myself, my life seems so much like a dream. A year and a half ago, when I was working for that odious Mrs. Thrall, I could not have imagined that I would be so happy today.”
“It is no more than you deserve,” Eleanor told her firmly.
“But enough about me,” Juliana said now, leaning in confidentially. “Tell me about you and Lord Neale.”
Eleanor looked at her friend. She had always confided in Juliana, and she wanted to tell her exactly what had transpired between her and Lord Neale. But it seemed even worse, now that she knew Juliana was pregnant, to drag her into the middle of Eleanor’s own problems.
“There is nothing to tell, really,” Eleanor said with a shrug. “I did not ask him to escort me here this evening. He more or less invited himself. And I did not want to create a scene. I apologize for thrusting him upon you uninvited.”
“It was no problem, I assure you. I am glad that you had someone to escort you, frankly. London is not a safe city. Perhaps he was simply concerned about you,” Juliana suggested. “He seemed terribly attentive to you.”
“Oh, yes, he is attentive—in the way an eagle is attentive to a rabbit.”
Juliana’s brows went up. “Whatever do you mean? Is something amiss?”
Eleanor firmly squelched her desire to pour out the whole story and said, “No, not really. It is just that I dislike dealing with the man. He has always been quite rude. He did not consider me an appropriate match for Edmund.”
“Then he was a fool. But perhaps now he realizes how wrong he was. Perhaps he is trying to make it up to you, and that is why he wanted to escort you.”
“Perhaps,” Eleanor responded noncommittally, looking down at her hands. She did not see the shrewd gaze that Juliana turned upon her.
“He is a terribly handsome man,” Juliana said after a moment.
“Is he?” Eleanor grimaced. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Juliana laughed. “Surely you don’t expect me to swallow that fib.”
“He is…handsome, in a harsh sort of way,” Eleanor admitted. “’Tis a pity that his nature does not match his appearance.”
“Yes.” Juliana sighed, looking disappointed. “I had hoped…”
“Now, Juliana, do not turn matchmaker on me, I pray. What is it that makes a woman want to marry off her friends as soon as she gets married herself?” Eleanor’s smile took the sting from her words.
Juliana chuckled. “I am guilty, I confess. It is just that I am so happy, I want you to have the same sort of happiness.”
“Well, I do not think I will find it with the odious Lord Neale—nor he with me. I do not need a husband. I am fine just as I am, I assure you.”
“I know. I have no doubts that you handle everything perfectly,” Juliana told her. “It is only love that I wish for you.”
“But I have love. I have Claire and Nathan and you.”
“That isn’t the sort of love I meant,” Juliana pointed out. “And you are well aware of that.”
“I do not think I am destined for the sort of love you are talking about. I do not think I am a woman who would be happy married. I am more accustomed to telling others what to do than to being told.”
“You think Nicholas tells me what to do?” Juliana asked indignantly.
“Does he not?”
Juliana started to answer, then stopped and let out a little laugh. “Well, yes, he does—but it is nearly always out of concern for me. He wants to protect me even when I haven’t the slightest need for it. However, that does not mean that I follow his orders or that he tries to force me to. I have even on occasion given him my opinion of what he should do. ’Tis a natural enough thing between husband and wife.” She looked at Eleanor a little quizzically. “Surely you know that. You were married.”
“Edmund and I had a…different sort of marriage. He needed my help. I do not think that Lord Neale does.”
“Perhaps he just does not know it.”
Eleanor cast her friend a sardonic glance, one eyebrow raised. “Why
“It is no more than you deserve,” Eleanor told her firmly.
“But enough about me,” Juliana said now, leaning in confidentially. “Tell me about you and Lord Neale.”
Eleanor looked at her friend. She had always confided in Juliana, and she wanted to tell her exactly what had transpired between her and Lord Neale. But it seemed even worse, now that she knew Juliana was pregnant, to drag her into the middle of Eleanor’s own problems.
“There is nothing to tell, really,” Eleanor said with a shrug. “I did not ask him to escort me here this evening. He more or less invited himself. And I did not want to create a scene. I apologize for thrusting him upon you uninvited.”
“It was no problem, I assure you. I am glad that you had someone to escort you, frankly. London is not a safe city. Perhaps he was simply concerned about you,” Juliana suggested. “He seemed terribly attentive to you.”
“Oh, yes, he is attentive—in the way an eagle is attentive to a rabbit.”
Juliana’s brows went up. “Whatever do you mean? Is something amiss?”
Eleanor firmly squelched her desire to pour out the whole story and said, “No, not really. It is just that I dislike dealing with the man. He has always been quite rude. He did not consider me an appropriate match for Edmund.”
“Then he was a fool. But perhaps now he realizes how wrong he was. Perhaps he is trying to make it up to you, and that is why he wanted to escort you.”
“Perhaps,” Eleanor responded noncommittally, looking down at her hands. She did not see the shrewd gaze that Juliana turned upon her.
“He is a terribly handsome man,” Juliana said after a moment.
“Is he?” Eleanor grimaced. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Juliana laughed. “Surely you don’t expect me to swallow that fib.”
“He is…handsome, in a harsh sort of way,” Eleanor admitted. “’Tis a pity that his nature does not match his appearance.”
“Yes.” Juliana sighed, looking disappointed. “I had hoped…”
“Now, Juliana, do not turn matchmaker on me, I pray. What is it that makes a woman want to marry off her friends as soon as she gets married herself?” Eleanor’s smile took the sting from her words.
Juliana chuckled. “I am guilty, I confess. It is just that I am so happy, I want you to have the same sort of happiness.”
“Well, I do not think I will find it with the odious Lord Neale—nor he with me. I do not need a husband. I am fine just as I am, I assure you.”
“I know. I have no doubts that you handle everything perfectly,” Juliana told her. “It is only love that I wish for you.”
“But I have love. I have Claire and Nathan and you.”
“That isn’t the sort of love I meant,” Juliana pointed out. “And you are well aware of that.”
“I do not think I am destined for the sort of love you are talking about. I do not think I am a woman who would be happy married. I am more accustomed to telling others what to do than to being told.”
“You think Nicholas tells me what to do?” Juliana asked indignantly.
“Does he not?”
Juliana started to answer, then stopped and let out a little laugh. “Well, yes, he does—but it is nearly always out of concern for me. He wants to protect me even when I haven’t the slightest need for it. However, that does not mean that I follow his orders or that he tries to force me to. I have even on occasion given him my opinion of what he should do. ’Tis a natural enough thing between husband and wife.” She looked at Eleanor a little quizzically. “Surely you know that. You were married.”
“Edmund and I had a…different sort of marriage. He needed my help. I do not think that Lord Neale does.”
“Perhaps he just does not know it.”
Eleanor cast her friend a sardonic glance, one eyebrow raised. “Why
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