Page 22 of A Sense of Misgiving
‘You are her brother’s best friend.’
Paul shrugged. ‘I just want to see her happy for all the right reasons.’
‘Mary is sensible,’ Flora replied, putting aside the subject of Paul’s aspirations for later consideration. ‘She asked me if I thought the captain liked her just for her fortune. I thought I would be able to tell her the truth once I had met him, but when I saw them together and realised just how comprehensively she has fallen for him, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.’
‘The longer it’s allowed to go on the harder it will be to put a stop to it.’
Flora gave a wry smile. ‘I am aware of that. Perhaps, given time, Redfern will show himself in his true colours and Mary will come to the right decision on her own.’ Flora spread her hands. ‘The coward’s way out, I know, but we all go through these growing pains to a greater or lesser degree, and she is enjoying being admired so much—’
‘The man is a scoundrel! I have a good mind to…’ Paul shook his head. ‘It’s beyond frustrating.’ He sighed deeply. ‘What do you want me to tell Luke?’
‘Mention my concerns to him by all means. As head of the family he has the right to know about such threats. But I suggest we do nothing for now. Redfern will be here on Saturday and Luke can watch them together and make up his own mind. Mary is ultimately his responsibility.’
Paul smiled, and Flora was reminded of just how handsome and dependable he actually was. Her heart went out to him. He had clearly harboured a secret affection for Mary for a long time, and despite her heightened perceptions Flora had not realised it. He hid it far too well, conflicted between his duty towards Luke and personal aspirations that he thought inappropriate. Flora wondered about that. She knew just how highly Luke valued Paul and she couldn’t see him objecting to the match. The question was, how did Mary feel about Paul? Had she ever looked at him in that light?
‘Very well. I shall do so.’
‘You do realise that every time you are distracted, you fall back on sketching.’ She nodded to the likeness of Romulus. ‘You are very good at it.’
Paul dismissed her compliment with a negligent wave. ‘I find it helps me think.’
‘Mary likes drawing and painting. You could do worse than join her the next time she wanders outside with her sketchpad.’
Paul sent her a sharp look. ‘Luke keeps me fully occupied. My time is not my own.’
‘It sounds to me as though someone is making excuses in order to avoid the possibility of rejection.’
‘I have already told you,’ Paul replied, an edge to his voice. ‘The situation is complicated.’
‘Only if you make it so.’ Flora allowed a speculative smile to flirt with her lips. ‘Mary has been lonely since Emma left, which makes her easy prey for the likes of Redfern. But if she had a friend in whom she can confide…’
‘She has you.’
‘And no one can have more than one friend?’
Having planted the suggestion, Flora gave Romulus’s ears another scratch, then stood, feeling inexplicably weary. Wondering where Luke was and with whom he was dining. ‘I will say goodnight then, Paul.’
Paul opened the door for her and wished her good night in return.
*
Luke enjoyed the convivial male company in an exclusive gentleman’s club in the heart of Swindon, of which he was a valued member. He found it an effective way to while away an evening and temporarily forget his responsibilities. But tonight he made poor company, his mind fully occupied with the threat posed by Flora’s father. Keen to know what information her grandmother’s attorney would throw up he left the club early, despite the efforts of his friends to have him join them when they went on to a masquerade. Luke wasn’t tempted. He knew what went on at those masked balls and wasn’t in the mood for a tumble with an expensive whore.
‘I told you to take the evening off,’ he said, when he arrived home and found Paul waiting up for him.
‘I thought you would be later than this.’
‘I found the lure of a masquerade at Belsize Park easy to resist,’ he replied.
Paul grinned. ‘Outgrown the pleasures of the flesh at such a young age?’
‘It’s more a case of becoming more selective.’ Luke shrugged his coat off and tossed it towards Paul, who executed his duties as valet as efficiently as he did everything else. ‘You look like you have news to impart that I won’t want to hear.’ Luke quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes and wandered naked into his bathroom. ‘Come along then. Let’s hear it.’
Luke scowled when Paul reiterated what Flora had told him about Redfern. ‘Damn!’ he muttered. ‘I trust Flora’s instincts, so if she thinks our wounded hero has ulterior motives, I’m inclined to believe her. Mary is still too young to notice the signs.’
‘Flora didn’t actually make the admission, but I got the impression that Redfern took an interest in her too, but for reasons that have nothing to do with financial gain.’
‘The devil he did!’ Luke scowled at his reflection as he dried his face. ‘Damned impudence! I don’t want the cove anywhere near Mary, breaking her heart, and I don’t want Flora inconvenienced by his inappropriate attentions. The girl has more than enough to worry about as things stand.’
