“No, of course not. I would never think anything bad about you. When did he kiss you? What happened?”
“It was one day when I was walking to Nan Sutton’s house, and Sam came riding down the street. He’d been to Philadelphia on business, he said, and, oh, he looked so grand riding along.” Rose’s eyes shone with the memory. “He got off his horse and walked with me. I walked right past Nan’s house just to stay with him. He took his horse into the stable, and there was no one else about. He reached out and took my hand, and then he kissed me.” She blushed again. “He kissed me twice.”
“Did you—did you never want it to stop?” Mary asked.
Her sister glanced at her, startled. “No, no, I didn’t. But how did you—Mary, who have you been kissing?”
“Royce.” She wasn’t about to reveal how much more than kiss she and Sir Royce had done, not after Rose’s shy confession of two stolen kisses. “But you must promise not to breathe a word to Lily or Camellia; they would tease me about it unmercifully. And if they said anything to Sir Royce …”
“No, oh no, I will not say a word; I swear it. But, Mary, do you love him?”
“No, of course not.” Mary shook her head sharply. “There’s no question of any of that between us. He had been drinking, so one can hardly hold a man to anything he does then. Indeed, he apologized mostly politely this afternoon.” Mary’s expression hardened. “He told me he wished it had never happened.”
Rose stared at her. “Really?”
“As good as. He said he would take it back if he could, or something like that. Obviously he regrets it.”
Rose reached out to take Mary’s hand. “Do you?”
“Honestly?” Mary looked over at her sister and shook her head. “No. I don’t. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well, now I have blackened my soul, haven’t I?”#p#分页标题#e#
“Don’t be silly. I just told you that I kissed Sam and wished it hadn’t stopped. If your soul is black, so is mine.”
Mary smiled a little. “At least we shall have company.”
Rose squeezed her hand. “Are you sure you don’t have hopes in that direction?”
“Marrying Sir Royce?” Mary chuckled and shook her head. “No, dear sister, do not worry your head over that. I am not pining away for him. I will admit it wounded my pride a bit to hear how much he regretted what passed between us, but that is easily enough recovered from. Marriage, especially to one of these prickly British gentlemen, does not appeal to me. I have the lowering presentiment that I shall wind up a spinster—and no doubt a trial to all my happily married sisters, who will be too kind not to let me impose myself upon them.”
“Nay, I fear we shall be spinsters together. Lily and Camellia will have to take us both in,” Rose retorted. “Or perhaps we shall just remain a trial to our cousin the earl.”
“Now, that’s an idea.” Glad to see her sister’s spirits lifted, Mary smiled and picked up Rose’s sewing bag. “Let me help you with the mending. I find I have a great desire to jab in a few pins.”
Chapter 18
The Bascombe sisters were in the music room with Miss Dalrymple the next day, struggling over their notes and chords, when the butler ushered in Lady Sabrina.
“Lady Sabrina!” Miss Dalrymple sprang from her seat with surprising nimbleness and hurried forward. “What an unexpected pleasure. Girls, girls, do come and say hello.”
Her words were quite unnecessary, for the sisters were rising to greet the other woman with evident pleasure.
“I hope I have not interrupted anything important,” Lady Sabrina began politely.
“No, indeed.” Miss Dalrymple beamed. “The girls were brushing up on their skills at the piano.”
This enormous understatement earned stares from all four of the girls in question, but Lady Sabrina merely smiled and nodded, apparently accepting Miss Dalrymple’s words. Mary could only think that Lady Sabrina had not heard Camellia’s hesitant plinking on the keys as she walked down the hall.
“Then I hope they will not mind if I steal them away for an hour or two.”
“No,” the girls chorused eagerly, and Lady Sabrina laughed.
“’Tis not very exciting an expedition I’m proposing,” she told them. “You must not get your hopes up.”
“Excitement is a relative matter, my lady,” Mary said. “I feel sure we will enjoy it.”
“I had planned to call on the vicar’s wife today, and it occurred to me, why not take you with me? It will make the duty far more enjoyable for me, and you can meet some of your neighbors. The squire’s wife often calls on Mrs. Martin on Tuesday afternoon, so with any luck, I will be able to introduce you to her as well.”