To Have and to Hoax(83)

“Isn’t there a children’s story about this? The girl who cried wolf?” Diana mused.

“Shall I demonstrate the cough for you?” Violet asked. “Because, really, I hardly think hack is an accurate—”

“Violet!” Diana set her teacup down with a decisive clink. “Heavens, I wonder if this is what having children is like.” She took a calming breath. “So I take it your cough was accidental?”

“Indeed.”

“That was unfortunate timing.”

“James seemed to agree with you,” Violet said. “He took it as a sign of my . . .” She trailed off, unsure of what word to use.

“Continued duplicity?” Diana suggested helpfully.

“Something like that.” Violet shrugged. “In any case, I rather lost my temper at that point and said some . . . things.”

“Nothing more than the man deserved, no doubt,” Diana murmured.

“I told him to alert me when he was ready to let me love him,” Violet confessed in a rush. “And that I wouldn’t wait forever.”

“Excellent!” Diana said brightly. “Really, Violet, it doesn’t do to moon over a man for too long. I think you should give up Audley and take up a lover posthaste.”

“I thought you were encouraging this scheme of mine!” Violet protested.

“When I thought it was about revenge,” Diana clarified. “Not love.” She looked at Violet sharply. “And that’s what you’re saying, isn’t it? That you love him?”

“Yes,” Violet said helplessly. “Though I rather wish I didn’t, if this is how he’s going to behave.”

“Darling,” Diana said. “This can’t go on forever. You’re young and beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have you, and it’s not worth going to all this trouble for a husband who doesn’t return your feelings. I don’t believe in unrequited swooning,” she added, giving Violet a severe look. “It doesn’t do to let a man get an overly inflated sense of his own worth, you know. If Audley isn’t going to rejoin you in your bed, then I say why not let some other chap?”

Violet was tempted for a moment to inquire how Diana felt about James joining her on window seats rather than beds, just to witness the reaction it would provoke, but even she was not so bold as that.

Instead, she merely said, “Ours might not have been the happiest marriage of late, but at least it is still a faithful one, and I intend for it to remain that way.”

Diana sagged. “Morals,” she said simply. “So tiresome.”

Violet arched a brow.

“You seem to have rather a puritanical streak yourself, Diana. You’ve been out of mourning for how long now? And yet I’ve heard no whispers of a paramour.”

“I’m working on it,” Diana said cryptically, but before Violet could give much thought to that particular statement, Wooton reappeared in the doorway.

“Lord Willingham, my lady,” he intoned, and stepped aside so that Jeremy could pass into the room.

“Jeremy?” Violet said, rising to offer him her hand. “How lovely. Are you looking for James? I’m afraid he’s not at home.”

“I was, rather,” Jeremy said, bowing gallantly over her hand, then doing the same—rather more perfunctorily, it must be said—over Diana’s. “But how can I be disappointed when I am presented with such charming company? Indeed, what man could resist the temptation to begin the day with two such lovely ladies?”

“I was under the impression that it was your habit to do exactly such a thing,” Diana replied icily as Jeremy took a seat and Violet set about making a cup of tea for him. “Perhaps not two, though,” she added, mock thoughtfully. “Though of course, I wouldn’t know. Your stamina might be more impressive than I’ve been given to understand.”

“I greeted the dawn alone today,” Jeremy said, accepting the cup from Violet and taking a healthy gulp from it. “Which, of course, so disconcerted me that I made my way here immediately upon awakening.” His tone was light, but his gaze on Diana was sharp.

“How lucky we are,” Diana said venomously. “But do go away, Willingham, I was in the middle of a very important conversation with Violet and you are ruining it.”

“Bedeviling her about last night, are you?” Jeremy asked wisely.

“She is, and I suspect it’s the reason you called as well,” Violet said. “Do leave me alone, the both of you.”

“I thought you should know, Violet, that you and Audley were quite the talk of the ballroom after you left.”

“Whatever for?”

“You cannot think that people did not notice Audley and Lady Fitzwilliam’s dance? Particularly in light of the gossip about their meeting in Hyde Park?” Diana paused, then added delicately, “I’m surprised gentlemen aren’t beating down your door as we speak.”

“For what purpose?” Violet felt rather as though Diana were speaking a foreign language; nothing she was saying seemed to make a great deal of sense to her.

“Well,” Diana said, drawing out the word, “some gentlemen present seemed to think that since Audley has now made clear his intention to take a mistress, you would be more amenable to similar . . . er . . . extramarital activities, shall we say.”