A Lady Never Tells(117)

“I apologize for the unevenness of the table,” Sabrina said. “I tried to think of some unattached gentlemen I could invite to even it out, but I could not. So you must forgive me for setting you two gentlemen amongst us. I could not help but feel it would add to the conviviality.” She turned to smile at Royce, seated on her left. “We all know each other so well, ’tis almost like family, is it not?”#p#分页标题#e#

“A number of us are related to each other,” Royce admitted. “And others are no kin at all.”

He looked across the table at Mary, and she felt a blush begin to spread along her cheeks. Drat the man! The way he affected her was most annoying. Even now, just looking at him, she could feel the visceral tug of attraction. She remembered his thick hair sliding between her fingers, his hands on her skin, her body surging with pleasure beneath him.

Mary lowered her eyes to her plate, embarrassed by her physical reaction. Women were not supposed to be this way, were they? To feel such need, to hunger for a man—not for his love, but for his body? She could not help but think that if she agreed to marry him, such pleasure would be hers almost any time she wished. Lovemaking would be sanctioned; indeed, it would be expected, at least until an heir was born. But she could not marry just for pleasure. A marriage entered into solely for passion would not last; it could not. She knew that ultimately it would not make her happy.

Talk flowed around her. Fitz and Vivian were both expert conversationalists, and whenever the evening showed signs of flagging, they brought the discussion to life with a bit of gossip or news from London. Mary added little to the conversation, and even Lady Sabrina seemed rather reticent through much of the evening. Mary could see the way Sabrina’s eyes lit up whenever the talk turned to London and the Season, and she remembered the times that Sabrina had mentioned her boredom here in the country. It must be hard for her, Mary thought, married to someone much older than she and mired on this rural estate.

The dinner seemed interminable. Far more formal than the evening meals served at Willowmere, it went on for course after course. Mary, full after the fish course, the rest of the time just pushed her food around on her plate—though she did note, with a small upsurge of pride, that she knew which utensil to use with every dish.

It was a relief when Sabrina finally stood up, signaling for the women to leave the men alone with their port. They made their way to what Sabrina called the assembly room, a long chamber with several groupings of chairs and sofas, as well as a large burnished mahogany table in the center.

“Come, Mary,” Sabrina said, once again linking her arm through Mary’s. “Let us take a stroll around the room.”

Mary smiled and walked with her along the perimeter of the large room as Vivian and Mary’s sisters seated themselves on a sofa and chairs at one end.

“I enjoy having a friend again,” Sabrina told Mary with a sweet smile. “Life is lonely here, with no one my age about. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

“I am glad you consider me a friend. I cannot imagine how awful it would be to have no female to talk to, accustomed as I am to living with my sisters.”

“I hope the dinner was not too awkward.”

“No, it was quite pleasant,” Mary lied. She had not enjoyed it, but that had not been Sabrina’s fault.

“Royce was …” Sabrina sighed. “Well, I had hoped that with time he would get over his bitterness. That we might be friends again. Obviously he could not. He was so hurt.”

Mary looked at the other woman, her curiosity rising. “You and Sir Royce were friends?”

Sabrina turned to her, her eyes opening a little wider. “Do you mean—you did not know? No one told you?”

Mary shook her head. “Know what?”

“Sir Royce and I were once desperately in love.”

Mary stared at Sabrina. She felt as if her heart had suddenly plummeted to her feet. “What?”

Sabrina nodded, her face wistful. “We were very much in love. But it was one of those sad stories—my parents did not like the match. And the earl was against it as well.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Why—when—I’m sorry, I had no idea,” Mary finished weakly. She wished that she were anywhere but here. Her head whirled with the news, but she struggled to conceal her shock. She could not let Sabrina guess that she had any feelings for Royce.

“I am surprised you did not hear it from the servants or Charlotte,” Sabrina went on. “It was quite the story around here. Of course, it has been ages now. We were both too young, no doubt. Perhaps our parents were right. But at the time, it hurt a great deal.”