Chapter Twenty-Five
In the carriage on the way home that evening, Georgiana’s fingers drummed the windowsill relentlessly, her eyes bright, cheeks still flushed with excitement. “Miss Laurel has invited me back to ride with her again. Apparently, she has a friend who cannot afford to have a horse of her own, and so, stables it at Ruddock House.” She caught Caroline’s expression. “I shall not partake in another race, I promise you.”
“Good. I fear the first one took a year or four off my life expectancy.”
“I am an excellent horsewoman. You said as much.”
“And you proved it today, but accidents do happen. All the skill in the world cannot overcome a moment of bad luck.”
“You had better be careful.” She grinned. “Or else I shall begin to think that you are worried about me, Miss Bingley.”
“I simply do not look forward to being the person tasked with bringing a mangled corpse back to your brother, Miss Darcy,” Caroline said. “Now, come here.”
Georgiana shifted, plopping into the seat beside Caroline and laying her head on Caroline’s shoulder. “You make a fair point. I would not like to face my brother’s wrath.” Sheshifted again, wriggling as if trying to find the most comfortable spot. “I rather thought you liked to watch people race,” she muttered.
For a moment, Caroline couldn’t think what on earth she’d meant. “Race?” she repeated. “Why, I—” Then it dawned on her.Radcliffe, the day of the party by the lake. The rowing race.“Do not tell me that was why you accepted the challenge?”
“No.” Georgiana had gone very still. “Well, not entirely,” she conceded. “I do love to ride, and I am rarely permitted to do so as freely as I did today. A young lady is especially not permitted to race other young ladies. But I suppose there might have been a tiny part of me that wanted to... well...”
“Wanted to what?” Caroline asked. “Show off? Impress me?”
Georgiana’s shrug was tiny indeed, the barest motion against Caroline’s own shoulder. “It’s possible.”
“Dear, dear.” She sighed. “Well, as long as you had a good time scaring me half to death.”
The chuckle against her bare skin was warm. “So, am I in danger of losing your affections to the youngest Miss Chester? She rather worships you, I think.”
“You noticed that, did you?” Caroline snorted. “You may consider yourself secure enough. Though she plied me with all sorts of questions about... well. I blush to even repeat them.”
Georgiana was silent for a moment. “She knows about you and I, then.”
Dreading a fight, Caroline sought to stave it off. “I apologise. She took me by surprise and I—I ought to have denied it, I know, but she promised not to tell anyone, even her sister, and—”
“One often finds that,” Georgiana interrupted, “when onemeets others who share similar natures and inclinations, that there is a tendency to keep those secrets and take them to our graves. I doubt Miss Chester will betray us.”
Georgiana’s hand reached for hers, found it, and squeezed it tightly. Caroline’s entire body twinged with an ache, pleasant and sad all at once, which made tears prick her eyes. Holding hands didn’t mean anything, really. It was merely an expression of affection and attraction, like their lovemaking. Friends often held hands, did they not?
But you feel it differently of late, the voice in her head pointed out.And these feelings have not been friendly for quite some time now.
She chased the thought away and reached across with her right hand to stroke Georgiana’s hair.So soft, so lovely.Georgiana mewled, snuggling closer, and another, equally unexpected, but quite different picture came to Caroline’s mind: she and Georgiana, like this, always. That was foolish, of course—they had to complete the Great Endeavour, the end result of which was to land her a worthy husband for a match of, if not love, then something close enough that it made no difference.
And if she was starting to wonder whether Georgiana was the only one who had ever—perhaps could ever—make her feel these feelings, then she had better find a way to alter that and fast. Caroline had begun this scheme with the clear intent to change, but now she was beginning to wonder whether she was changing more than she’d meant to, and worse, whether she could stop changing even if she wanted to.
She rather suspected the answer was no.
Georgiana had drifted asleep on Caroline’s shoulder before they were even half the way home, for which Caroline was rather grateful. Her thoughts tumbled about her mind, leavingher restless and disquieted as she stared out at the sunset; they only slowed when Miss Darcy’s fingers twitched, closing around Caroline’s forearm and stroking the skin there.
“You feel cold.” Georgiana yawned and sat upright. “How far away are we?”
“Perhaps fifteen minutes or so.”
“Indeed?” she purred, and the tone sent a sudden jolt of desire soaring through Caroline’s body. “That seems like plenty of time to get you warmed up.” Her hand squeezed Caroline’s thigh, sliding higher.
“I do not think I can wait until we get home,” Caroline murmured.
“Oh? But what other option do we have?”
Caroline’s hand slid over Georgiana’s breast, cupping it, forcing her to arch her back to obtain more delicious pressure. “It is rather dark already,” she pointed out, her lips pressing against Georgiana’s ear. “And we are still miles from home. No one will see us.”
