marquis warned.
"Won't be sober 'til tomorrow at least. It's Lily's coming-out party tonight, and I'll need a bottle or two to get through that boring affair. Need you there, too. Reason I came all the way out here to find you. You promised Lily." He reached for Jack's coffee.
"Is that tonight?"
"Damn right." Lifting the cup to his mouth, Ned drained it.
Jack exhaled in frustration. "You're sure?"
"Sure as judgment day. Maman sent a footman to remind me yesterday. Wrote the date large on her note-paper and gave my valet orders to see that I'm there dressed and ready. It's tonight. Word of God."
" Merde ."
"My feelings exactly, but Lily is all atwitter, so have to do our duty, my friend. Like a fool, you agreed to lead her out in her first dance."
IOO
"What time?" The marquis was already gauging the hours remaining for them at the river.
"Dinner at eight, I suppose. Mostly family, but Maman will be expecting you."
Jack offered Venus a quizzical look. "Would you like to be my guest at Ned's sister's coming-out? I can't avoid it."
"I don't think so," Venus demurred, not inclined to accompany Jack to a family occasion. "I'm sure the guest list is complete."
The marquis glanced at his friend. "Your maman surely has room for one more."
Ned looked up from buttering his bread. "I'll tell her."
"There. It's settled."
"I'm not sure," Venus dissented. "Really, I'd prefer you drop me off at home."
"Tell your maman not to expect us before eight," Jack informed Ned. He looked at Venus with narrowed eyes. "You're going, or I won't."
"Lily will cry her eyes out if you don't appear," Ned said, smiling at Venus.
"Don't make the poor girl cry," Jack gently prodded.
Venus pursed her mouth and shot him a heated glance. "Must you always have your own way?"
"He always does," Ned bluntly observed through a mouthful of bread and butter.
"Why don't we talk about this later," Venus quietly declared, her gaze squarely meeting Jack's.
"I'm not staying for the fight." Ned quickly came to his feet. "Hate women screaming, no offense. I'll see you tonight, Jack. It was a pleasure, Miss Duras ." Grabbing the bowl with the remaining scrambled eggs, two slices of bread, and a fork, he made his escape.
IOI
"I don't want to argue about this," Venus asserted the minute Ned disappeared.
"Nor do I ."
"The young girl is waiting for you to squire her tonight. I'd be very much in the way."
"Nonsense. Lily is my friend's baby sister. She looks on me as an uncle."
"I rather doubt that, when she's reserved her first dance for you."
"You're wrong. She's a tomboy who races horses and mucks out the stables. More often than not she has her hair in braids. So go with me and save me from a evening of boredom. We'll come back here afterward."
Venus traced a pattern on the weathered tabletop. "The afterward is tempting."
"Then come." He leaned across the table to touch her hand, enchanting appeal in his gaze. "You like to dance. How bad can it be? I promise we won't stay long."
"How long?"
"Dinner, Lily's first dance. Two or three others after that and we'll decamp."
"Lord, Jack, I don't know ... I don't want to."
"I'll make it worth your while." A husky note underscored his words.
She smiled. "That's not fair."
"I'll buy out the supply of condoms in London."
"You know how to tempt a lady . . ." she whispered.
"We'll have to leave here by five. I'll dress at your house, or you can have your things brought to mine."
"Do I have a choice?"
He smiled at her. "None at all."
102
<£% IE HAD HIS CLOTHES CONVEYED TO BELGRAVE
Square. He didn't require a valet tonight, he told his batman, who delivered his wardrobe change; he was capable of tying his own cravat.
He dismissed Venus's maid as well, dropping into a gilded chair in the boudoir once she'd left. "Don't look at me like that," he cheerfully replied to Venus's questioning stare. "I'll help you."
"I'm not sure I care to know how adept you are at dressing
"Won't be sober 'til tomorrow at least. It's Lily's coming-out party tonight, and I'll need a bottle or two to get through that boring affair. Need you there, too. Reason I came all the way out here to find you. You promised Lily." He reached for Jack's coffee.
"Is that tonight?"
"Damn right." Lifting the cup to his mouth, Ned drained it.
Jack exhaled in frustration. "You're sure?"
"Sure as judgment day. Maman sent a footman to remind me yesterday. Wrote the date large on her note-paper and gave my valet orders to see that I'm there dressed and ready. It's tonight. Word of God."
" Merde ."
"My feelings exactly, but Lily is all atwitter, so have to do our duty, my friend. Like a fool, you agreed to lead her out in her first dance."
IOO
"What time?" The marquis was already gauging the hours remaining for them at the river.
"Dinner at eight, I suppose. Mostly family, but Maman will be expecting you."
Jack offered Venus a quizzical look. "Would you like to be my guest at Ned's sister's coming-out? I can't avoid it."
"I don't think so," Venus demurred, not inclined to accompany Jack to a family occasion. "I'm sure the guest list is complete."
The marquis glanced at his friend. "Your maman surely has room for one more."
Ned looked up from buttering his bread. "I'll tell her."
"There. It's settled."
"I'm not sure," Venus dissented. "Really, I'd prefer you drop me off at home."
"Tell your maman not to expect us before eight," Jack informed Ned. He looked at Venus with narrowed eyes. "You're going, or I won't."
"Lily will cry her eyes out if you don't appear," Ned said, smiling at Venus.
"Don't make the poor girl cry," Jack gently prodded.
Venus pursed her mouth and shot him a heated glance. "Must you always have your own way?"
"He always does," Ned bluntly observed through a mouthful of bread and butter.
"Why don't we talk about this later," Venus quietly declared, her gaze squarely meeting Jack's.
"I'm not staying for the fight." Ned quickly came to his feet. "Hate women screaming, no offense. I'll see you tonight, Jack. It was a pleasure, Miss Duras ." Grabbing the bowl with the remaining scrambled eggs, two slices of bread, and a fork, he made his escape.
IOI
"I don't want to argue about this," Venus asserted the minute Ned disappeared.
"Nor do I ."
"The young girl is waiting for you to squire her tonight. I'd be very much in the way."
"Nonsense. Lily is my friend's baby sister. She looks on me as an uncle."
"I rather doubt that, when she's reserved her first dance for you."
"You're wrong. She's a tomboy who races horses and mucks out the stables. More often than not she has her hair in braids. So go with me and save me from a evening of boredom. We'll come back here afterward."
Venus traced a pattern on the weathered tabletop. "The afterward is tempting."
"Then come." He leaned across the table to touch her hand, enchanting appeal in his gaze. "You like to dance. How bad can it be? I promise we won't stay long."
"How long?"
"Dinner, Lily's first dance. Two or three others after that and we'll decamp."
"Lord, Jack, I don't know ... I don't want to."
"I'll make it worth your while." A husky note underscored his words.
She smiled. "That's not fair."
"I'll buy out the supply of condoms in London."
"You know how to tempt a lady . . ." she whispered.
"We'll have to leave here by five. I'll dress at your house, or you can have your things brought to mine."
"Do I have a choice?"
He smiled at her. "None at all."
102
<£% IE HAD HIS CLOTHES CONVEYED TO BELGRAVE
Square. He didn't require a valet tonight, he told his batman, who delivered his wardrobe change; he was capable of tying his own cravat.
He dismissed Venus's maid as well, dropping into a gilded chair in the boudoir once she'd left. "Don't look at me like that," he cheerfully replied to Venus's questioning stare. "I'll help you."
"I'm not sure I care to know how adept you are at dressing
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