Devon seemed to understand at once she’d come to a decision. He stiffened for a moment as he searched her face, but whatever he saw pleased him, for his blue eyes darkened and a sensual smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Of course. Would you care to take a stroll in the garden?”
“I would, my lord.” Charlotte laid a hand on his arm. “I would, indeed.”
Chapter Thirteen
“What have you done to Charlotte, Jules?”
Julian looked up from the sideboard to find Cam in the study doorway, his face grim.
“Done? Why, nothing you haven’t asked me to do, cuz.” He splashed a generous finger of whiskey into his glass and held it aloft in a mock salute. “To Lady Hadley’s health. Care for a drink?”
“It’s not yet noon. A bit early for whiskey, don’t you think?”
“No.” Julian tipped the glass to his lips and downed the contents in one swallow. “I don’t. I need as much whiskey as I can get to survive Lady Chase’s picnic this afternoon.”
Cam raised an eyebrow and closed the study door behind him. “Is there any other reason you feel a need for whiskey with your breakfast? Guilty conscience, perhaps?”
“Ah. I see the problem.” Drops of whiskey spilled onto Julian’s wrist as he tilted his glass in the direction of the hallway. “Lady Hadley has arrived, and she’s rushed upstairs to bend Ellie’s ears with tales of my wickedness.”
Except they weren’t tales. Charlotte had no need for lies. The truth was wicked enough. Cam hadn’t asked him to hound Charlotte’s every step, or lie to her friends, or snatch her jewels in a gaming hell wager, and he’d damn well never asked Julian to hold her, to touch her and taste her…
Her skin still makes my fingertips ache with want, and her sighs are still the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
Julian sloshed another generous measure of liquor into his glass. More whiskey. Yes, that was a good idea.
Cam crossed the room, replaced the stopper in the whiskey decanter, and shoved it to the back of the sideboard. “No. She didn’t mention you.”
Julian snorted. “Not until you left the room.”
“Amelia is with them now. Neither of them will say a word about you in front of her.” Cam’s eyes narrowed on Julian’s face. “I can’t tell whether you look relieved or disappointed to find you’re not foremost in Charlotte’s thoughts this morning.”
“Indifferent.”
Furious. He thought if he kept the taste of whiskey in his mouth, he could forgethertaste, the way his tongue had traced her neck, seeking that tart sweetness, but no matter how much whiskey he poured down his throat, he couldn’t drown her.
“That’s a great deal of whiskey for a man’s who’s indifferent.”
Julian shoved away from the sideboard and threw himself into his chair with a scowl. When had Cam become so bloody observant? “You accused me just now of—how did you put it?Doing something to her. Why should you think I did anything if Charlotte didn’t say a word about me?”
“She didn’t need to.” Cam sank into his own chair opposite Julian’s. “I could see something was wrong just by looking at her.” He paused, his fingers in a steeple under his chin. “She looks drained, but she’s strangely agitated at the same time. Ellie and I are concerned, so I repeat—what did you do to her?”
Not five seconds ago he’d wanted confirmation of her misery, but now that he had it, Julian’s heart kicked against his ribs in protest.Damn it. He hadn’t meant to touch her last night, but first Devon’s name had dropped from her lips one too many times, and then…
And then she’d made me feel.
What had she meant when she said there was nothing left of her to ruin? Nothing left to save? It made sense to assume she was referring to her tarnished reputation, but something about her face when she’d said it…
It was more than that. Worse than that.
“Jules?”
Julian dragged his attention back to Cam. “What did Idoto her? Jesus, Cam. You wanted her out of London. How exactly did you think it was going to happen? Did you suppose she’d simply skip off to Bellwood if I asked politely?”
“No, but we trusted you to make it happen without hurting her. We want to help her, Jules, not punish her.” Cam ran a rough hand through his hair. “We thought you and Charlotte might… Well, it hardly matters now. This was a mistake.”
Julian stared at his cousin. “You thought Charlotte and I mightwhat, Cam?”
“It doesn’t matter now—”
