“Percy,” Hugh began.
“Now don’t you try to insult what little intelligence I have, Hugh. Wasn’t it you who suggested leaving in the first place?” He sat back in his chair and regarded Julien and Hugh with an owlish stare.
Hugh reddened, and a sharp set-down was on his tongue when Julien threw up his hands, his sense of humor overcoming the absurdity of this situation. “Leave him be, Hugh. It’s quite the first time he is able to crow, albeit he resembles more a stuffed peacock than a lean scavenger.”
The tension was broken, and both Hugh and Percy grinned at him good-naturedly.
“I wondered when you’d get your wits back, Julien. Damned glad that you haven’t quite lost all your senses,” Percy said and loaded his fork once more.
“I strive, Percy, I strive.” Julien looked down at his glass and swished the claret from side to side. The deep red reminded him of her luxurious auburn hair. She has bewitched me, he thought, his pulse quickening. He thought of her green eyes and the dimples that danced outrageously. Lord, he was completely besotted. Strangely enough, he found that he was not at all distressed by his condition. It struck him forcibly that he wanted Katharine Brandon not simply as a summer idyll, to end with the coming of fall. No, he wanted her, all of her. He wanted those dimples of hers, and he wanted to take her and hold her and keep her. He wanted her by his side until he cocked up his toes.
He raised his face to his friends and said matter-of-factly, “Perhaps it is better if you return to London. I would find it unnerving to go a-wooing with the two of you smirking behind my back.” Ignoring the startled looks, he concluded with quiet determination, “I intend to return to London with my bride. Oh yes, Percy, her name is Katharine Brandon, and she brandishes pistols and foils and fishes and doubtless will lead me a merry chase. Hugh has met her. You, Percy, will meet her in London.”
Percy’s eyes grew round with wonder and disbelief. Hugh chewed meditatively on his lower lip.
Percy said suddenly, “Now, Julien, you haven’t lost your wits over a simple country maid, have you? No, I can see from the blood in your eyes that you haven’t. Katharine Brandon. A reasonable name, quite charming, really. What does she look like? Shall I like her?”
“I believe so, Percy. She’s really quite—” He paused, frowning into the deep red of his claret. “She’s refreshing and different and utterly charming. Do you not agree, Hugh?”
“Of a certainty she is all those things and much more. You will find her immensely likable, Percy. She is quite lovely.”
“It’s a dashed shame that I had to spend so much time directing François. If Julien hadn’t needed my culinary advice, I could have judged her as well. Well, nothing for it. I suppose I’ll have to trust your taste in this matter, Hugh.”
“Thank you,” Hugh said, his voice as dry as his dinner sherry. “Yes, I have yet to see her equal. An altogether unforgettable young lady.”
He was aware that Julien was regarding him with an amused grin.
“Hmmm,” was all that Percy said to this glowing, albeit ambiguous description. He stroked his chin and sighed deeply. Julien being leg-shackled was in itself an appalling thought, for it meant that their gay bachelor evenings would come to an end. But perhaps, he thought, the new countess will be fond of entertaining, and that will mean many delicious dinners prepared by François. Percy’s blue eyes brightened at this prospect, and in sudden good humor he rose and thrust his glass forward.
“Come, Hugh,” Percy said, “let us congratulate Julien here. A toast to the new countess of March. May she meet all of our expectations, as well as Julien’s.”
Hugh was quick to follow Percy’s lead, and the two men turned to Julien, clicked their glasses together, and drank deeply.
Julien rose slowly. The last week and a half compressed itself into but a moment. A toast to the countess of March. He silently bid farewell to a life that now seemed inordinately boring, downed his own glass, and in a burst of excitement demanded another toast.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164