Reckless? He didn’t know the half of it.
She’d been a fool to go to that masquerade. She hated to admit that Luke was right, but in hindsight, she could see just how reckless she’d been. And for what?
Just because she was lonely?
Just because she thought she might find a friend there?
She winced as she slid down from the horse.
What a fool.
But now that her riding lesson was ending and she had no choice but to return to the nearly empty halls of Madame Bellafonte’s school, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that it was indeed loneliness that had driven her to that masquerade.
She supposed she ought to get used to it. Her friends were all moving forward with their lives. Why, only the week before she’d heard from Delilah. It seemed she too was now happily in love, just like Jocelyn and Daffodil.
It would just be Jane and Isabelle next year…assuming Isabelle didn’t magically find romance this summer like the others. Her lips twitched with amusement as she recalled the letter she’d received from Isabelle only the day before.
Seemed the poor thing was meant to visit Daffodil’s brother-in-law. A baron with a library that Daffodil’s husband assured her was beyond compare.
Such a thing would normally delight her bookish friend, but it seemed Isabelle had encountered the gruff baron at the duke and Daffodil’s wedding, and…
Well, it was enough to say he had not impressed Isabelle with his manners.
Not in the least.Beast,she’s called the baron in her letter.A veritable beast.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, my lady?” Mr. Stern said, jolting Jane out of her thoughts as he took the reins from her hands.
He always asked this, as if one day she might say,oh no, I have other plans.
It seemed even Mr. Stern had more hope for her future than she did at the moment.
“Of course,” she said with a smile as she headed over toward Sally, who’d hardly stopped talking about all the fun she’d had at the masquerade.
Jane bore her chatter with as much patience as she could muster.
She was happy for the girl. Of course she was. Just like she was happy for her friends who were having a joyful summer with their loved ones.
It was just that she felt rather sorry for herself, that was all.
And she blamed Luke.
Perhaps it was mean-spirited of her, but she couldn’t help but think how differently she’d feel if he hadn’t been such a pompous toad.
He could have just said, “Oh, hullo there, Jane. Good to see you again.” Would that have been so very difficult?
Instead, he’d treated her like a nuisance. Worse. He’d treated her like she was some pathetic young lady desperate to catch his eye.
She let out a huff that Sally didn’t notice as she was currently talking at length about some bloke she’d met during their nighttime escapade.
Her. Desperate for marriage. And to him!
Arrogance, thy name is Luke.
Which was not to say that she did not plan to marry. She did. While her parents thought her wild, and her friends believed her head in the clouds with all her talk of wanting a stable of her own, Jane was really quite practical on the matter.
Yes, she would have preferred to race horses, or breed horses, or… Oh, it hardly mattered. She knew quite well what her future held in store.
A good marriage to a man of whom her parents approved.
