fair of the gentleman in question to assume the lady did indeed return his affections. He would have every reason to believe she was plighting her troth by such actions."
"I see." Augusta stared glumly down at the novel in her lap. Her mind was suddenly filled with visions of herself lying in disgraceful abandon in Graystone's arms on the floor of his library. She could feel the heat in her own cheeks and could only pray her cousin would not notice and remark upon it. "What if the gentleman had been a bit too warm in his advances?" she finally ventured cautiously. "What if he had more or less coaxed her into allowing intimacies she had not initially even considered allowing?"
"A lady is responsible for her own reputation," Claudia said with a lofty certainty that reminded Augusta a great deal of Aunt Prudence. "She must always exercise great care to behave with such perfect propriety that unfortunate situations do not arise in the first place."
Augusta wrinkled her nose and said nothing.
"And, of course," Claudia continued gravely, "if the gentleman in question happened to be a man of excellent breeding and possessed of an unimpeachable reputation for honor and propriety, that would make the case even more clear."
"It would?"
"Oh, yes. One could certainly see why he would have been led to believe certain promises had been made. And a gentleman of such dignity and refined sensibilities would naturally expect the lady's implied promises to be kept. Her own honor would demand it."
"That is one of the things I have always admired about you, Claudia. You are four full years younger than I, but you have such clear-sighted notions of what is proper." Augusta opened her novel and gave her cousin a tight smile. "Tell me, do you sometimes find that a life filled with such perfect propriety tends to be a trifle dull?"
Claudia smiled warmly. "Life has not been the least bit dull since you came to live with us, Augusta. Something of interest seems to be always occurring in your vicinity. Now, I have a question to put to you."
"What is that?"
"I would like your opinion of Peter Sheldrake."
Augusta looked at her in surprise. "But you know my opinion of him. I arranged to have him introduced to you. I like him very much. Reminds me a bit of my brother Richard."
"That is one of the things that worries me," Claudia admitted. "He does have a certain reckless, devil-may-care air about him. And he has become increasingly attentive lately. I am not quite certain I ought to encourage him."
"There is nothing wrong with Sheldrake. He is heir to a viscountcy and a nice fortune. Even better, he has a sense of humor, which is more than I can say of his friend Graystone."
5
"I don't believe I mentioned the fact that I had the privilege of meeting your brother a few months before he died, Miss Ballinger." Lovejoy smiled from the other side of the card table as he dealt another hand.
"Richard? You knew my brother?" Augusta, who had been telling herself that it was time to leave the card room and rejoin the crowd in Lady Leebrook's elegant ballroom, looked up, stunned. All thought of cards and strategy went out of her head in an instant.
Her stomach clenched as she waited to see what Lovejoy would say next. As always, when her brother's name was mentioned, she was immediately on the defensive, ready to do battle should anyone happen to question Richard's honor.
She was the only Ballinger left who could fight for Richard's name and memory and whenever the subject arose, she gave her all to the task.
She had been playing cards with Lovejoy for half an hour now, not because she was a particularly enthusiastic player but because she had rather hoped Graystone might wander into the ballroom and come in search of her. She knew he would be irritated, perhaps even mildly shocked by the somewhat dubious propriety of a lady engaging in a card game with a gentleman in such a formal setting.
It was not exactly improper. There were, after all, several
"I see." Augusta stared glumly down at the novel in her lap. Her mind was suddenly filled with visions of herself lying in disgraceful abandon in Graystone's arms on the floor of his library. She could feel the heat in her own cheeks and could only pray her cousin would not notice and remark upon it. "What if the gentleman had been a bit too warm in his advances?" she finally ventured cautiously. "What if he had more or less coaxed her into allowing intimacies she had not initially even considered allowing?"
"A lady is responsible for her own reputation," Claudia said with a lofty certainty that reminded Augusta a great deal of Aunt Prudence. "She must always exercise great care to behave with such perfect propriety that unfortunate situations do not arise in the first place."
Augusta wrinkled her nose and said nothing.
"And, of course," Claudia continued gravely, "if the gentleman in question happened to be a man of excellent breeding and possessed of an unimpeachable reputation for honor and propriety, that would make the case even more clear."
"It would?"
"Oh, yes. One could certainly see why he would have been led to believe certain promises had been made. And a gentleman of such dignity and refined sensibilities would naturally expect the lady's implied promises to be kept. Her own honor would demand it."
"That is one of the things I have always admired about you, Claudia. You are four full years younger than I, but you have such clear-sighted notions of what is proper." Augusta opened her novel and gave her cousin a tight smile. "Tell me, do you sometimes find that a life filled with such perfect propriety tends to be a trifle dull?"
Claudia smiled warmly. "Life has not been the least bit dull since you came to live with us, Augusta. Something of interest seems to be always occurring in your vicinity. Now, I have a question to put to you."
"What is that?"
"I would like your opinion of Peter Sheldrake."
Augusta looked at her in surprise. "But you know my opinion of him. I arranged to have him introduced to you. I like him very much. Reminds me a bit of my brother Richard."
"That is one of the things that worries me," Claudia admitted. "He does have a certain reckless, devil-may-care air about him. And he has become increasingly attentive lately. I am not quite certain I ought to encourage him."
"There is nothing wrong with Sheldrake. He is heir to a viscountcy and a nice fortune. Even better, he has a sense of humor, which is more than I can say of his friend Graystone."
5
"I don't believe I mentioned the fact that I had the privilege of meeting your brother a few months before he died, Miss Ballinger." Lovejoy smiled from the other side of the card table as he dealt another hand.
"Richard? You knew my brother?" Augusta, who had been telling herself that it was time to leave the card room and rejoin the crowd in Lady Leebrook's elegant ballroom, looked up, stunned. All thought of cards and strategy went out of her head in an instant.
Her stomach clenched as she waited to see what Lovejoy would say next. As always, when her brother's name was mentioned, she was immediately on the defensive, ready to do battle should anyone happen to question Richard's honor.
She was the only Ballinger left who could fight for Richard's name and memory and whenever the subject arose, she gave her all to the task.
She had been playing cards with Lovejoy for half an hour now, not because she was a particularly enthusiastic player but because she had rather hoped Graystone might wander into the ballroom and come in search of her. She knew he would be irritated, perhaps even mildly shocked by the somewhat dubious propriety of a lady engaging in a card game with a gentleman in such a formal setting.
It was not exactly improper. There were, after all, several
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