Reggie? Has your headache passed?”
“What? Oh, yes, I am very well.”
Becky turned to Carlisle and said, “It was kind of you to allow me to see the rest of the play while you walked with my sister.”
“The pleasure was entirely mine, Lady Penrith,” Carlisle replied. “Ah. We have arrived at Penrith House.”
He stepped down from the carriage and helped Becky out first, then reached for Reggie’s hand. Carlisle was everything that was proper. He waited at the door until Hardy, the butler, had let them in before he turned and headed back toward his carriage.
Reggie stood in the doorway, unable to take her eyes off of Carlisle. She had the strangest desire to run after him, to beg him to take her with him.
“Come inside, Reggie, and close the door,” Beckysaid, taking her by the arm and tugging her inside. “You are staring at Lord Carlisle as though he were a hot cross bun and you a starving child.”
Reggie made a face. “Don’t be silly. It was nothing of the sort. Although I do confess I like the man.”
“
Like
is too weak a word for what I saw on your face. Be careful, Reggie.”
“I thought the earl very well behaved tonight,” Reggie said as she followed Becky upstairs.
“Oh yes, very well behaved. But I believe the earl to be capable of dissembling,” Becky said.
Reggie hurried up two stairs to get in front of Becky and stop her. “Do you think he was? Dissembling, I mean?”
“His manners were not so nice at Viscount Raleigh’s ball. Could he have changed so much in such a short time?”
Reggie sat down in the middle of the staircase and grabbed Becky’s hand to tug her down onto the step beside her. “A man may have manners and yet not employ them,” Reggie mused.
“I suppose so,” Becky said. “But you must ask yourself what caused such a striking change.”
“I suppose he wanted to impress me,” Reggie said.
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why would a man as rich, as powerful, as determinedly unattached as Lord Carlisle, want to impress you?” Becky asked.
Reggie flushed. “He said he wishes to court me.”
Becky frowned. “He wishes to court the daughter of the man who had him transported?”
“You are forgetting Papa has made amends.”
“The earl is rich enough to attract a diamond of the first water from the current Season’s crop of young misses. Why would he choose you, a female practically on the shelf?”
Reggie laughed. “Only you could insult me so thoroughly in the name of concern for my person. Perhaps he enjoys my company.”
“I only pray that you will not make the same mistake I did,” Becky said quietly.
Reggie put her arms around her twin and hugged her tight. “Oh, I will not. I promise I will not.” She opened her mouth to explain her plan to expose any character flaws which Carlisle might possess but closed it again without speaking. If she included Becky in her plot, she might cause more trouble between Penrith and her sister.
“I understand there was a letter from Papa today,” she said, subtly changing the subject.
Becky disentangled herself from Reggie’s embrace and rose to continue up the stairs. “Papa promises he will send Mick to bring us the news when the child is born.”
“I can hardly wait until Mick arrives,” Reggie said, following after her.
“I wish he were not coming,” Becky said vehemently. “I don’t know how I will bear it!”
Reggie caught her sister’s elbow and urged her down the hall. “Come with me.”
“Where—”
“Not another word,” Reggie said firmly. Once they were inside Reggie’s bedroom, she closed the door and turned to confront her sister. “Has Mick said anything, done anything to hurt you? I will pummel him into mincemeat. I will tear him limb from limb. I will—”
Becky giggled. “Oh, Reggie, you ridiculous creature. Mick has done nothing.”
“Nothing?” Reggie asked suspiciously, crossing to the foot of the canopied bed where Becky stood and looking
“What? Oh, yes, I am very well.”
Becky turned to Carlisle and said, “It was kind of you to allow me to see the rest of the play while you walked with my sister.”
“The pleasure was entirely mine, Lady Penrith,” Carlisle replied. “Ah. We have arrived at Penrith House.”
He stepped down from the carriage and helped Becky out first, then reached for Reggie’s hand. Carlisle was everything that was proper. He waited at the door until Hardy, the butler, had let them in before he turned and headed back toward his carriage.
Reggie stood in the doorway, unable to take her eyes off of Carlisle. She had the strangest desire to run after him, to beg him to take her with him.
“Come inside, Reggie, and close the door,” Beckysaid, taking her by the arm and tugging her inside. “You are staring at Lord Carlisle as though he were a hot cross bun and you a starving child.”
Reggie made a face. “Don’t be silly. It was nothing of the sort. Although I do confess I like the man.”
“
Like
is too weak a word for what I saw on your face. Be careful, Reggie.”
“I thought the earl very well behaved tonight,” Reggie said as she followed Becky upstairs.
“Oh yes, very well behaved. But I believe the earl to be capable of dissembling,” Becky said.
Reggie hurried up two stairs to get in front of Becky and stop her. “Do you think he was? Dissembling, I mean?”
“His manners were not so nice at Viscount Raleigh’s ball. Could he have changed so much in such a short time?”
Reggie sat down in the middle of the staircase and grabbed Becky’s hand to tug her down onto the step beside her. “A man may have manners and yet not employ them,” Reggie mused.
“I suppose so,” Becky said. “But you must ask yourself what caused such a striking change.”
“I suppose he wanted to impress me,” Reggie said.
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why would a man as rich, as powerful, as determinedly unattached as Lord Carlisle, want to impress you?” Becky asked.
Reggie flushed. “He said he wishes to court me.”
Becky frowned. “He wishes to court the daughter of the man who had him transported?”
“You are forgetting Papa has made amends.”
“The earl is rich enough to attract a diamond of the first water from the current Season’s crop of young misses. Why would he choose you, a female practically on the shelf?”
Reggie laughed. “Only you could insult me so thoroughly in the name of concern for my person. Perhaps he enjoys my company.”
“I only pray that you will not make the same mistake I did,” Becky said quietly.
Reggie put her arms around her twin and hugged her tight. “Oh, I will not. I promise I will not.” She opened her mouth to explain her plan to expose any character flaws which Carlisle might possess but closed it again without speaking. If she included Becky in her plot, she might cause more trouble between Penrith and her sister.
“I understand there was a letter from Papa today,” she said, subtly changing the subject.
Becky disentangled herself from Reggie’s embrace and rose to continue up the stairs. “Papa promises he will send Mick to bring us the news when the child is born.”
“I can hardly wait until Mick arrives,” Reggie said, following after her.
“I wish he were not coming,” Becky said vehemently. “I don’t know how I will bear it!”
Reggie caught her sister’s elbow and urged her down the hall. “Come with me.”
“Where—”
“Not another word,” Reggie said firmly. Once they were inside Reggie’s bedroom, she closed the door and turned to confront her sister. “Has Mick said anything, done anything to hurt you? I will pummel him into mincemeat. I will tear him limb from limb. I will—”
Becky giggled. “Oh, Reggie, you ridiculous creature. Mick has done nothing.”
“Nothing?” Reggie asked suspiciously, crossing to the foot of the canopied bed where Becky stood and looking
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