***
It was hours later when Babs, unable to sleep, knocked on her cousin’s door and then without permission stuck her head in. “Corry … Corry … are you awake?”
“I am now,” Corry answered dryly.
Babs rushed in and plopped herself down on the bed. She pulled a throw quilt up to her chin and wrapped herself with it, as the fire in the room had already burned too low to give any comfort. “We didn’t have a chance to talk earlier …” Babs stated as an explanation.
“True,” allowed Corry, who had now sat up and looked as though she too wished to discuss the events of the evening.
“I want to know all about Sir Frederick.”
Corry shrugged in a manner that conveyed a certain reluctance but caved in and said on a sigh, “How can I tell you what I don’t know?”
“Don’t be provoking,” Babs admonished. “Tell me what you do know, and we shall take it from there.”
“What precisely do you want to know?” Corry sidestepped.
“What were you doing alone for so long … what did he say to you … what did you say to him?” Babs was as ever direct and went to the meat of things.
“We were just walking … conversation was just about silly things …”
“Ah, so I see, you were walking and talking, how very enlightening. Fine.” Babs shrugged. “Would you like to know where I was, and whom I was with, and what I was doing?”
“I know what you were doing,” returned Corry with disapproval. “You were attempting to conquer Lord Wildfire’s heart.” She reached out and touched Babs’ hand. “You are getting in too deep, and it won’t serve.”
“He kissed me … and what is more to the point, I kissed him back.”
“Babs, you are not some backstreet wench. He quite overstepped when he kissed you …”
“Not his fault—I wanted him to, and he wanted to bolt, but I didn’t let him, and I kissed him. Corry, you know how I feel about such things. These are modern times, and I think all the rules were made by men for men, and I don’t agree with them.”
Corry eyed her cousin for a moment and relented by relaxing. “I know … but I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Too late. If he doesn’t love me back … I shall be hurt, but … perhaps the fun of being with him … will make up for it?” She eyed her cousin. “Do you like him … Sir Frederick that is?”
“I don’t know …”
“He likes you a great deal,” Babs said knowingly.
“Go to bed now, love … truly … time will give us the answers, for we don’t have them tonight.”
“Very well then, off I go, but I still don’t think I can sleep.” Babs sighed heavily. Her cousin was quite right. No answers leapt up at her, only one great hope.
Eleven
AS IT HAPPENED, the very next morning was the day they were scheduled to leave for Brighton.
Corry and Babs were given permission to ride behind the Waverly coach, and both were in high spirits. Some of their servants and most of their luggage would be conveyed by Lady Jane’s carriage later that morning, and both Babs and her cousin were very excited about the excursion.
Babs noticed Sir Edward as they passed Bond Street; he had an odd expression on his face as he put up a hand to her before turning on his heel and vanishing down the avenue. However, she was too happy to be riding in the open air to give it any further thought.
“I do not like riding sidesaddle,” complained Miss Bretton. “I was young enough back in the States to avoid censure when I rode astride.”
“Yes, and we are well on our way out of town … so as soon as we hit the wooded stretch along the Brighton Road, we can slip our legs over …”
“Ha … with no stirrup … I don’t think so.”
“Hmmm, yes, not quite comfortable.” Babs sighed. “As a rule I don’t ride sidesaddle. But in town and on the main road … well, I can’t buck all of Papa’s rules. One must after all, observe the proprieties,” she said, trying to keep a straight face, but she lost control and went off into lively ripple of laughter.