Page 12 of When We Touch

She was tall, with an elegant, sylph-like figure. Dark eyed, dark haired, with soft white skin so delicate in texture and appearance, she was almost ethereal. He was somewhat shocked to realize that his cousin was growing into an incredible beauty herself. Charles had best take care in his own house, Jamie thought.

Then he realized, he’d be the one calling men out in this lady’s defense. Charles was beyond such a possibility.

When Sister Sara left them alone to talk, Arianna backed away. “You’ve come to tell me about my father’s wedding.”

He hesitated, shaking his head, then sighed. “Yes, I have. It’s quite amazing how quickly gossip can travel the English Channel.”

“My father could not come himself?”

“I talked him out of it.”

She stared at him, her eyes widening. “Why would you do that to me, Jamie?”

“I fear for his health all the time, Arianna.”

“Why? She’ll probably just poison him and he’ll die anyway.”

“Arianna. What a terrible thing to say.”

She was speaking so belligerently to hide her hurt, he knew.

“Terrible!” she retorted with a sniff.

“Arianna, I swear, your father wanted to be here, and I was barely able to talk him out of coming. Naturally, you’ll see him before the wedding. I’ll return for you myself in plenty of time. The bride has said that she wishes to keep it simple, but I imagine there will be a place for you in the ceremony.”

“Don’t allow it to happen, Jamie,” she warned him.

“What? The wedding? I can scarcely stop your father.”

“Ah . . . his bride is what? Twenty-two, twenty-three? She must have fallen madly in love with father. What a . . . a slut!”

To his amazement, he found himself defending the woman. Only before Arianna, because this must hurt her badly. “She is Lady Maggie, daughter of a baron, hardly a streetwalker. And where did you learn such language? Surely not from the nuns.”

“Probably from you,” she informed him dryly.

He groaned. “Your father would have my throat.”

“Oh, Jamie! I am not so young and totally naive as you may believe. Yes, this is a convent school. And the nuns are certainly all chastity and propriety!” She giggled. “But we do slip out now and then.”

“Slip out where?” he demanded, frowning.

“Don’t look so fierce. We go shopping. We see the works of the new, upcoming artists. We sit in cafés and listen to the speeches of young, rebellious, handsome boys. Oh, don’t worry, and don’t look at me so! We go no further than that, I swear, Jamie.”

“Thank God. If something were ever to happen to you . . .”

“My father will now have a witch of a wife!”

“Arianna, you haven’t even met her.”

“I don’t need to meet her. I’ve heard all about her. She married a bobby, and began to spend her days in the East End. Then she thought that she was something of a detective herself, and determined to rid the world of mesmerists. Hardly an open mind there! I’ve seen some of these people at work. Some are quite amazing. I believe that they do have special powers to speak with the dead, to see the future, and touch the world.”

“And some of them are out to fleece the rich,” Jamie said. It didn’t please him that he found himself defending his uncle’s intended bride. “Don’t judge the woman until you’ve met her.”

Arianna shook her head. “Jamie, what is to judge? She is a very young woman, about to marry a very old man. Desperate love? I doubt it. It’s prostitution, nothing less.”

“Arianna, for years, such marriages have been arranged. This is not really new, or even shocking in the least. She could not marry without her brother’s permission.”

“He allowed her to marry the policeman as well?”