Chapter 5 5

The first time Julia received a note saying that lord Cole Cavendish was about the estate, Julia was beside herself with happiness. She ordered for a bath to be drawn up, bathed herself in rose water and donned one of her finest dresses.

Julia ordered the carriage to be brought around and took one footman with her. She was giddy with fear and excitement at the same time.

As the butler, George led her from the hallway to the drawing-room she could hear their voices, the only reason they were in the drawing-room and not the study, must be because Sebastian was helping her in his odd way. She was grateful.

Lady Julia Cavendish, George said, announcing her to the occupants of the room. With her back straight, and her chin held up in the air, she entered the room and observed her surrounding. Lord Cole and lord Sebastian were quickly up from their seat, bowing remarkably, taking her outstretched hand and kissing her hand in turns.

Sebastian was the first to speak. My lady, it is so nice to see you again, he said.

Smiling up at him she murmured, you too my lord. lowering her eyes to the floor, a picture of innocence.

I believe you have not met my friend, lord Cole Weatherly, the Earl of Devonshire. Turning to Cole, he said, lord Cole, may I present you, Julia Cavendish, the daughter of the earl and countess of Bainbridge.

It pleases me to make your acquaintance, however, I can't help but notice you are not with your chaperon, he stated flatly. Sebastian opened his mouth to reply, probably to defend Julia, but she beat him to it.

Why, my lord, could it be a concern that I detect in your voice or perhaps, could you be a little worried about my reputation. Which is it? Cole opened his mouth to speak, but Julia wasn't gone delivering her speech.

Don't tell me, you are one of those people who think that a little Flirtation, and a little kiss here and there could ruin a woman. If so, I believe that half of the London ladies would be ruined by now. she rasped out, looking at Cole as if expecting a reply.

Cole was giving Sebastian desperate glances as if only he could extricate him from whatever it was he found himself in. When Sebastian showed no sign of help, just sat there and watched them, he knew he had to save himself. Glancing at Julia, he dreaded talking to her. He didn't know the answer she expected of him. She looked as if, if he should so much as utter the wrong words, she would have his head.

By now Sebastian was grinning, he was enjoying this! Bloody hell! He was enjoying his discomfort. Damn him, pushing Sebastian at the back of his mind Cole thought carefully of what he wanted to say.

I suppose that a little filtration would do no harm to any girl's reputation. He knew his answer was right when a slow smile gradually spread across her face. She was practically glowing. She lowered her eyes and peeked at him, from under her lashes.

For a first-time, since he was introduced to her, he noticed her beauty. Julia was a very pretty woman. She had the most beautiful hair he had ever seen, red, very red against her pale face with ocean blue eyes.

When he tried to see her mouth, to really discover its colour, whether it was red or pink he was quickly brought back to reality. Sebastian had rudely snapped out his name. That must have been why he was startled. What was wrong with him? He looked about the room and noticed Vicky was already there, engaged in a conversation with Julia, something about the latest book she just finished reading.

Focusing his attention on Sebastian, who was busy scowling at him, he had this look about him as if he wanted to trounce him. Taking one quick glance at Julia before he tried to lunch into a discussion with Sebastian, this time Sebastian was visibly glowering at him. If he wasn't sure before, now he was. He was staring him down. If he was a lesser man, which he wasn't, he would have been squirming in his seat with fear, besides he had known Sebastian, half his life.

Squaring his shoulders he stared right back at Sebastian, and just like that he snapped out of whatever black mood that was devouring him and laughed. He really gave a good laugh because both Julia and Vicky stopped their conversation and stared at him. It only made him laugh harder and before Cole knew it he was laughing so hard, without even knowing why, just that Sebastian made him want to laugh, and it had been so long since he had a wonderful laugh.

Vicky and Julia were looking at them as if they had finally lost their mind. Ignoring them he tried to stop himself from laughing, and when he finally succeeded, he looked at Sebastian and murmured, thank you. I needed that.

Sebastian just shrugged and said, Happy to be of service.

*********

Sebastian was irked, he was angry with himself. He had nearly trounced his friend yesterday, all because he had been staring at Julia like a lost child, who had just been shown the most beautiful toy. He didn't even know why he was angry, perhaps, he wanted to be that child, so he could stare at her as much as he wanted. Hell! She had never smiled at him like that before. Maybe he wanted that, maybe he wanted to be the one, she would make designs on.

He didn't even know what he wanted from her, but he sure as hell don't want her bestowing smiles like that, to any other man that was not him. Damn! It had to be illegal to smile like that, he thought, raking his hand in his head and making a mess of it.

From where he sat in the gaming hell drinking ale, he spotted a familiar silhouette, bloody hell! He cursed under his breath and snapped his head in that direction, squinting his eye, so that, he might have a better view, he saw Julia making her way over to the card table, where faro was played.

Cole was sitting there playing with another lord. He would be damned before he let her make her way over there. Intercepting her, he dragged her to another table laid out for faro as he apologized to the men who cast him curious stares.

If she was going to play, she damn well would play with him. He wanted to fleece her of all her money, terrify her and make sure she didn't come back here ever again.

Julia was on her way back to the drawing-room. In her desperation to convince Sebastian, she had barely given two thoughts to her surroundings.

As she waited for the butler to fetch Vicky, she observed the drawing-room. It was different from the drawing-room at Edinburgh. Vicky and Sebastian had come to London for the season and were now staying in their townhouse.

The drawing room here had rich curtains and Elegant soft furnishings, exquisitely carved furniture and expensive musical instruments. It gave the feeling of great luxury.

She could spy the pianoforte by the side, Vicky was accomplished on the pianoforte. She, on the other hand, never quite mastered it. It used to give her mother nightmares, she chuckled at the remembrance.

Her mother had wanted all her children to be accomplished. She prided herself on being able to produce children that were accomplished in the pianoforte.

Ophelia felt her talent was wasted on Julia. Her mother was accomplished in the pianoforte. When she was younger, a musicale was nearly hosted in her honor. That was how accomplished she was.

In her younger days, Ophelia would make sure she set aside two to three hours a day for her piano lessons, the problem was she never got the hang of it.

Still, her mother would make her sit there every day, and practice her lessons. It didn't matter that the sounds she made, could make dead men flee from their grave, Ophelia didn't care, she wanted her to practice her lessons. Her sister Camila, God bless her, finally came of age and saved her. She mastered the hang of it and Ophelia was finally satisfied that her talent has been passed down. Only then did she let her be.

I'm sorry for my lateness, Vicky said, slumping down on the chair next to her, breaking her away from her thoughts. I heard the cook was baking cake, I just couldn't resist, she said grinning, in a way of explanation.

Julia was watching her, her face filled with a mixture of curiosity and amazement. She was yet to say anything, just sat there staring at her.

Whatever could you be looking at? Vicky muttered, scowling at her.

Shaking her head, as if waking her self from a deep sleep, with wide-eyed innocence she said, I was just amazed at how you disregarded propriety and slumped down on that chair.

With a darker scowl than she had before, Vicky muttered, is not like anyone who could see me is about the estate. seeing Julia's expression she said, what? You don't count she pointed out. By and by how did your meeting with Sebastian go?

It went fine. I didn't think he would agree, but now that he has, I find myself at loss at how to go about seducing someone. I think I am quite terrified at the prospect of doing it. At the time it sounded like a perfectly good plan, but now, I don't think I know how to proceed. she murmured, sounding defeated, her shoulder slumped down, her head buried in her hands.

My, my, who would have thought that a day would come when you would be terrified, of something not worth being terrified about. she hissed out. If I had your lush curves, and round hips, I'm sure I would not be terrified of anything again in my life. Not this my petite breast, is all I could do not to expire when the gentlemen I were pinning for preferred the company of women with bigger buxom. She said sounding bitter.

Vicky! Julia shrieked, you shouldn't be saying things like this. However, did you know all this?

Unlike you, I happen to have a brother, she said smirking at Julia as if it was supposed to explain everything.

And I am supposed to believe that he says this type of things when you are about, she said

Not in many words, but when I was one and six, Sebastian's friends from Eton came by, and I overheard them talking about it. She leaned in forward, with one hand curving against her mouth as if imparting a great secret she whispered, I heard it all the rage among gentlemen these days.

Blushing prettily she shrieked Vicky! scandalized at what Vicky had just said.

Exasperated, she thought, who is supposed to be the quiet one here? Granted, she goes to the gaming hell, she is determined, confident and courageous, still, there were things she was still ignorant about. Take this discussion, for instance, she is completely at loss at what happens in the bedchamber between a man and a woman. She blushed just thinking about it.

Vicky was smirking at her knowingly as If she happens to know what she was thinking about. Tugging at her gloves Julia said, perhaps you should tell me more about lord Cole, I couldn't very well ask Sebastian, it would have been, taking it too far. At least you know him better than I do. He comes here more often. What can you tell me?

Lord Cole is obviously quiet, he...err... doesn't like to talk too much, He doesn't attend any social functions.

I already know all these things Julia snapped, tell me something I don't already know.

Vicky was quiet, Julia sat there waiting for her to speak. Finally, she grew tired and said well? Are you going to say something at all?

Shushing her she said, I was thinking.

And?

He is an only child, he went to Eton with Sebastian. Rumour has it that he has a very large stable, and he breeds horses, Arabian horses, that is what they say, they say that he loves his horses more than he could ever love any woman, that is why he is still unmarried. You know it was rumoured that he was once called the lone earl. She whispered.

It was rumored that he did this, it was rumored that he did that, how do you even know all these things? She asked.

Grinning at her Vicky whispered rumor

Exasperated, Julia muttered, I give up.