Page 72 of How to Wed a Courtesan

Sarah moved the red roses from the table and placed them on the mantel. ‘I can’t answer those questions—but I can tell you that I’ve never seen a man care for a woman as much as Lord Westix does for you.’ Sarah nodded to herself, content with the relocation of the roses. ‘Now, I hate to pull you from your contemplation of his offer—which I do think you ought to truly consider, if my opinion is needed. But, mercy me, the time has slipped away. Forgive me, lovey, but Lady Alice will be here soon.’

It was very rare that Lottie saw her students during the day, but Lady Alice had insisted on coming as soon as possible.

‘I’ll go prepare a fresh pot of tea.’ Sarah glanced again at the ring. ‘You know my opinion.’

‘I do.’ Lottie gave her a pointed look. ‘Though I don’t recall having asked.’

Sarah simply grinned and exited the drawing room.

Once she was gone, Lottie tucked the ring back into its small box, knowing for certain her answer would not change. No matter how vocal Sarah might be on the subject.

There could be no second chance—not with everything that stood between her and Evander.

Her butler arrived in the drawing room, his uniform as crisp as his demeanour. ‘Forgive me, mistress, but Lady Alice is here to see you.’

Lottie opened the drawer in the table and slid the ring box inside before swiftly closing it. ‘Please show her in.’

Lady Alice practically charged into the room, her eyes red-rimmed, her bonnet still secured under her chin after her carriage ride.

‘Thank you so much for agreeing to see me so quickly.’

She yanked unceremoniously at the pink bow of her bonnet, tugging it off so her blonde hair became mussed, a long way from its usual neat coiffure, and offered it to the butler with a nod of thanks.

He accepted the hat, gave a little bow and quit the room, closing the double doors behind him as he did so.

Lottie helpfully smoothed Lady Alice’s hair for her. ‘Please have a seat and tell me what’s happened to have you so upset. I thought George had made his way back to you?’

Lady Alice promptly slumped onto the settee and gave a miserable sniffle. ‘He has—except that now he feels he’s unworthy of me.’

‘Tell me what happened,’ Lottie said. ‘First by explaining where he has been.’

Lady Alice took a deep breath and nodded. ‘He was in Spain, but he was injured and knocked unconscious in a battle near the end of the Peninsular War. When he woke, he had no recollection of who he was. He’s only recently recovered his memory and made his way home.’

Sarah entered with a fresh pot of tea and then bustled out swiftly.

Lottie poured some tea into a delicate china cup for Lady Alice while she continued.

‘I was overjoyed to see him again. Though my mother wasn’t, as she’s now convinced I should marry an earl after my engagement to Lord Ledsey.’

‘So she’s stepping between you?’ Lottie poured herself a cup of tea and settled back to let it cool. ‘I presume she’s not aware you’re here.’

Lady Alice lifted her shoulders in a guilty shrug. ‘I told her I was taking tea with a friend. I wasn’t lying.’ She lifted her cup and took a delicate sip. ‘My mother knows I love him. I believe she’ll allow me to marry him.’

‘Then the problem...?’

‘George.’ Lady Alice folded her hands in the lap of her pink sprigged day dress and looked down at them. ‘He feels he’s not worthy of me.’

‘Because he was gone so long?’ Lottie asked, before she could stop herself.

She immediately chastised herself for the assumption. This was Lady Alice’s life. Not her own. Discussing matters with Evander had lodged them into the forefront of Lottie’s mind and was now impacting how she handled her students.

‘No.’ Lady Alice scuffed the toe of her slipper against the carpet. ‘He lost an arm due to the injuries he sustained in battle, and he fears it’s made him less of a man than he was before the war. Of course I don’t feel that way, but he won’t listen. Men are so terribly stubborn, aren’t they?’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Lottie moved over to the settee to sit beside the young woman and embraced her. ‘Yes, men can be terribly stubborn,’ she agreed.

‘Well, I can be stubborn too.’ Lady Alice raised her chin with determination. ‘I love him with all my heart and I told him as much. He told me he loves me too, and that’s why he’s doing this—which is all foolishness.’ Lady Alice sighed. ‘For me, there will never be anyone else. I’ve been given a second chance with him and I refuse to lose it.’

Lottie smiled at the younger woman’s determined spirit. ‘That is exactly as it should be, then, if you truly love him.’