Imogen sighed again. “You were watching his house all day? Oh, of course you were. You were waiting for him to call on Peter to deliver the letter.”
She nodded. Another half truth.
“I know I must forget the kisses with David, and I will in time.” Heat swept Abigail’s cheeks. “But the waiting is killing me and I have had enough. I’ve arranged a dinner and invited David to attend tonight to speed along the process of bringing the matter of the debt into the open.”
“Are you sure that is a wise thing to do? Peter may not appreciate your meddling in his affairs.”
Abigail shrugged. “I love my brother, but I know his faults well. He will wait until the last moment and then everything will be in a panic. The best thing to do is discuss the matter as rational adults, explain the benefits of a prudent marriage, and hope he sees sense. Will you come?”
“Your brother will not like having a witness overhear any part of the conversation between himself and Hawke,” Imogen warned. “He will be embarrassed if he discovers I’m aware of the problems he faces. What if the gentlemen argue?”
Abigail took a deep breath. “I need a fourth to make the dinner even and I’m also hoping your presence will prevent any words from spilling over into unpleasantness. Please, Imogen. I only ask because I know you can keep a secret.”
Along with keeping the men civil, Imogen would distract her from staring at David’s lips all night. How could she look at him over the dinner table without remembering him nearly naked and undressing him with her eyes? The evening could very well be a disaster if she blushed and stammered that he was the most beautiful man she had ever met. At least Imogen could be counted on to kick her under the table if she was struck dumb by him.
“All right, but don’t expect me to have any influence on either gentleman,” Imogen said eventually. “They always do as they wish in my opinion. Eight o’clock?”
“Thank you. I knew I could count on you.” She gave Imogen a long hug and then fell back on the mattress. “With you there tonight I’m sure the evening will end well. Peter would never raise his voice in front of you.”
“Don’t be surprised if he does.” Imogen stood. “At least I’ll be on hand to prevent any further kisses from occurring between you and Mr. Hawke. I won’t leave you alone with him for even a moment. Now, how about we take a walk? All this fretting over David and Peter is very bad for you. The fresh sea air will clear your head.”
Abigail allowed Imogen to pull her to her feet and they made slow progress toward the channel. Although Imogen meant well by her words, they disappointed Abigail. She’d been secretly hoping for another opportunity to speak privately with David about Peter’s future marriage. She was hoping he’d come up with an idea to encourage the match between her brother and Miss Merton because Abigail couldn’t think of one. And if they were alone, and kisses were in the offing, would it be entirely bad if she tasted David just once more?
“Imogen,” Abigail began. “How is it you’ve become such an authority on men?”
A small smile twisted her friend’s lips. “Believe me, it wasn’t planned.”
Abigail caught Imogen’s arm. “Come on. I told you my secrets. It’s about time you shared yours.”
Imogen was the closest thing to an older sister and she felt a little cheated to be excluded from her secrets.
Her friend sighed. “Very well. I fell in love a long time ago, but it didn’t last or lead to anything more.”
“But why not? You’re lovely.”
“The gentleman’s thoughts and mine didn’t align. I thought I had found the love of my life and planned to marry him but he thought he’d found a naïve and willing girl to warm his bed for the summer.”
“That’s terrible.” Abigail stopped. “What happened? When did this happen?”
“Two summers ago.” They let a carriage pass and then continued on for the seashore. “When I discovered my error, and his plans, I made sure the gentleman walked with a distinct limp for a little while.”
“You did what Peter warned me to do if ever I was importuned.”
Imogen nodded. “I’ve considered thanking him for the suggestion, but that could lead to questions I’d rather not answer. Since then, I’ve made a study of the men of our acquaintance. They really are simple creatures. A suggestion of pleasure or a favorite treat can often be the perfect lure to get what you want from them.”
Abigail sighed. So far she had failed to tempt David into doing what she wanted. He did exactly as he pleased. “David Hawke is not like that.”
“Hawke is exactly like that. So is your brother, by the way. Men each have desires that drive them and those needs can be fulfilled if you are brave enough to tempt them the right way. However, you must be careful because marriage is not at the forefront of their thinking. Everything else decadent is.”
“Imogen,” Abigail began with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Had Imogen gone too far and been ruined? Was that why her opinion of men was so low? “Have you ever been very brave when it comes to men?”
“In my opinion, a lady should never admit to her own ruin.” Imogen stared out to sea, her gaze thoughtful and serious. “However, the answer is no. I’ve never found a man who could tempt me to throw my principles aside so completely for the sake of a little passion. Mind you, I’m not adverse to the idea where there is love involved. Yet circumstances and my nature make me doubt I could ever be so foolish as to trust my heart to any man unless it was for the deepest bonds of affection.”
CHAPTER TEN
David leaned back in his chair, listening to the familiar tick of the ormolu mantle clock and the silence of his Brighton house. The stillness bothered him a great deal today. He’d gone out earlier to visit Mrs. Wiggins, an old acquaintance of his mother’s, to offer his condolences on her husband’s death. But their time together had only reminded him of the barren emptiness of his home life. During his visit, Mrs. Wiggins’ two daughters had called, young ones clinging to their skirts.
Her questions about his solitary state and lack of children had been excruciatingly direct. He’d actually blushed and stammered like a younger man would when embarrassed because the image of a likely wife and children were remarkably like Abigail Watson in appearance. It didn’t help that Mrs. Wiggins had mentioned Abigail in passing at least a dozen times. He’d had no idea his neighbor had become fast friends with the woman.