notquiteas entertaining. I don’t suppose your husband will approve of another brothel wager.”
“No, I think my brothel frolics are over.” Charlotte laughed, but after a moment her smile faded. “Speaking of brothel wagers, what’s become of Devon? Julian and I invited him to come stay with you all, but he declined.”
“Devon’s gone off to Cornwall on some mad adventure or other.” Annabel took a last draw on her cheroot, then rose and tossed it into the fire. “Cornwall, of all places. Can you imagine?”
“Poor Devon.” Aurelie shuddered. “It’s quite wild there,non?”
“Devon’s from Cornwall, and it’s not a mad adventure, for goodness’ sakes. He’s gone to close down his ancestral estate. He thought his father shut it down after his brother died, but it seems the old earl never quite got around to it. Devon was furious when he found out.”
“Close it down?” Charlotte frowned. “But… Didn’t he grow up there?”
“He hasn’t been back in several years. It’s out in the wilds, much too far for an easy trip from London, and Devon told me once he despises it there.” Lissie paused. “He didn’t go into details, but I gather his childhood wasn’t a happy one, and there was that business with his brother.…”
“Poor Devon,” Aurelie said again, but her voice was subdued this time, and for a moment no one spoke.
“Perhaps there will be another brothel frolic, after all,” Annabel murmured. “To keep Devon amused.”
“Not for Charlotte. Husbands tend to look with disfavor on brothel frolics.” Lissie shook her head. “Much more amusing to remain a widow, Charlotte.”
Charlotte only smiled. She wouldn’t trade Julian for every wicked entertainment London had to offer, and her friends knew it well.
“My goodness, there’s that wicked smile again. I can see you’ll be useless to us for the rest of the evening, Charlotte. Off you go to your husband, then.” Annabel waved a hand toward the door. “I feel quite sure Captain West will keep you amused for the rest of the evening.”
Lissie snorted. “The rest of the night, you mean.”
“Bonne nuit, Charlotte.” Aurelie blew her a kiss. “You will show us the gardens tomorrow,oui?”
“Yes, of course.” Charlotte kissed each of her friends on the cheek, then made her way upstairs to her apartments. Julian was stretched out on the bed with a book open over his chest, wearing a dark blue banyan.
“My, you look comfortable.” Charlotte closed the door behind her and approached the bed. “Is that a new banyan?”
