“I thought you should know, Violet, that you and Audley were quite the talk of the ballroom after you left.”
“Whatever for?”
“You cannot think that people did not notice Audley and Lady Fitzwilliam’s dance? Particularly in light of the gossip about their meeting in Hyde Park?” Diana paused, then added delicately, “I’m surprised gentlemen aren’t beating down your door as we speak.”
“For what purpose?” Violet felt rather as though Diana were speaking a foreign language; nothing she was saying seemed to make a great deal of sense to her.
“Well,” Diana said, drawing out the word, “some gentlemen present seemed to think that since Audley has now made clear his intention to take a mistress, you would be more amenable to similar . . . er . . . extramarital activities, shall we say.”
“Did they not notice that I danced with James, as soon as he was through with Lady Fitzwilliam?” Violet asked, irritated.
“No,” Diana said slowly. “I believe they saw you cut in on their dance in a most scandalous fashion—and if that wasn’t the action of a jealous wife, I fail to see any other alternate explanation for your behavior that seems the slightest bit plausible.”
“Oh, good heavens.” Violet buried her face in her hands. “I shall have to tell Wooton I am not at home to callers, if it’s as bad as you say.”
“I already took the liberty of doing so,” Diana said serenely, sipping her tea. She focused a shrewd look on Jeremy. “Though that doesn’t explain how you got in, Willingham.”
“No one can resist my charms,” Jeremy said with a winning grin. “Not even a butler of such sternness as Wooton.”
“Strange, seeing as I have no difficulty in doing so.”
“That is because, Lady Templeton, I have never wasted them on you. I assure you, were I to employ them, you would not stand a chance.”
“In any case,” Diana said, steering the conversation back to where she wanted it, “Violet, I had at least three separate gentlemen inquire about you last night. My dance card was full for the entire evening, so eager were people to hear whatever I might know about the state of your marriage.”
“True,” Diana said placidly, taking another sip of tea without any trace of false modesty. “But for once they didn’t seem remotely interested in peering down my bodice in the most ungentlemanly fashion imaginable. All they wanted to do was talk!” She sounded thrilled and disgruntled in almost equal measure.
“You might have that experience more often if you gave them less to look at,” Jeremy drawled.
“And yet you never seem able to resist the temptation to take a nice long ogle yourself,” Diana shot back.
“My dear Lady Templeton, I am a man,” Jeremy said, as though this explained everything. And, given Violet’s experience with men, she supposed it probably did.
“Nonetheless,” Violet said, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore this entire exchange, “I have no interest in any gentlemen who may choose to call on me, so they would be wasting their time.”
“Violet, don’t be so hasty,” Diana chided. “Some of the gentlemen who asked me specifically about you last night were very handsome.”
“I say,” Jeremy said, “I don’t think I should be present for this conversation.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Diana replied. “Feel free to show yourself out—I think you know the way.”
“Did you have a particular purpose for calling, Jeremy?” Violet asked, a touch more diplomatically. “I could pass a message along for James—I’ve not seen him yet today, though.”
“Probably hiding from any callers,” Jeremy muttered darkly. “But, er, no, thank you. I just wanted to discuss—er—manly things with him. Probably wouldn’t interest you in the least.”
“Manly things?” Violet inquired dubiously.
“Yes, quite,” Jeremy said with growing enthusiasm. “Not suitable discussion for ladies, in any case.”
“What, precisely, are these ‘manly things’?” Violet asked. “Horses? Mathematics? How to trick your wife into thinking you’re interested in another woman?”
“Er,” Jeremy said.
“Or shall I be more specific?” Violet pressed. “How to trick your wife into thinking you’re interested in another woman because you know perfectly well that she’s not truly ill?”
“Doesn’t this give you a headache?” Jeremy burst out. “I don’t know how you can stand it! I can’t bloody keep track of who knows what about who at what hour of what day.”
Violet and Diana exchanged raised eyebrows at this outburst. “You’re right,” Violet said. Diana looked as if she might fall off her chair at this