stood on end, and his freckles were dark on chalk-white skin. He needed a shave, and his cravat was tied crookedly.
“Blimey, Freddy,” Aidan said, pushing a chair back for his friend. “You look as if you need something stronger than coffee.”
Freddy shook his head and dropped heavily into his seat. “My head hurts enough already.”
Aidan gestured to the serving girl for more coffee. As she brought it over, he leaned his forearms on the table and studied Freddy in concern. “What is happening, Freddy? I know you said you don’t need money, but if you do…”
Freddy gulped down the strong brew and shook his head. “I don’t. At least not yet. Not until I know what she’ll do.”
She.
“Ah.” Aidan sat back in his chair and almost laughed. Of course it was a woman who had Freddy tied up in knots. It always was. Wasn’t he going crazy himself,all because of Lily St. Claire? “And who is she, then? A friend of your sister who refused your proposal? An opera dancer who sent back your gifts?”
“Nothing like that.” Freddy finished his coffee and took a deep breath. He seemed a little steadier and gave Aidan a sheepish smile. “She’s not a society debutante
or
a whore. I… well, I thought I was in love with her.”
“Thought you were?”
“She… well, damn it all, she’s not like any other woman I’ve ever met.” Freddy shook his head again. “I misread things with her. I’m always doing that.”
Aidan knew the feeling well. His attempts to read Lily were obviously going nowhere. Maybe hearing someone else’s romantic woes would make him feel better. “Where did you meet her?”
“I went to a dinner at the Majestic Theater a few months ago, when you were in the West Indies.”
“The Majestic? You met her there?” Aidan sat up straight. The Majestic was the St. Claires’ theater.
“I sat next to her. Mrs. Lily Nichols. She smiled at me, talked to me like I wasn’t thick or dull. And she had such pretty dark eyes. I thought…”
He had thought she was different. Special. Aidan knew what Freddy had thought and felt when he looked at Lily St. Claire, because Aidan felt it himself. He wanted to be the one to discover her secrets, to delve behind the mystery. But he wasn’t the only one.
“You wrote her letters?” Aidan asked tightly.
Freddy groaned and buried his face in his hands. “With poems and everything. I thought I could convince her to feel the same way I did, to see how much I cared for her. But she turned me away.”
Aidan could envision it. Lily’s dark eyes hardening, her face like marble as she pushed away what she didn’t want to see. Her heart closed. “Did she laugh at you?” he asked, though he couldn’t picture Lily laughing at anyone at all.
Freddy shook his head. “She tried to be kind, I think. She told me she intended never to marry again. But she kept my letters, and I don’t know what she intends to do with them. You remember what happened to Arthur Collins, don’t you?”
Aidan nodded brusquely. Arthur Collins was another old school friend of theirs, who was nearly ruined when his mistress took him to court in a breach of promise suit. She had used his letters begging her to marry him as evidence, even though those letters were obviously written when he was completely foxed. “Never say Mrs. Nichols is taking you to court.”
“I don’t know what she intends to do! She hasn’t said anything. I’m just afraid of what my mother would say if she ever found out how foolish I’ve been.”
Aidan studied his friend’s gaunt face and his eyes so full of despair. “I will get the letters back for you, Freddy,” he said gently.
Freddy almost sobbed in relief. “Would you, Aidan? I knew I could count on you. You always have such a way with ladies.”
Aidan nodded. It was time for a trip to the theater.
Chapter Six
D uring Aidan’s years in the West Indies, he had missed many things. The cool, soft rain of an English springtime. The
“Blimey, Freddy,” Aidan said, pushing a chair back for his friend. “You look as if you need something stronger than coffee.”
Freddy shook his head and dropped heavily into his seat. “My head hurts enough already.”
Aidan gestured to the serving girl for more coffee. As she brought it over, he leaned his forearms on the table and studied Freddy in concern. “What is happening, Freddy? I know you said you don’t need money, but if you do…”
Freddy gulped down the strong brew and shook his head. “I don’t. At least not yet. Not until I know what she’ll do.”
She.
“Ah.” Aidan sat back in his chair and almost laughed. Of course it was a woman who had Freddy tied up in knots. It always was. Wasn’t he going crazy himself,all because of Lily St. Claire? “And who is she, then? A friend of your sister who refused your proposal? An opera dancer who sent back your gifts?”
“Nothing like that.” Freddy finished his coffee and took a deep breath. He seemed a little steadier and gave Aidan a sheepish smile. “She’s not a society debutante
or
a whore. I… well, I thought I was in love with her.”
“Thought you were?”
“She… well, damn it all, she’s not like any other woman I’ve ever met.” Freddy shook his head again. “I misread things with her. I’m always doing that.”
Aidan knew the feeling well. His attempts to read Lily were obviously going nowhere. Maybe hearing someone else’s romantic woes would make him feel better. “Where did you meet her?”
“I went to a dinner at the Majestic Theater a few months ago, when you were in the West Indies.”
“The Majestic? You met her there?” Aidan sat up straight. The Majestic was the St. Claires’ theater.
“I sat next to her. Mrs. Lily Nichols. She smiled at me, talked to me like I wasn’t thick or dull. And she had such pretty dark eyes. I thought…”
He had thought she was different. Special. Aidan knew what Freddy had thought and felt when he looked at Lily St. Claire, because Aidan felt it himself. He wanted to be the one to discover her secrets, to delve behind the mystery. But he wasn’t the only one.
“You wrote her letters?” Aidan asked tightly.
Freddy groaned and buried his face in his hands. “With poems and everything. I thought I could convince her to feel the same way I did, to see how much I cared for her. But she turned me away.”
Aidan could envision it. Lily’s dark eyes hardening, her face like marble as she pushed away what she didn’t want to see. Her heart closed. “Did she laugh at you?” he asked, though he couldn’t picture Lily laughing at anyone at all.
Freddy shook his head. “She tried to be kind, I think. She told me she intended never to marry again. But she kept my letters, and I don’t know what she intends to do with them. You remember what happened to Arthur Collins, don’t you?”
Aidan nodded brusquely. Arthur Collins was another old school friend of theirs, who was nearly ruined when his mistress took him to court in a breach of promise suit. She had used his letters begging her to marry him as evidence, even though those letters were obviously written when he was completely foxed. “Never say Mrs. Nichols is taking you to court.”
“I don’t know what she intends to do! She hasn’t said anything. I’m just afraid of what my mother would say if she ever found out how foolish I’ve been.”
Aidan studied his friend’s gaunt face and his eyes so full of despair. “I will get the letters back for you, Freddy,” he said gently.
Freddy almost sobbed in relief. “Would you, Aidan? I knew I could count on you. You always have such a way with ladies.”
Aidan nodded. It was time for a trip to the theater.
Chapter Six
D uring Aidan’s years in the West Indies, he had missed many things. The cool, soft rain of an English springtime. The
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