you have ever seen?”
“He is most certainly attractive … but in a
dangerous sort of way,” Miss Bretton said thoughtfully. “Never
say … you are genuinely interested in him?
“Interested? Oh Corry, more—much more. You see,”
Babs confided, “ I want him .”
“Babs!” Miss Bretton squealed her objection.
“Oh I know what that sounds like, but I can’t help
it. I know it is quite impossible.” She sighed and said on a low
note, “You know, it is most unfair that men may go about flirting
and kissing and … and … all sorts of things with
impunity, but we must wait till we are married …”
“Hush, you silly thing, before someone hears you.”
Corry shook her head but could not repress a short laugh and a nod.
“But you are quite right … and it leaves us in a precarious
situation.”
“Yes, for we must marry in order to enjoy
the …”—Babs twinkled—“pleasures of the flesh, and what if we
don’t enjoy them … with the man we marry?”
“’Tis why so many married women have affairs …
like Lady Caroline and Lord Byron … and so many others who
have married for convenience and find satisfaction elsewhere. I
suppose that is our lot in life.” Corry sighed sadly.
“Well, it shouldn’t be, and I for one don’t mean to
abide by rules made by men for their own selfish gain.”
“You are quite right, but there is nothing we can
do …”
“There is, and we should do it. Look at what that
Godwin woman did … with her publication of A Vindication of
the Rights of Woman . In her work she actually indicated the
position of women in society, most notably describing marriage, as
legal prostitution. What do you think of that?”
“Babs, Babs … your father would die of an
apoplexy!” Corry laughed. “And I think that is coming it too
strong, don’t you?”
Lady Barbara sighed. “Well, yes, but something must
be done—if not, we risk being married off by our fathers to men we
can’t abide.” She clucked her tongue. “And all this bother doesn’t
really matter, because the man of my dreams—Lord Wildfire—doesn’t
even really look at me.”
“Yet, I noticed that he is not adverse to your
charms,” her cousin answered thoughtfully, and her hazel eyes
twinkled. “And you certainly did exhibit them as best as you could,
didn’t you?”
Her hand received a playful rap. “Horrid girl!” Babs
laughed amiably. “And how could I do that with everyone in Hyde
Park watching me speak with him?” She looked around and noted that
it was the fashionable hour; it seemed all of London’s haute
ton was out displaying themselves. She was heartily sick of it,
and then with a flutter of her heart she noticed Lord Wildfire had
just pulled up his black gelding to speak to another man on a
gray.
“Look!” exclaimed Babs, exerting control over her
fingers, which seemed to have a will of their own as they began to
point. It took extreme effort to keep them at her side.
Corry noted a juggler working a set of ripe apples.
Not far from him was a rather strange-looking gentleman balancing
himself on the ledge of the water fountain whilst his friends
cheered him on. “Yes,” she said, “Very odd …”
“Odd—why?”
At the tone of surprise in Babs’ voice, Corry turned
to see her cousin was looking not towards the juggler but in a
different direction altogether. “Oh …” she said once she
realized what had captured her cousin’s attention. “I should have
known only the Wildfire himself would catch your eye.”
Babs blushed and rolled her eyes but said, “No…with
him—the gentleman with him!”
Corry frowned and looked and said, “How, dearest,
could I know who the gentleman with him is if you don’t?”
“No, of course you wouldn’t. He has been rusticating
in the country. I have never been introduced to him, but he was
often about, and I did notice him before it all happened. Yes, yes,
his name is Sir Frederick. There was a tremendous
scandal
“He is most certainly attractive … but in a
dangerous sort of way,” Miss Bretton said thoughtfully. “Never
say … you are genuinely interested in him?
“Interested? Oh Corry, more—much more. You see,”
Babs confided, “ I want him .”
“Babs!” Miss Bretton squealed her objection.
“Oh I know what that sounds like, but I can’t help
it. I know it is quite impossible.” She sighed and said on a low
note, “You know, it is most unfair that men may go about flirting
and kissing and … and … all sorts of things with
impunity, but we must wait till we are married …”
“Hush, you silly thing, before someone hears you.”
Corry shook her head but could not repress a short laugh and a nod.
“But you are quite right … and it leaves us in a precarious
situation.”
“Yes, for we must marry in order to enjoy
the …”—Babs twinkled—“pleasures of the flesh, and what if we
don’t enjoy them … with the man we marry?”
“’Tis why so many married women have affairs …
like Lady Caroline and Lord Byron … and so many others who
have married for convenience and find satisfaction elsewhere. I
suppose that is our lot in life.” Corry sighed sadly.
“Well, it shouldn’t be, and I for one don’t mean to
abide by rules made by men for their own selfish gain.”
“You are quite right, but there is nothing we can
do …”
“There is, and we should do it. Look at what that
Godwin woman did … with her publication of A Vindication of
the Rights of Woman . In her work she actually indicated the
position of women in society, most notably describing marriage, as
legal prostitution. What do you think of that?”
“Babs, Babs … your father would die of an
apoplexy!” Corry laughed. “And I think that is coming it too
strong, don’t you?”
Lady Barbara sighed. “Well, yes, but something must
be done—if not, we risk being married off by our fathers to men we
can’t abide.” She clucked her tongue. “And all this bother doesn’t
really matter, because the man of my dreams—Lord Wildfire—doesn’t
even really look at me.”
“Yet, I noticed that he is not adverse to your
charms,” her cousin answered thoughtfully, and her hazel eyes
twinkled. “And you certainly did exhibit them as best as you could,
didn’t you?”
Her hand received a playful rap. “Horrid girl!” Babs
laughed amiably. “And how could I do that with everyone in Hyde
Park watching me speak with him?” She looked around and noted that
it was the fashionable hour; it seemed all of London’s haute
ton was out displaying themselves. She was heartily sick of it,
and then with a flutter of her heart she noticed Lord Wildfire had
just pulled up his black gelding to speak to another man on a
gray.
“Look!” exclaimed Babs, exerting control over her
fingers, which seemed to have a will of their own as they began to
point. It took extreme effort to keep them at her side.
Corry noted a juggler working a set of ripe apples.
Not far from him was a rather strange-looking gentleman balancing
himself on the ledge of the water fountain whilst his friends
cheered him on. “Yes,” she said, “Very odd …”
“Odd—why?”
At the tone of surprise in Babs’ voice, Corry turned
to see her cousin was looking not towards the juggler but in a
different direction altogether. “Oh …” she said once she
realized what had captured her cousin’s attention. “I should have
known only the Wildfire himself would catch your eye.”
Babs blushed and rolled her eyes but said, “No…with
him—the gentleman with him!”
Corry frowned and looked and said, “How, dearest,
could I know who the gentleman with him is if you don’t?”
“No, of course you wouldn’t. He has been rusticating
in the country. I have never been introduced to him, but he was
often about, and I did notice him before it all happened. Yes, yes,
his name is Sir Frederick. There was a tremendous
scandal
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