The Study of Seduction: Sinful Suitors 2 by Sabrina Jeffries Page A

enough to allow plenty of time for you two to dress, in case you wanted to attend
Olympic Revels
with me. I know how long such preparations take. Not for nothing do I have a sister Clarissa’s age.”
    As she followed them down the steps to the carriage, Clarissa rolled her eyes at him. “You make it sound as if I’m miles younger than you. We’re only eight years apart.”
    He handed Mama into the carriage, then turned to Clarissa, his gaze glittering in the glow of the gas lamps. “Eight years can be an enormous divide.”
    Unnerved by the coolness of his tone, she tipped up her chin. “Are you trying to convince yourself? Or me?”
    He took her hand with a wary look. “Merely stating a fact.”
    “There’s no need for the reminder,” she said as he helped her in. “I already know we’re utterly wrong for each other.”
    “Clarissa, for shame,” Mama murmured as theysettled into their seats and he told the driver to go on. “His lordship is being very kind, squiring us about town like this. You should be grateful.”
    She sighed. Mama had a point. “Forgive me, Edwin.” She was always willing to admit when she’d gone too far. “I’ve been in a foul mood all day, but I shouldn’t inflict it upon you.”
    A cloud spread over his brow. “Nothing to do with Durand, I hope.”
    “No, of course not. I would have told you first thing.” The truth was, Edwin’s searing kisses two nights ago had left her all at sea. One moment he seemed to desire her, the next he was cold and remote as usual. She’d spent the entire two days trying to make him out, with no great success.
    The worst was, she didn’t want to care that he seemed to be withdrawing, but she did, and that alone was maddening.
    “Per your instructions,” she went on, “we didn’t leave the house at all, not even to go shopping.”
    “Good.”
    As something occurred to her, she twisted the strap of her silk reticule. “You don’t think he’ll be there tonight, do you?”
    “He may. But with such a crowd, he’ll have a hard time finding us. Just stay close to me, and we should be fine.”
    She nodded, but her stomach knotted. She was being silly; Durand had probably lost interest once Edwin had stood up to him. She was worrying for nothing. Though she suddenly wished she hadn’t worn
quite
so daring a gown.
    Edwin seemed to sense her tension, for he softened his tone. “Don’t let that arse keep you from enjoying yourself. If he’s there, just leave him to me.”
    “Yes, my dear,” Mama chimed in. “I’m sure his lordship is perfectly capable of routing that Frenchman. And you do like the opera, after all.”
    “It’s not opera,” she said mechanically. “From what I understand, they’re doing burlesques.”
    “Oh, I love a good burlesque!” her mother cried. “Last year I saw one of
The Magic Flute
, and I nearly fell over laughing. That Mozart—what a droll fellow.”
    “Mozart didn’t write the burlesque, Mama,” Clarissa said. “He wrote the original opera from which they built the parody. And that burlesque could have used a dose of Madame Vestris. She has such a way of singing things that instantly makes one smile. Don’t you agree, Edwin?”
    “She does sing them very well,” he said noncommittally.
    “Come now, surely even you are susceptible to Madame Vestris’s fine talent for comedic singing and dancing.” She frowned at him. “Unless it’s her famous ‘breeches’ roles that make you disapprove.”
    “A woman in breeches can be very funny,” Mama put in. “You were quite comical when you dressed as Romeo for the masquerade last year, my dear.”
    Clarissa saw Edwin’s shoulders stiffen and couldn’t resist tweaking his nose. “Hard not to be comical in Papa’s old breeches. They came down to my ankles and were so big in the waist, I had a difficult time keeping them up.”
    “I noticed,” Edwin bit out.
    “Did you?”
    “Hard not to notice when you kept cinching up those braces until