“I do, greatly,” he replied. “I can’t let them think they are being led by an idiot.”
Lady Octavia arched an eyebrow. “You, my lord, are no idiot. And I have seen plenty of idiots in my day. Your brother being one of them.”
He laughed. And it felt good to do so. “William and I are two vastly different people. Sometimes, it is unbelievable to me that we were raised in the same household.”
“You rose up to the challenges, despite what you have gone through. That says a lot about you,” Lady Octavia said. “After all, I wouldn’t pretend to marry just any man.” She smiled, and it had a mischievous look to it.
Harred’s eyes dropped to her lips and he had to force himself to look away. “I must admit that I am glad thatFredrick came to me and asked me to do him this favor. It has given me an opportunity to learn more about you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
At her admission, Harred felt his heart soar. But he couldn’t help but wonder why he had such a reaction to her words. It wasn’t as if he had any intention of pursuing her. He was just doing his friend a favor.
“I suppose this is the part where I ask if you have any hobbies,” he said.
Lady Octavia blew out a puff of air. “I am proficient in all things that a lady is expected to be. My mother made sure of that.”
“I did not doubt that.”
“As of late, I have spent entirely too much of my time knitting reticules,” she shared. “Would you care for one? They are an excellent place to stash a biscuit during the opera.”
“Am I to assume you have snuck in biscuits to the opera?”
“Many times,” she replied. “How can you watch the opera without a biscuit or two? It is unfathomable to me.”
“I have never eaten a biscuit during the opera and now I am wondering what I have been missing all of these years.”
Lady Octavia became animated as she started using her hands to emphasize her point. “I enjoy going to the opera but Roswell told me that he won’t take me anymore. He claims I talk entirely too much during the performance.”
“Do you?”
“Yes and no,” she replied. “Yes, I talk too much but that is only because I find myself growing bored. Although, I do start off by making a conscious effort to pay attention. I just fail in that regard generally around the second act.”
Harred found himself riveted by this conversation. He suspected that Octavia didn’t even understand how delightful she was. “Then why do you go to the opera?” he questioned.
“What else am I supposed to do?” she asked. “Practice my embroidery with my aged companion?”
“Well, when given the choice, I can see why you pick the opera.” Harred glanced down at the blue and gold-trimmed reticule that hung around her right wrist. “By chance, do you have a biscuit in your reticule now?”
Lady Octavia held up the reticule for his inspection. “I do not, but I will be sure to bring one on our next carriage ride.”
The sound of pounding horse hooves drew his attention. He turned his head and saw his brother racing towards them with a thunderous expression on his face.
“What now?” Harred muttered to himself.
William reined in his horse next to the curricle and shouted, “This is the ultimate betrayal! How could you, Brother?”
Harred glanced around and saw that his brother was drawing some unwanted attention from the riders in the other carriages along Rotten Row. “Do keep your voice down,” he urged.
“You knew I had every intention of pursuing Lady Octavia and you decided to go after her yourself,” William growled. “Have you no shame?”
Harred held his brother’s gaze, knowing he had done nothing wrong. He wasn’t about to let William dictate his actions. “Leave us,” he ordered. “We can discuss this later in the privacy of our townhouse.”
“My own brother stabbed me in the back,” William declared, his voice growing more irritated with each passing word. “It is a good thing I anticipated this and I planned accordingly.”
Harred furrowed his brow. “What does that even mean?” he asked. “What did you plan?” He resisted pointing out the fact that his brother never planned anything. So why did he start now?
“You will see,” William said before he kicked his horse into a run.
