Lydia looked at Scarlett. She ran to her and the two danced.
“I may have been hasty. Take as long as you like in this engagement. It might not be such a bad idea,” Scarlett said. “The books in Anya House are stupendous. And downstairs there are meetings. I love science meetings.”
With Katherine glancing at her, Scarlett turned away to the pianoforte. “I mean I heard they are great.”
My newfound pact for honesty wouldn’t include telling on Scarlett. Instead of going to the market, she sometimes dressed in disguises to attend medical seminars or lectures at the Royal Society.
I’d keep her secret. There’d been enough intrigue tonight. “At the duke’s house, we have to behave. That includes me.”
“If you say so.” Scarlett cast the comment over her shoulder as she walked to the little girl, and then dragged the excited Lydia from the room. “Bath time for you. You need to be fresh as a daisy. We’ll be visiting the Duke of Torrance at Mayfair soon.”
“Can’t I have a bath then? Not now. I smell good.”
“Now.”
“Wait,” Katherine said. “Let me do it. Let me spend time with my Lydia. I want to make you look like a princess tonight. You’re so special. And so loved by us all as you are.”
The little girl came and leapt into Katherine’s arms.
“Hey, you feel a little warm, Lydia.”
“I don’t want to be achy. And I don’t want a bath.”
Hugging her like she’d disappear, Katherine carried her out of the parlor.
When their footsteps could no longer be heard, Scarlett sat beside me. “So you’re going to sing in public.”
“Yep.”
“And you will have a public courtship because this man is titled?”
“Yes. I mean no. The duke believes that it’s best to court in the open, ’cause . . . I have to tell you the truth. I kissed a man to spite Katherine and was caught. A reporter might even have seen us.”
“You kissed a stranger? Wow. Oh, my. So bold.”
“But now Lord Mark Sebastian and I have to act as if we’ve secretly courted and are now being open. It will go better when I beg off.”
Scarlett paced a little, then stopped. “Because you may have been caught by a reporter you have to pretend to have been in a longer courtship?”
“A woman who kisses a man she hasn’t met before is a fool. The man who deals with her only wants a harlot. Who would believe I kissed an unknown man and that was all it was? I’ll be ruined. My ruining will ruin you and Lydia.”
“The duke thinks this will work?”
“He suggests we court publicly. He also thinks if I do well, exhibit very well, the attention will bring new suitors. Then, it will be more understandable that I begged off.”
“Are you going to consider someone else? Do you want to marry?”
It was a possibility. Begging off to nothing might be difficult, but I wasn’t Katherine. I’d not settle in marriage. I needed to be inspired. “Scarlett, let me survive performing without looking foolish. I’ll see what happens.”
“Georgina, you made a mistake. It takes a strong woman to say she changed her mind.”
“I wish it was that simple. I’ve given my word. I must follow this path. You are fearless, Scarlett. But I’m not you. And his lordship wants this faux engagement to help his music.”
“That seems odd. You sure he doesn’t have other plans?”
I shook my head. “The duke pretty much insisted that Lord Mark Sebastian comply. Scarlett, I need your support. Our sister hates being around the duke. We need him if this is to work.”
“Tavis must have told Katherine awful things about the duke, and she believed it. I don’t want to talk ill of the dead, but he had to have lied. He lied a lot. He probably lied a lot about the duke.”
