isn’t well.”
Alyssum, who had been sitting quietly all during the meal, finally spoke. “What do you mean he isn’t well?”
“I don’t mean not well in health. I mean he’s not well...in the heart.”
“What does that mean?”
Harry muddled over his words until Alyssum snapped, “Just spit it out.”
“He has informed me he is in love,” he announced. The table went quiet. Shocked silence filled the room.
“Robert is in love ?” Violet asked incredulously.
Alyssum felt herself grow numb. Robert was in love. With whom? Who was the little tart?
“With whom?” Violet asked.
Harry exhaled and leaned back in his chair. “That’s where things become…difficult. He doesn’t know who she is.”
Alyssum frowned and slowly began to feel her heart beat faster. “Then how does he know he is in love with her?” she asked.
“I shouldn’t be speaking of these matters with you—”
“Who’s the girl, Harry?” Caroline spoke, demanding an answer.
“He doesn’t know her name because he doesn’t know her,” he announced. “He met her at Lady Brook’s masquerade. She wore a scarlet dress and now he believes he’s in love with her.”
Alyssum’s heart jumped and her eyes widened. She was the little tart. She wasn’t sure if her mouth was hanging open, she hoped not. She feared to look at Violet who was gaping like a fish out of water.
“That woman in scarlet. I remember her,” Caroline said. “She was stunning. She took the ball by a storm with her gown.”
“So you saw her?” Harry asked.
“Everyone did.”
“What? What?” Violet sputtered, obviously finding it hard to believe what Harry was saying. “So he doesn’t know who the woman in scarlet was?”
“No, he just calls her Scarlet.”
“So…because he is in love, he is getting pickled?” she asked.
Harry smiled. “He wrote to me telling me to save him.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I told him to save himself.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Alyssum asked, still not believing the conversation they were having. Had Robert kissed another woman in scarlet that night? Or was Harry really telling her that Robert was in love with her, or thought he was in love with her?
“I got a letter from Jackson telling me to get my arse,” he stopped mid-speech, a blush heating his face as he noticed he’d sworn in front of his mother and sisters. Violet and Caroline smiled. Alyssum didn’t care. She needed to know what was in that letter.
“So he said get your arse here?”
Harry swung his surprised gaze to her. “Liss,” he chided her.
“And what else did he say?” she urged.
Harry shook his head. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“But it does,” Violet gushed then closed her mouth.
Harry frowned at her.
“He’s a part of the family and I’m worried for his health,” she told him while shifting her gaze.
“That’s very nice of you, but he’ll be fine.”
“Because you’re here?” Alyssum asked.
“Because I’m here,” Harry agreed. “I’ll keep him from drinking his stupid sorrows and make sure he shaves before leaving the house again.”
Harry shook his head as he remembered Robert’s appearance. Even though he’d shrugged it off as unimportant when speaking to the girls, he was worried on the inside. Robert had never taken more than a physical interest in a woman. He liked what he saw, propositioned, spent the night or a few in their beds, and then he was gone. He always kept his grin. But this was different. He remembered Jackson’s words.
Harry,
Get your arse to London. Robert needs your help. He’s driving me and Tucker insane and we don’t know how to help other than to get him drunk. Some woman he has named Scarlet, for he doesn’t even know her real name, has him bewitched something fierce. I’m worried he’s quite serious about this one. Harry, the man hasn’t even touched or looked at another woman since meeting this scarlet woman. All he does is mope and
Alyssum, who had been sitting quietly all during the meal, finally spoke. “What do you mean he isn’t well?”
“I don’t mean not well in health. I mean he’s not well...in the heart.”
“What does that mean?”
Harry muddled over his words until Alyssum snapped, “Just spit it out.”
“He has informed me he is in love,” he announced. The table went quiet. Shocked silence filled the room.
“Robert is in love ?” Violet asked incredulously.
Alyssum felt herself grow numb. Robert was in love. With whom? Who was the little tart?
“With whom?” Violet asked.
Harry exhaled and leaned back in his chair. “That’s where things become…difficult. He doesn’t know who she is.”
Alyssum frowned and slowly began to feel her heart beat faster. “Then how does he know he is in love with her?” she asked.
“I shouldn’t be speaking of these matters with you—”
“Who’s the girl, Harry?” Caroline spoke, demanding an answer.
“He doesn’t know her name because he doesn’t know her,” he announced. “He met her at Lady Brook’s masquerade. She wore a scarlet dress and now he believes he’s in love with her.”
Alyssum’s heart jumped and her eyes widened. She was the little tart. She wasn’t sure if her mouth was hanging open, she hoped not. She feared to look at Violet who was gaping like a fish out of water.
“That woman in scarlet. I remember her,” Caroline said. “She was stunning. She took the ball by a storm with her gown.”
“So you saw her?” Harry asked.
“Everyone did.”
“What? What?” Violet sputtered, obviously finding it hard to believe what Harry was saying. “So he doesn’t know who the woman in scarlet was?”
“No, he just calls her Scarlet.”
“So…because he is in love, he is getting pickled?” she asked.
Harry smiled. “He wrote to me telling me to save him.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I told him to save himself.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Alyssum asked, still not believing the conversation they were having. Had Robert kissed another woman in scarlet that night? Or was Harry really telling her that Robert was in love with her, or thought he was in love with her?
“I got a letter from Jackson telling me to get my arse,” he stopped mid-speech, a blush heating his face as he noticed he’d sworn in front of his mother and sisters. Violet and Caroline smiled. Alyssum didn’t care. She needed to know what was in that letter.
“So he said get your arse here?”
Harry swung his surprised gaze to her. “Liss,” he chided her.
“And what else did he say?” she urged.
Harry shook his head. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“But it does,” Violet gushed then closed her mouth.
Harry frowned at her.
“He’s a part of the family and I’m worried for his health,” she told him while shifting her gaze.
“That’s very nice of you, but he’ll be fine.”
“Because you’re here?” Alyssum asked.
“Because I’m here,” Harry agreed. “I’ll keep him from drinking his stupid sorrows and make sure he shaves before leaving the house again.”
Harry shook his head as he remembered Robert’s appearance. Even though he’d shrugged it off as unimportant when speaking to the girls, he was worried on the inside. Robert had never taken more than a physical interest in a woman. He liked what he saw, propositioned, spent the night or a few in their beds, and then he was gone. He always kept his grin. But this was different. He remembered Jackson’s words.
Harry,
Get your arse to London. Robert needs your help. He’s driving me and Tucker insane and we don’t know how to help other than to get him drunk. Some woman he has named Scarlet, for he doesn’t even know her real name, has him bewitched something fierce. I’m worried he’s quite serious about this one. Harry, the man hasn’t even touched or looked at another woman since meeting this scarlet woman. All he does is mope and
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