Chapter 74

Once outside, he quickly found his coach, glad he’d insisted on arriving in his own equipage. “Home,” he said shortly, climbing inside. He didn’t know if his aunt or friends had followed him out of the house and didn’t look back to find out.

* * * *

Julien had to fight not to squirm like a nine-year-old child. He’d always thought nothing could make him more uncomfortable than one of his aunt’s guilt-inducing lectures, but an apologetic and concerned Cordelia was ten times worse.

“I never should have nagged you to go,” she said for the fifth time. “Neither Lady Rockingham or I had any idea that Lavinia Norville would have the nerve to—”

“I know, Aunt,” Julien assured her.

“When I discover who had the bad taste to bring her, I’ll—”

“That seems unlikely.”

Cordelia sighed. “Oh, Julien, if I’d had any notion how upset you were about Dearborne, I never would have—”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’ve been very different since we heard about his disappearance. Not yourself at all.”