But the break in her voice when she’d said it… It wasn’t for herself.
It was for him, because all the wishing in the world wouldn’t change him back to who he’d once been.
What did it matter? Starry eyes were blind. Useless.
“Starry eyes or not, you’ll have me on your heels until you agree to leave London. But take heart, my lady. Perhaps it won’t be as bad as you fear. There was a time when you were happy enough to have my company.”
Charlotte’s dark eyes filled with sadness. “There was a time when your company was worth the having, Captain.”
He jerked back, but it was too late to escape a blow so powerful it left him breathless, because he’d believed she didn’t have the power to hurt him anymore until it landed with a sickening thud in the middle of his chest. He opened his mouth to rage at her, to hurt her in return, but strangely he didn’t have the words.
“Charlotte!” Amelia called out just then. “You must come and see this pelisse!”
Charlotte spurred her horse to catch up to her sister. Julian made no move to stop her, and in the next breath the moment was gone.
By the time he caught up to them they’d passed through the Grosvenor Gate and were riding south toward Rotten Row. Amelia was quizzing Charlotte about the fashions. “French gray silk, I think, with the buttons down the front and the lace and flounces?” Amelia gestured discreetly with her chin at a pair of ladies, both dressed in the height of fashion, who were strolling on a footpath toward the Serpentine.
Charlotte glanced in their direction. “Celestial blue, I believe. India muslin. Her bonnet is French straw trimmed with quilted net lace and an ostrich feather.”
Amelia sighed with delight, but though Charlotte recited the details readily enough, she did it mechanically. Julian watched her as they continued to make their way along the bridle path toward the Serpentine. Her face was as composed as ever, so much so it would have been easy to overlook the lines of strain around her mouth and the way her shoulders sagged just slightly, as if a terrible weight were upon them.
His heart gave an odd lurch, and he urged his horse to come abreast of hers, though he had no idea what he’d say, or how he could put it right—
“Look, Uncle Julian. There’s a grand pair of black Hessians, just there, on that tall man behind us. The one with the blue coat. Do tell us about his boots.”
Julian couldn’t help a half-hearted grin at Amelia’s magnanimous tone. Clearly she’d braced herself for a lecture on gentlemen’s footwear. But his smile faded as he turned to inspect the boots in question.
Black with a gold tassel, tight to the knee. Shined to a high gloss.
“Lady Hadley! How fortunate. I hoped to see you on the promenade this afternoon.”
And perfectly fitted to Lord Devon’s foot.
Charlotte’s head snapped up at Devon’s greeting. She straightened her shoulders and her face lit with a smile. “My lord, how glad I am to see you.”
Julian scowled darkly at him, but Devon didn’t seem to notice. He broke away from the two gentlemen he’d been riding with and brought his horse alongside Charlotte’s. He removed his top hat with a flourish, then took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I thought I’d missed you. You’re later than usual today.”
Later than usual?Was Devon the reason Charlotte made such a point of riding every afternoon during the fashionable hour?
“I had callers who stayed past the usual hour. Amelia, do say hello to Lord Devon.”
Devon turned to Amelia with a smile that brought a flush of pink to the girl’s cheeks. “Miss West. I’m grateful not to have missed you this afternoon. Have you seen any fashions worth noting on your ride today?”
Julian ground his teeth until his jaws began to ache.Damn it.This wasn’t Amelia’s first meeting with the man either, then. It was quite the thing, it seemed, to promenade with Lord Devon.
Amelia giggled. “Oh, yes. The best so far is a French straw hat. Oh, and your boots, too, my lord. My uncle Julian is quite interested in boots, you know.”
“Is he?” Lord Devon turned to Julian with a cool smile. “Captain West. I’d be happy to give you my bootmaker’s name.”
Julian’s teeth were in danger of being pulverized into a powder in his mouth. “Hoby.”
Devon studied his face for a moment; then a corner of his lip curled upward. “Just so.” He didn’t spare Julian a second glance, but turned back to Charlotte. “Now, Lady Hadley, these late callers of yours who were so rude as to keep you past the usual hour. Would they be anyone I know?”
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with humor. “Oh yes, my lord. I believe you do know them.”
“Ah.” Devon reined his horse in close to Charlotte’s and led her back onto the narrow pathway, so Julian had no choice but to follow behind with Amelia.
Perhaps a hard shove would send Devon tumbling off his horse.
