the
bawdy turn the conversation had taken.
It made him like Emmeline more, which was a
dangerous thing, but watching Julian smiling and joking with his sister, he
thought he’d take the risk.
~ ~ ~
Soon after that, Julian retired to a small
alcove off of the larger parlour, one of several available, though this was the
only one with the heavy curtains pulled back. Alex could feel the hum of
privacy spells around each one, and he guessed this room had been Julian’s
father’s, used for the sort of gatherings where businessmen would strike deals
behind the curtains that they didn’t want made public too soon, if at all.
There was a full bar available to them, and
many of the men circulated the room with a glass of very fine Scotch or a
martini in hand. Alex chose to stick to sparkling water with a bit of lime and
mint, reminiscent of the ice from earlier.
Alex drifted from conversation to conversation,
though he mostly refrained from participating unless Emmeline was involved. One
by one, a discreet servant would find each man and take him to sit with Julian;
the last spots were the most coveted here, implying that Julian wanted to sleep
with you in his thoughts rather than those who had gone before. No decisions
would be made tonight, or for many days yet, but it would be interesting to see
if anyone had risen or fallen in favour since the seating arrangements at
dinner.
First into the intimately arranged little niche
was George Entwistle, who had also been down near Emmeline at dinner. There was
a pause as they all watched the pantomime of Julian with his first suitor, and
then conversation resumed, though in truth everyone had at least one eye on the
prize, such as he was.
“I saw you getting chummy with young
Julian at dinner,” said Chudleigh, catching Alex at the bar waiting for
his refill.
Alex gave him a wolfish grin that was only
mostly faked. “Wouldn’t you have?”
Chudleigh laughed. “At any possible
opportunity, mate, he’s a lovely little slip of a thing, just the sort I like.
Though I hadn’t figured you for the masterly sort, to go a-Courting.”
“As you say, he’s a lovely young man, and
his invitation was too intriguing to pass up,” said Alex with a shrug,
trying for nonchalantly confident and hoping he didn’t look like too much of an
arse.
The bartender handed Alex his drink, and Alex
had to resist the urge to tip; the man was a servant in the St. Albans home,
and would be given a bonus by the household if they deemed it fitting. Alex
saluted the bartender, and then Chudleigh, and made his winding way toward
Emmeline, who seemed to be trapped by Willoughby.
“Ms. Fitzhugh, your drink is nearly
empty,” said Alex, stepping into the conversation.
Willoughby looked annoyed, but took his cue
like a proper gentleman. “Let me refill that for you,” he said, not
bothering to ask what it was before stalking off. If the bartender couldn’t
remember what his employer was drinking tonight, he wasn’t doing his job.
“And so to my rescue once again,” she
said with a wry chuckle. “At this rate, Julian will think I’m trying to
steal you.”
Alex laughed. “I’m afraid your charms,
while charming in an abstract sense, aren’t enough to distract me from my main
quarry.” He wiggled his eyebrows toward Julian, who seemed to be nearly
done talking to Entwistle, and glad to see the poor man go.
Emmeline laughed as she’d been meant to, then
followed his gaze with a sigh. “So much of this first round is about
inviting and charming the people that society thinks he ought.”
“But soon enough he’ll be allowed to keep
only those with whom he’s made a real connection,” said Alex, then he
asked quietly. “Are you worried he’ll choose obligation over affection
because he’s still in mourning?”
“It had occurred to me,” she said,
then chuckled. “I can tell he’s enjoyed favouring his black sheep,
though.”
Alex inclined his head in acknowledgment of the
apt
bawdy turn the conversation had taken.
It made him like Emmeline more, which was a
dangerous thing, but watching Julian smiling and joking with his sister, he
thought he’d take the risk.
~ ~ ~
Soon after that, Julian retired to a small
alcove off of the larger parlour, one of several available, though this was the
only one with the heavy curtains pulled back. Alex could feel the hum of
privacy spells around each one, and he guessed this room had been Julian’s
father’s, used for the sort of gatherings where businessmen would strike deals
behind the curtains that they didn’t want made public too soon, if at all.
There was a full bar available to them, and
many of the men circulated the room with a glass of very fine Scotch or a
martini in hand. Alex chose to stick to sparkling water with a bit of lime and
mint, reminiscent of the ice from earlier.
Alex drifted from conversation to conversation,
though he mostly refrained from participating unless Emmeline was involved. One
by one, a discreet servant would find each man and take him to sit with Julian;
the last spots were the most coveted here, implying that Julian wanted to sleep
with you in his thoughts rather than those who had gone before. No decisions
would be made tonight, or for many days yet, but it would be interesting to see
if anyone had risen or fallen in favour since the seating arrangements at
dinner.
First into the intimately arranged little niche
was George Entwistle, who had also been down near Emmeline at dinner. There was
a pause as they all watched the pantomime of Julian with his first suitor, and
then conversation resumed, though in truth everyone had at least one eye on the
prize, such as he was.
“I saw you getting chummy with young
Julian at dinner,” said Chudleigh, catching Alex at the bar waiting for
his refill.
Alex gave him a wolfish grin that was only
mostly faked. “Wouldn’t you have?”
Chudleigh laughed. “At any possible
opportunity, mate, he’s a lovely little slip of a thing, just the sort I like.
Though I hadn’t figured you for the masterly sort, to go a-Courting.”
“As you say, he’s a lovely young man, and
his invitation was too intriguing to pass up,” said Alex with a shrug,
trying for nonchalantly confident and hoping he didn’t look like too much of an
arse.
The bartender handed Alex his drink, and Alex
had to resist the urge to tip; the man was a servant in the St. Albans home,
and would be given a bonus by the household if they deemed it fitting. Alex
saluted the bartender, and then Chudleigh, and made his winding way toward
Emmeline, who seemed to be trapped by Willoughby.
“Ms. Fitzhugh, your drink is nearly
empty,” said Alex, stepping into the conversation.
Willoughby looked annoyed, but took his cue
like a proper gentleman. “Let me refill that for you,” he said, not
bothering to ask what it was before stalking off. If the bartender couldn’t
remember what his employer was drinking tonight, he wasn’t doing his job.
“And so to my rescue once again,” she
said with a wry chuckle. “At this rate, Julian will think I’m trying to
steal you.”
Alex laughed. “I’m afraid your charms,
while charming in an abstract sense, aren’t enough to distract me from my main
quarry.” He wiggled his eyebrows toward Julian, who seemed to be nearly
done talking to Entwistle, and glad to see the poor man go.
Emmeline laughed as she’d been meant to, then
followed his gaze with a sigh. “So much of this first round is about
inviting and charming the people that society thinks he ought.”
“But soon enough he’ll be allowed to keep
only those with whom he’s made a real connection,” said Alex, then he
asked quietly. “Are you worried he’ll choose obligation over affection
because he’s still in mourning?”
“It had occurred to me,” she said,
then chuckled. “I can tell he’s enjoyed favouring his black sheep,
though.”
Alex inclined his head in acknowledgment of the
apt
Similar Books
