Page 35 of Dare to be Wicked

Lottie glowered at him. At nineteen he had all the swagger and self-confidence a handsome, wealthy, and titled young man might feel permitted to own. He was tall and had looks as dark and arresting as his father, but had not yet grown into his shoulders. He was all long limbs and athletic grace, and it made her furious how her friends twittered about him like a lot of silly birds, when he was an utter blockhead. They had always been at odds, though, perhaps too similar and too close in age to be friends.

“Perhaps now isn’t the best time,” Ash began, as he was a sensible human being and was aware of the rising tension in the room.

“Now is the perfect time if my sister is going to unburden herself of her sins,” Jules said with a grin.

Ridiculously and much to her dismay, Lottie felt her eyes burn. Why? Why, when Jules was just being Jules, the vexing, impossible younger brother she regularly wanted to hit with a heavy blunt object? Yet he struck too close to the truth. She did wish to unburden herself of her sins, for she truly loved her sister, and Eliza was hurt and she… and she had….

Lottie burst into tears and ran from the room.

Chapter 12

Dear Diary,

The summer ball cannot come soon enough. We need more guests. Perhaps if the house is filled with our friends and their families this odd atmosphere will disappear. I want so much to do something, but Papa scolded me and said if I interfered he would be very disappointed in me, and everyone knows having Papa disappointed in you is the worst feeling in the world. It’s far worse than him being cross, which he almost never is.

―Excerpt of an entry to the diary of Lady Catherine ‘Cat’ Barrington, youngest daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Montagu.

8th July 1838, Holbrook House, Sussex.

It took Jules less than twenty minutes to track her down. Lottie muttered a curse. She ought to have known. He had always been far better at hide and seek than any of them as a child. He had that kind of mind.

Jules stared up at the hayloft and her legs dangling over the edge and put his hands on his hips.

“Shall I come up, or will you be a sensible creature and come down?”

“I’m not coming down,” she said, folding her arms.

Jules sighed and gave the mirror shine on his boots a regretful glance before climbing up and crawling through the hay to sit beside her. He unfolded his long body until he too was sitting with his legs swinging over the edge. They sat in silence for a long time, with Lottie staring at nothing and Jules casting her anxious glances. In other circumstances it might have been amusing, for he obviously regretted upsetting her. For all he was her obnoxious brother, he really wasn’t a bad person, just an annoying one.

He leaned over and bumped her shoulder.

Lottie glowered at him and said nothing before turning away.

He did it again.

And again.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” she exclaimed. “Is this your idea of an apology?”

“Of course it is,” he retorted. “You don’t expect me to actually say the words, do you?”

She stared at him in disbelief and he groaned.

“Oh, very well,” he said, folding his arms. “I’m sorry I upset you, Lottie, but honestly, I don’t understand how I did. I always talk to you like that, and you’ve never started blubbering before. You usually hit me.”

She snorted at that. It was true.

“It’s all right,” she said, not looking at him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Wasn’t it?” Jules brightened at once. “Marvellous! Well, then….”

He caught her expression and clamped his mouth shut.

“Oh, just go,” she said, her shoulders slumping.

Jules fidgeted for a moment before leaning in and putting an awkward arm about her shoulder. “Is there something wrong, sis?”

To her horror, Lottie felt her lip tremble. She nodded.