Page 94 of Just About a Rake


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“Your spies didn’t tell you that much?” Leonora took a lazy sip of tea. “If you must know, I did see him.” And so much more. She wished she could have had even more, but when she’d woken again, he’d been gone.

“Then you are determined not to listen to a word I say?”

Very determined. “What is your problem with Dare anyhow? So he is a rake according to the gossip sheets, but that is not a reason to shun a man like this.”

“I’m not shunning him,” Heart denied. “I am keeping you away from him. Men such as Dare cannot change, Leonora. What are you even hoping for? Do you wish to marry him? Is that what you are hoping for from him?”

She almost choked on a sip of tea. “Who said anything about marriage?”

“Libertines such as him have no concept of loyalty.”

And other men do? Leonora was not so innocent that she did not understand what the termsmistressandaffairmeant. Both were the consequences of loveless marriages and the duty to produce heirs without any connection or attraction to one’s partner.

No, what Heart was truly concerned about was her birth, which made her all the more curious. Just what had happened all those years ago? Why had her real mother left? Why this ruse?

An affair?

A guilty conscience?

She still couldn’t bring herself to ask. Opening old wounds were not moments she wished to seize. All she could do wasavert the topic to a point of curiosity. “When are Mama and Papa returning?” Grandmama and Grandpapa. She didn’t know how to refer to her family anymore! She supposed there was a certain humor in that as well.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything from them yet.”

How convenient.

“Also, we are attending a play tonight,” Heart suddenly announced.

“A play?” Why? The last time she had attended a play with Heart had been...Never. Her instincts bristled with unease.

“I can’t remember the name, but it’s one of your favorites.”

“Must I really go?” She was in no mood to attend the theatre. Her body tingled in places that sent goosebumps skittering across her flesh.

The theatre? She’d rather stay inbedand comb through the archive of her memories.

Ah, stop already!

“Yes, you’re attending with me. It will be fun,” Heart said with that face that always made her relent to anything. Though he seemed unusually calm given she’d attended a ball without him. She’d expected more of a scolding, but not even a veiled threat seemed to be forthcoming.

Suspicious.

“Why the theatre all of a sudden?” Leonora asked, bringing her cup to her lips and taking a small sip. Of all the events in all of London, why choose this?

“I thought a bit of bonding time between us would be enjoyable.”

Indeed, it would be enjoyable. She couldn’t argue that. When was the last time she’d spent time alone with Heart, other than short moments like these? It seemed ages ago. If fact, she couldn’t rightly recall, which was rather frightening. It musthave been years ago. Somewhere in the country. A village ball or some such.

“Do you remember when you were eleven years old?” Heart suddenly asked. “You asked me why the night sky was filled with light.”

Leonora smiled over the rim of her cup. She could vaguely recall, yes. “I couldn’t understand why there was still light when it was supposed to be time to sleep.”

“Do you remember what I said?”

Leonora thought a bit. It had been years. She couldn’t remember all the details but, “Something about how the moon and stars were there so that if anything happened at night, and I got scared, I would be able to find you.”

A curt nod. “Some people have no stars in their life and because of that, they can never find their way back out of the darkness.”

Honestly. “What a tragic thing to say, Heart.” Was she speaking of himself or Dare? It couldn’t be about anything else.