Caroline laughed.
“And so... would it be...” Miss Chester bit her lip. “No, that seems like it is one of those things I ought never to question.”
Curiosity flickered. “Go on. I will not tell your sister, whatever you may ask.”
Miss Chester inched towards her, lowering her voice. She looked so genuinely worried that Caroline felt a twinge of sympathy. “You and Miss Darcy are very good friends, are you not?”
Apprehension spiked in Caroline’s gut, but she did her best to keep her expression serene. “We are.”
“Is it possible that you are more than friends?”
She swallowed, apprehension blooming into full-blown panic. What on earth was she to say to that?
“I do not judge such a thing,” Miss Chester said hastily. “And I shall not tell anyone, even my sister. You have my word on that. I am excellent at keeping secrets, I assure you. It is only the niceties which I struggle with. And I have some particular inclinations of my own which...” She sighed. “What I mean to say is, I understand that one might occasionally find one’s desires outside of the ton’s expectations or approval.”
Caroline forced herself to relax. She couldn’t help glancing at Georgiana, who was talking animatedly with Miss Laurel, her hands waving around, a wide smile on her face. She looked relaxed, much more so than usual.
“We were friends before, and we are still friends now, but there are some... complications at present,” Caroline finally admitted.
“Is it romantic?”
Georgiana’s look of shy appreciation. Georgiana’s kisses on her neck. Georgiana’s hand holding hers in the carriage. Caroline’s heart fluttered.Is it romantic?She’d been doing her best to try to avoid the question, but now that it was asked of her so boldly, the answer was impossible to ignore. She swallowedpast the sudden lump in her throat. “A little, at least on my side. I know not what she feels.”
“Fascinating. Now, is it possible to like men and women both, or is one required to choose at some point? I should like to know when, so that I have time enough to make the decision.”
Caroline hid her smile in her teacup. Miss Emily was impossibly earnest; Caroline rather wished she’d had a younger sister just like her. “I believe that some prefer the opposite sex, some prefer the same sex, and some like both. That is the extent of my knowledge, however, and I do not pretend to know very much upon the subject.”
“Hmm. That makes perfect sense.” Miss Emily nodded. “I find you attractive, yet I also find Mr Dilphy attractive.”
Caroline choked, spraying tea everywhere. Miss Emily stared at the herd of horses, completely unperturbed, as if she’d merely made some remark about the weather. “Who... who is Mr Dilphy?” Caroline managed.
“Oh, he is a cousin of a neighbour of ours. Laurel says he is not a suitable match for me, though, as he likes travel too much, and I do not. Also, he is forty.” Miss Emily cocked her head. “But he does have a very pleasing nose.”
“I see.” She wiped her mouth. “And... and you find me attractive?”
“Of course. You are a very pretty woman, Miss Bingley. I am far from the only one who notices that, I assure you.” Before Caroline could decide how to respond to this—how on earth did one accept such a brazen compliment from a mere girl of seven-and-ten?—Miss Emily added, “Thank you. I still have much to learn about the world, but this conversation has proved very interesting.”
Relieved that it had merely been a compliment and not an overture, Caroline risked another mouthful of tea.
“Since you entrusted me with your secret,” Miss Emily went on, “I ought to trust you with one of mine.”
“You needn’t, if you would rather not,” Caroline said, patting her on the shoulder.
“I insist. It is only fair, after all.” For the first time, Miss Emily blushed. “For several months, I have been corresponding with a young man. We talk of everything of importance—books, inventions, philosophy. But I shouldn’t really be writing to him, nor he to me, without anyone knowing. I haven’t even told my sister.”
“Really?” This was far more interesting thanThe Mysteries ofUdolpho. In Caroline’s opinion, more books ought to be written about secret lovers exchanging passionate letters. “To whom have you been writing? Or cannot you tell me?”
“Mr Hall,” Miss Emily confessed. “Teddy Hall. He is the nephew of Lord Ashbrook and was at the lake party. You may remember, for they look rather alike, although I think Teddy the fairer of the—”
“Lord Ashbrook!” Caroline exclaimed, only just remembering not to shriek the name so loud that Miss Laurel could hear. “Why, he is precisely the man I need to talk to. I have recently become acquainted with a painter, you see, and—well, it is a long story.” She studied Miss Emily. “Do you think you might be able to help me? If you asked to meet Teddy, his uncle would surely attend as his chaperone. And I could chaperone you in turn.”
“Oh,” Miss Emily said, turning an even brighter shade of pink. “That would require me to tell my sister about what I’vebeen doing. Writing in secret to a viscount’s nephew will warrant at least a solid hour of lecturing, I am sure. Perhaps two.”
Caroline followed Miss Emily’s gaze. Georgiana had mounted an enormous brown horse which, to Caroline, looked far too big for her friend, but which she managed without any trouble at all, turning this way and that gracefully, with only a nudge of her knees, hands light on the reins. Miss Laurel was already astride a dappled grey stallion with a white mane and tail, looking equally as comfortable.
“I once knew a young lady,” Caroline murmured, “who did not tell her brother the truth when she could have, and regretted it all her days. Secrets one may have and keep, but some are precious, and some eat away at you like rot. Be certain you know which is which, Miss Chester.”
Miss Emily patted her hand kindly. “I am sure that your brother would look upon your secret well. He is known to be a gentleman of a tender nature, with great understanding of feelings.”
