How To Build The Perfect Rake (19 page)

‘Out with it,’ Jasper instructed, as she
continued to grapple with how to put the situation into words.

‘Oh very well! I have
formed a
tendre
for a young gentleman but unfortunately, he does not feel the
same way about me. There! Are you satisfied?’

Jasper frowned. ‘How do you know he doesn’t
feel the same way about you?’

‘Because he cares for somebody else.’

‘Is he an idiot?’

Her lips twitched at this. If nothing else,
Jasper could be relied upon to bolster her self-esteem. ‘He is
perfectly lovely. And really, up until a short time ago I did not
know my own feelings for him and so… so I encouraged him to dangle
after this other girl and -’

‘Good God, you’ve fallen for St James!’

‘I never said that!’

‘It’s true, none the less.’

She sighed. ‘It is, actually.’

‘And he’s interested in that flighty piece
Carisse Houghton.’

‘Everybody is interested in that flighty
piece.’

‘Are you sure about this? St James? I mean I
like the fellow, I really do but he’s hardly the type to set the
world on fire.’

‘I don’t want to set the world on fire. And
I don’t know why I feel that way about him. I just know that I
do.’

Jasper thought about it for a moment, taking
a bite of toast and chewing rhythmically. ‘I think you should tell
him.’

‘Good God! Why would I do anything so
foolish?’

‘Because if he knew, he’d probably realize
that he loves you as well. The two of you have been as thick as
thieves forever.’

‘I know he loves me. But
it’s quite different from
being
in love with me,’ his sister pointed out
wearily.

Jasper shook his head. ‘Yes but the thing
is, you and St James get on extremely well together. You didn’t
even know that your feelings for him ran deeper up until a day or
so ago. He’s probably in the same situation.’

‘We’ve got on together as friends. We’ve
always just been friends.’

‘Yes of course. But he is so used to seeing
you as a friend that he probably can’t see you any other way,’ he
quirked a dark eyebrow at her, ‘if you know what I mean? I think
you should do one thing before running back to Warwickshire to lick
your wounds. One, small thing.’

‘What thing?’ she enquired warily, wondering
where this was leading.

‘I think you should kiss
him. And not just a peck on the cheek, mind. Go for the crux of the
matter.
Kiss
him.’

Olympia stared at him, astonished. ‘Jasper
Grayson, what would Mama say if she could hear you giving me that
advice! You’re suggesting I kiss a man who I am not affianced
to.’

‘Just don’t do it in
public. That
would
raise a few eyebrows.’

‘But I can’t just
kiss
him.’

Jasper shrugged. ‘Of course you can. You’re
a complete hoyden when you choose to be. If you want to jolt the
young idiot, you need to see if there is any flash in that
particular pan. You know; sparks. A kiss will give him a shock and
see if there is any juice in the nag.’

‘What a lovely way of phrasing it.’ She
stared at him doubtfully. ‘I would undoubtedly end up looking like
a complete idiot.’

‘Even if you do at least you will have
tried,’ Jasper pointed out softly. ‘If you really are in love with
the lad then don’t you think you will regret it if you don’t, at
least, try before he’s buckled down with that pretty ninny?

‘But Jas -’

‘But me no buts. You know it’s a good
idea.’

‘Oh do I now!’

‘Indeed. And if the worst comes to the worst
I’ll make the fair Carisse fall in love with me and turn St James
down flat. You can mend his broken heart for him and I can steal a
few kisses off a very fine looking filly.’

‘Wretch!’

‘Nonsense. I am a font of
wisdom. Kiss St James, marry the fool and live happily ever after.
No seducing the lad, however. Mama
would
kill me if she thought I was
advocating anything so shocking.’

Olympia flushed. ‘Of
course she would!’ Seduce the lad. Seduce Luc. The idea flushed her
cheeks just as much as her brother’s careless words. ‘Oh!
Why
did I elect to
discuss this with you? You are entirely shameless.’

‘You had not choice in the matter,’ he said,
rising from his chair and stretching. ‘And just to show what a
sterling brother I am, I will accompany you to this wretched dance
tonight so you can put my most excellent plan into action.’

‘Tonight?’ Olympia repeated, appalled. ‘Oh
no. Not tonight. Tomorrow night there is the Riddlington card
party. Take me there instead. It will give me the opportunity
to…to…’

Jasper tilted his head inquiringly. ‘To
think of a dozen reasons why you should not follow my
suggestion?’

‘Not at all,’ Olympia
returned primly, ‘it will give me a chance to consider how to go
about things. One cannot simply go up to a fellow and
kiss
him.’

‘I don’t see why not.’

‘Of course you don’t. You’re you. But I was
more thinking of opportunity.’

‘And you think a card party, as opposed to a
rout, will give you the right opportunity?’

‘It might. As well as cards there will be
dancing, of course. I think it might be a far better venue to
snatch a private word with him.’

‘So you’ll do it?’

Olympia thought about it
for a moment. Would she do it? Would she
really
? Kissing Luc… the very idea
made her heart flutter in the most ridiculous way but the more she
thought about it, the more she suspected that Jasper was right. She
would forever regret not trying such a daring plan. Perhaps it was
true what Jasper said. She and Luc had been such good friends for
so long, he might not even realize that he had feelings for her. At
least she could surrender him in a blaze of glory if it did not go
as she wished and what was the worst that could happen? She would
feel awkward and he would be stunned by her boldness. For a kiss
would be a declaration of her feelings, there was no doubt about
it. But even if it did prove to be the most demoralizing thing that
could ever happen to her she could hardly feel worse than she
already did. Luc married to Carisse Houghton was Luc lost to her.
Best he be well and truly lost than she should not make one attempt
to win him.

‘Yes,’ she said slowly, ‘I will do it. Why
not? We know what Mr. Shakespeare had to say on the subject. Better
to have loved and lost -’

‘Not Shakespeare,’ Jasper said hastily, ‘I
get your point. Tomorrow night then. You can gamble for more than a
few shillings.’

‘Oh wonderful,’ she said bitterly, ‘I’m not
allowed Shakespeare but you’re allowed to put on a Greek tragedy.
You are a mixed blessing, Jasper Grayson! Don’t let anybody ever
tell you differently.’

Olympia did not see Luc that day, which was
probably just as well for she imagined she would be excessively
tongue-tied if he did happen to call. The more she thought about
kissing him, the more daunting the idea became for it would surely
change their friendship forever.

But wouldn’t marriage to another woman do
that? She was merely preempting what must come. Or throwing the
dice and changing her fortunes. Damn Jasper and his ridiculous
similes! But they were apt enough, after all. Her future was
destined to change, whatever the outcome.

She spent the day unable to settle to
anything, so twitchy that her aunt became quite exasperated with
her.

‘Whatever is the matter with you Olympia?
You can’t sit still for more than a minute. Are you unwell?’

‘No, no. I am quite well.’

‘Well you appear to be sickening. You look
flushed and the weather is so much cooler today.’

‘Really, I’m fine. Perhaps I should go for a
walk.’

Aunt Flora had looked her over critically,
then nodded. ‘It can’t do any harm. In fact, a little fresh air
might do you good.’

A little certainty in her life would have
done her more good than a world of fresh air but Olympia knew she
was behaving like a fool and relieved her aunt of her company for a
time. That evening, claiming a headache, she avoided going to the
Massington rout, preferring to metaphorically gird her loins for
the following night. The following morning brought little relief
for her anxiety. It took a great deal of self-control on her
behalf, but she managed to get through the day with a semblance of
calm, at least on the outside.

‘It should not matter so much what the
outcome of such a silly venture is,’ she whispered to herself in
disgust when her thoughts constantly drifted back to the
possibilities of the night ahead. Try as she might, she could not
stop herself from thinking of what Luc might do when she kissed
him. She could envision only three outcomes to this bold venture,
all of them fraught with consequence.

Firstly, he might be
horrorstruck. He would draw back from her, a look of astounded
bewilderment on his face. She would look up at him and wonder how
the devil she had managed to get herself into such a predicament.
He would stutter out some nonsense, probably questioning her
sanity. And then he would apologize in that delightfully awkward
way of his and regretfully inform her that he did not feel
that
way about her at
all.

It would be ghastly, of course it was, but
with her return to Warwickshire just a few days ahead Olympia could
retire gracefully and tend her wounds in private.

The second scenario was that she would kiss
him and he would… well, he would kiss her back. There would be a
startled moment of confusion but then, from some place deep inside
him he would realize that he liked her kissing him. He liked it so
much that perhaps… perhaps it was Olympia that had his heart and
not some foolish creature with more hair than sense. They would
embrace and – with any luck – kiss again, just to be sure that they
had gotten it right the first time. When Olympia considered this
scenario she felt almost weak kneed with a kind of unfamiliar
happiness she dare not let herself feel. Whenever she thought of
this scenario she stopped herself abruptly, determined not to let
hope build.

The
third
scenario was probably the most
likely. She would find the courage to kiss him, he would look at
her blankly and recommend she not be such a dreadful hoyden and
that would be the end of it. In all likelihood he would probably go
straight back to talking about the Incomparable and all of this
dreadful anguish would have been for nothing. If that were to
happen then she could not be held responsible for what came after
for she had suffered far too much to tolerate such a wicked lack of
response.

Of course, all this speculation was
pointless for she could not really judge the situation one way or
another. The trick, she knew, would be to get Luc on his own for he
was probably still annoyed at her for her brutal treatment when
last she had seen him. Somehow, she had to single him out from his
noxious gaggle of female admirers and find somewhere they could be
private.

As Constance prepared her for the evening
ahead, dressing her in a new gown of cerulean blue damask and
arranging her hair a la Grecian, encouraging several deep brown
curls to fall over Olympia’s shoulder, she could not help but feel
as if she were going to some portentous doom.

Which is absurd because, not matter what
transpires, it is still Luc. Your dearest friend. The lad you
bested at climbing on at least a dozen occasions…

The thought cheered her a little and she
managed a tolerably sunny demeanor as they set off for the
Riddlington party.

‘At least there will be whist,’ Aunt Flora
observed with satisfaction as she took her place in the carriage.
‘I intend to take my revenge on Lady Bartlett for besting me so
thoroughly the last time we played.’

‘Just don’t call her a trout again,’ Olympia
begged, settling her skirts around her.

‘I didn’t say that to her face.’

‘No, you said it
behind
her face, so
loudly that everybody within twenty feet must have heard. She
certainly did. She mottled up like a beet.’

Jasper gave a snort of
laughter. ‘If she bests you again, dearest aunt, I shall give you
five guineas to call her an old trout, as loudly as you wish. I
have never in my life met a woman who looked more like one than
Lady Bartlett. Incidentally, her son shares the same piscine
affliction. I bested
him
last night at cards. He lost an absolute roll so
feel free to finish off his dear mama.’

‘Oh I shall, my dear. With the greatest of
pleasure.’

Olympia shook her head although really, with
her protruding eyes and small, pursed mouth Lady Bartlett bore a
striking resemblance to a trout. ‘You two are truly
incorrigible.’

The Riddlington’s had arranged their rooms
to suit the occasion and tables were set up in the usual way, ready
for games of whist or bridge. The dancing was naturally separate
but not so much so that one could not cool ones flushed cheeks by
entering into a quick round or two or merely watch those playing.
Such events were very well attended and there were already quite a
few people about, filling the large apartments with chatter.
Already, some of the more enthusiastic matrons had taken their
places and had begun a few preliminary hands of whist. It was a
passion for quite a few of the older set who engaged in such events
five nights out of seven.

Olympia looked around her rather anxiously.
A few hours earlier she had had the awful thought that Luc might
not even be coming to the Riddlington affair. All of her worrying,
all of her torment and he might not even be there! Her brother,
divining the worried look on his sister’s face, leaned close.