in his casually flirtatious manner toward Diana and his more intent attention toward Emily. But she would not have thought there was anything serious in it; the man had a rather scandalous reputation, and did not seem the sort to escort debutantes to respectable society events.
Emily raised her hands. “I’m not entirely certain! We danced twice last night, and he asked me to take a turn about the room with him—this was after you two had disappeared,” she added, but there was no hint of reproach in her voice. “We were chatting about nothing in particular, and he told me he had just that morning received an invitation to Lady Wheezle’s breakfast, and asked if I should like to attend.”
“And what did you say?” Diana asked with great interest.
“Well, I told him I was surprised he wished to attend at all, and he told me it was my company he was primarily interested in.” Emily was blushing furiously by this point. “I then told him that I wasn’t certain Mr. Cartham would enjoy my being escorted to the breakfast by someone else, and he told me he knew for a fact that Lady Wheezle wouldn’t be inviting Mr. Cartham, and that surely I could not be expected to decline an offer of escort from another, given that I am not betrothed.”
“What did you say?” Diana seemed with great effort to be resisting the urge to shake Emily.
“I said yes,” Emily said all at once. “I was so surprised that I agreed before I could think better of it!”
“And why should you think better of it?” Diana asked.
“Because Belfry is a known seducer who is barely respectable?” Jeremy suggested casually.
“All men have to settle down sometime, Willingham,” Diana said dismissively.
“I know you think so,” Jeremy agreed. “You were willing to wager a sizable sum on that fact, if I recall correctly.”
“I think it’s wonderful, Emily,” Violet said, ignoring Diana and Jeremy’s squabbling, as was usually best. “I rather like Lord Julian. He’s very handsome,” she could not resist adding.
“And his pockets are very deep,” Diana added.
“I think I agreed out of curiosity more than anything else,” Emily confessed. “I’ve no idea how I’ll convince my parents to allow his escort—they’ll be worried Mr. Cartham will be offended.”
“Did you mention your parents’ concern to Belfry?” Jeremy asked.
Emily nodded. “He said not to worry about that—that he and Mr. Cartham run in some of the same circles, and he’d handle it.” She sounded dubious at the odds of his success in this endeavor, but Violet rather thought that Lord Julian Belfry might be entirely capable of managing Oswald Cartham, and she said as much.
“Besides,” she added. “Diana’s right. Men have to marry eventually. Perhaps he’s decided that the role of husband appeals to him.”
“Speaking of husbands,” Emily added, clearly desperate for a change in subject matter, “where was yours rushing off to, Violet, in such a hurry when I arrived?”
Violet frowned. “What do you mean?”
It was Emily’s turn to frown. “He was departing just as I was arriving—he seemed in a state of some agitation, I must confess. Did he not tell you where he was going?”
“I didn’t even know he was home,” Violet said, exasperated. When had James arrived? And why had he left?
“How odd,” Emily said, still frowning. “He was walking away from the hallway leading to the library just as Wooton let me in; I assumed he had been in here with you.”
A cold feeling crept over Violet. What had they been discussing, just prior to Emily’s arrival? What might James have overheard? She thought for a moment, and then realized, a mixture of anger and mild alarm rising within her: they’d been discussing the possibility of Violet having an affair.
Of course that would be the moment he chose to eavesdrop, the infuriating man. She wanted to throttle him.
Instead she said slowly to her friends, “I think he overheard us.”
“What do you mean?” Diana asked.
“You were prattling on about my taking a lover,” Violet said, striving to keep the irritation out of her voice. “I think that’s the bit of our conversation that James overheard. Why else would he rush off like that?”
“Pish,” Jeremy said dismissively. “It’s not Audley’s way to listen at keyholes like a naughty schoolboy.”
This was an amusing mental image, but Violet did not allow herself to be distracted. “It was likely accidental,” she clarified. “The door was cracked, after all, and he could have easily caught a bit of what we were saying if he were