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“But don’t you—I mean, wouldn’t you…” Lady Vane frowned. “Wouldn’t you rather share those experiences with someone?”

“With someone I love, yes. Not with someone I was caught shagging in the music room.”

Lady Vane let out a burst of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand, then shook her head. “I suppose I understand where you’re coming from. Except I wouldn’t be shagging someone unless I loved them.” She then frowned and grimaced. “No, you’re right about that, too. I was… I had… an indiscretion of sorts with a man”—she looked up with wide eyes—“prior to my marriage, of course. But if I’d been caught with him, I doubt I would have been happy.”

“But didn’t you get compromised by your husband?” Jo asked before she could think. She grimaced and quickly clamped her lips shut.

Lady Vane laughed again. “I suppose I did. But it wasn’t like that, it was just an inflated tale from two elderly gossips. But imagine a young girl entangled in the same situation with a much older man. Or even if I got tangled with the wrong man. My life would’ve been a disaster.”

Jo smiled. “There are advantages to not belonging to the upper crust of society.”

“I suppose.” Lady Vane lowered her eyes and played with the tips of her gloves. “But my brother—Richard—he’s not so bad, is he?”

Jo’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean—that’s not—”

Lady Vane chuckled. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I suppose I am just curious if what I saw last night was just a moment of passion or if perhaps you see something in him?”

Jo licked her lips, her mouth going dry as her cheeks heated. For all her talk about brazen passion, she was uncomfortable discussing what had transpired last night between her and the viscount. Was there something more than passion?

There was definitely a lot of passion. And there was another kind of attraction. She liked talking with him, dancing, and just sitting in silence.

She let out a breath. “He’s a… he’s a wonderful man. But this is a short-lived affair.”

Lady Vane nodded, but her face grew somber. “Would you like to join me and my friends for some chocolate on the patio? You seem like a fine conversationalist.”

Jo smiled widely. “As long as we don’t continue discussing this.”

Lady Vane chuckled. “No. I wouldn’t do that. But I have to admit, I have more selfish reasons for inviting you. Millie loves you. And I am certain she would be happy if you joined us.”

Jo smiled and for the first time since she woke up, she did not feel any dread at all. “I would love to.”

Chapter 9

Jo ended up spending the rest of the day with Lady Vane, her family, and friends. Jo was already on good footing with Millie and her lovely dog Button, but now the dog followed her around as if enchanted, while the duchess, baroness, and the marchioness acted as though Jo was their equal. They even insisted that she call them by their Christian names, which Jo could never do!

Jo rarely, if ever, got treated like that in the aristocratic homes. She was trying to be friendly with all the ladies of the ton in order to get into their good graces so that she could get the chance to perform at their functions, but at the end of the day, they always made certain to remind her that she was just hired help, a step away from the servants.

Not here. And after the embarrassing incident the night before, no less!

Selena joined them all for tea. Jo couldn’t refuse the invitation of the hostess, so she opted to bring her friend along. And as much as she wished to speak to Selena privately, she had to settle for an intimate tea party with the ladies.

Selena seemed to be in good spirits as she animatedly discussed various subjects with their new friends. Jo even began to think that she had made up all her worries in her head. Perhaps it was just the reflections of her feelings toward Mick that she saw in Selena’s earlier sour mood, while she was simply tired.

We live in the same room. If something was truly amiss, she would get the chance to talk to Selena whenever she wished.

When the time came for dinner, and Lady Ashbury’s husband escorted Jo to the dinner table, another suspicion sprouted in her mind.

Lady Vane was purposefully keeping Jo busy and as far away from her brother as she could.

Perhaps she wasn’t as fine with their liaison as she made it seem. Not that Jo could blame her.

In fact, she was glad about it.

In her moment of weakness, Jo had agreed to carry on with the affair with the viscount, but now she felt doubt and fear. Her mind and her body battled against each other as her heart tried very hard not to get involved. But it wasn’t easy. So Jo was glad for Lady Vane’s interference and the moment of reprieve she offered her.

Richard didn’t seek her out either, although he did throw dark glances her way every time she laughed at something one gentleman or another had said to her. Sometimes, she’d catch him watching her with his smoldering gaze, but other than that, she’d had no more contact with him for the rest of the night.

Disappointment gathered deep in her stomach, and Jo berated herself for being so indecisive.