The Countess Page 0,55
with this last year who she could believe would have done such a thing, and would be happy to find some way to escape. And then there was the sweet, considerate and passionate lover, Richard, from last night. The problem was she had no idea which man he was, and who she would be confronted with the next time they met. Would he be the Dicky who was so mean and cold to her, or the lover Richard? And if it was Dicky by day and Richard by night, was it worth spending her days in a sort of hel to enjoy nights of heaven?
She supposed that didn't real y matter. The marriage was consummated, so unless it turned out Richard was real y George, the marriage would stand firm. She would never al ow Robert to sacrifice himself by pretending to be her lover to gain her a freedom she'd lost through her own wanton desires. Though she had to admit the very fact that he would even suggest it was touching. She didn't doubt that he'd carry it out if she agreed. She also knew without a doubt that he'd make the same offer to both Suzette and Lisa were they in similar situations. Truly, he was the best of friends, a brother in every way but blood . . . and she couldn't al ow him to ruin himself for her.
"Chrissy?" Langley prompted again.
Christiana sighed and final y just said, "Why do we not just wait a bit? I am sure I can get to see his bottom tonight. I wil make sure I do, and then we shal decide what is best from there."
"Christiana," he began sternly, but it was as far as he got, for the door opened just then and Lisa and Suzette entered.
"There you are," Lisa tril ed brightly as she led Suzie to join them. "Haversham said Robert was here. Why was the door closed?"
Christiana blinked in surprise at the scowl Lisa cast on both her and Langley for such an impropriety. Lisa rarely scowled at anything or anyone. "I'm afraid I closed it without thinking when I entered. Come sit down, I was just about to ask Langley if there are any bal s we should attend tonight."
As the two girls took their seats, Christiana turned a warning glance to Langley.
She didn't want the conversation to continue in front of her sisters. She real y didn't want to discuss it anymore at al , at least, not unless Richard didn't have the strawberry birthmark. Then, she supposed there would be a lot of discussion going on. Fortunately, Robert obeyed her silent plea and began to discuss bal s.
"I hear voices."
Richard paused in the entry at Daniel's hissed words. After listening for a moment, he relaxed. "It is coming from the parlor. It sounds like the women are al in there, which means we won't run into them upstairs."
"Right, wel that's something," Daniel grunted, shifting his hold on his end of the carpet-rol ed George. Nodding, Richard started forward again, moving quickly toward the stairs.
George was a lot heavier with the added weight of the carpet around him and no doubt they would both be relieved to set him down. He just hoped they managed to do so without encountering anyone.
They made it up the stairs and were moving quickly up the hal with their burden, Richard thinking they might just manage the task undiscovered, when Haversham appeared from the master bedroom and started in their direction. Richard heard Daniel curse under his breath behind him and silently echoed the sentiment, but kept calm. It wasn't like they were carting a naked, dead George about for anyone to see. He was wrapped in the carpet after al . No one could tel he was in there, Richard assured himself. They would just carry the rug past as if nothing were amiss. That was the plan anyway, however, Haversham put an end to it by stopping in the middle of the hal directly in front of him, forcing Richard to a halt. The elderly butler peered at the rol ed up and slightly bulgy carpet, raised an eyebrow and then peered at Richard and asked, "Would you like me to send for a couple of footmen to help you with that, my lord?"
"Er . . . no," Richard forced a smile. "I - we are just - it's a bit chil in my room and Lord Woodrow offered this carpet to take away