Page 52 of The Lady’s Great Escape

“A connection?” Gray whispered and Kit remembered using that word to describe it.

“Yes. That’s what it was. And a freedom to just be with her. As if we belonged… together.”

“Friends.”

“Yes. I wanted to see her again, but Selene only wanted that one night together, so I respected her wishes even though it felt like I was leaving my soul behind in that room when I left her. I was sure I’d never see her again. Never know again what it had felt like.”

Kit rubbed his chest at the hollow ache.

“As you know, I wasn’t able to wait very long before I set out to find her to no avail. We were truly shocked when we realized a few mornings later at breakfast. But while it was a surprise, it wasn’t an unwelcome one. We have been friends for many years. And finding out our true identities didn’t change anything between us as far as our friendship, we were simply able to add in that other part. The amazing, wild—”

“Thank you, that’s quite enough. My imagination will surely not withstand more information.”

Kit nodded vaguely as he remembered how the excitement of finding Selene had mixed together with the concern of realizing it was Celia.

“You must know, I offered marriage immediately as a gentleman would when he found out he’d compromised a lady and a friend. But she wouldn’t have me. Again.” He threw his hands in the air and stood to pace the opposite side of the room.

“Did you speak of the first time she refused you?” Gray asked, rather quickly.

“No. You told me she felt horrible for having chosen Hamlin over me and I wouldn’t do anything to make Celia feel horrible.”

Gray nodded. “Very good.”

“Anyway…she’s determined to live a life as a saucy widow and take lovers. She doesn’t yet realize it won’t be the same. Or maybe it will. Perhaps it was only me who was so affected. I am the only one of us who knows how empty the act can be when it’s not with someone you care for.” He rubbed his forehead. “When I couldn’t convince her, I offered to be her lover. It was the only thing she wanted from me and I’d give her anything. Just to have her a little longer.”

“You’re telling me that instead of calling you out, I should be thanking you for keeping my sister from moving on to half the men in London?”

“I would never ask you to thank me. If I made it sound like an odious chore to be her lover, I misrepresented it entirely. I have enjoyed every second, I assure you.” Perhaps the grin that took over his face was a bit too roguish.

“I could have gone without knowing that.” Gray winced again and rubbed his temples.

Kit hesitated to bring up something else that would surely do his friend in, but it was best to get it over with.

“There is something else you must know and it won’t be pleasant.” He braced himself and continued. “Selene came to the masquerade as a… That is, though she had been married she had not…” Kit winced. This was more difficult than he’d expected and Gray was doing nothing to keep him from having to keep trying. “She was a virgin.”

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

“You took my sister’s virtue?”

“Yes. Though it is hers to give, is it not? And there is a good reason why she wanted to give it to me.”

Gray didn’t move so Kit thought it might be safe enough to continue.

“Lord Hamlin, that is the new Lord Hamlin has threatened her settlement, saying the marriage was not legitimate because it wasn’t consummated. He’s going to bring it before the House of Lords.”

Gray’s response was to punch a rather prominent hole in the plaster of the wall. Kit was pleased to have Gray’s anger pointed in someone else’s direction, but the situation was quite serious.

“Of course, we will have Hale and Julian attend and with the two of us and Hayworth we will surely out vote him. There will be no need for an examination.”

“An examination?” he shouted.

“You know such things can be requested by the lords. But it won’t come to that. We’ll see that it doesn’t.”

Gray threw back the rest of his drink and poured another before taking a breath that seemed to deflate him completely.

“It seems I will need to thank you after all, though I’m not going to do so right now.”

“Understood,” Kit said but then decided to push the matter. “Is it so bad to know that I care for Celia and hope to convince her to marry me at some point?” Kit frowned. “It always comes down to money, doesn’t it? When I had none, she wouldn’t have me. Now I still don’t have enough to convince her I don’t care about hers. She can keep every farthing of Hamlin’s coin for herself. I only want her.”