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The woman glanced in his direction with a smirk.
How could he not remember? The stuff didn’t do that much damage to his mind, did it?
Pale hair, s
weet features with a little bit of naughty—Carolina Wilson. That was it. He’d spent a few days in her company two summers ago, right before he needed a bit more than her ministrations could provide, so much more that his parents snatched him away so fast he never said goodbye before they sent him away. No. Best to avoid those memories and focus on those of the woman.
Jay rubbed his thumb and forefinger together as he searched the haze in his mind. Carolina, Carolina...decent conversationalist, fair energy, discreet, except for one small flaw...
A high-pitched, half shriek, half snort broke through the air as the music ended.
“Jay Truitt.” The woman reached both hands towards him.
He swallowed. “Carolina, how lovely to see you, it’s been—”
Silk rustled and batted his leg as Ursula scooted next to him. She threaded her arm through his. Interesting. He retracted himself from Carolina’s embrace.
“This is Ursula, Ursula Nunes.”
“His fiancée.” Ursula thrust a hand towards Carolina, the one with his aunt’s ring, an additional prop he’d given her that afternoon while her uncle glared.
“Congratulations.” Carolina’s smile was wide for a moment before it collapsed, giving her a pinched expression, wrinkles sprouting on the ridge of her nose. “Ursula and I met when we were younger. Is your family still living in Delaware? I remember it being so quaint, such a vacation from Philadelphia. I’ll have to take a rest there sometime, between all the committees I’m on and all the parties I’m invited to, I’m exhausted. It must be so nice to not have to worry about any of those things. How’s your mother? I can see you have her fashion sense.”
Ursula’s nostrils flared. Jay squeezed her hand. This was bad, very, very bad, but even he with all his diplomacy could not see any way to prevent—
“My mother is deceased, though while she was alive she was very involved in creating beauty. I do suppose I’m much better rested than you. Having my future assured keeps me very content.” She burrowed her body closer to his. “I feel so fortunate.”
“Yes.” Carolina sniffed. “Jay has such discerning taste, you must be very special or very, very, very willing.” She eyed Ursula’s chest. “I’m guessing the latter. I’m sure the fortune does help as well. Money and desperation can turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Deepest sympathies regarding your mother though, she was an...interesting woman.”
Jay’s mind whirled. Had Ursula’s mother had two heads? Scales and fins?
Carolina flounced away in a whirl of blue taffeta, leaving Ursula in her wake. The younger woman pursed her lips as her eyes darted from side to side as if ruminating on a mathematical equation.
“She insulted you.” He blinked because by right, Carolina’s ire should’ve been directed towards him. After all, he was the one who ended things. Badly.
“I know that. She insulted my mother too. I should sock her. If we were men, I would bloody her nose,” she snapped. “I’m also pretty sure she impugned my virtue and character as well as yours. Yes, I’m better with numbers rather than people, but I’m not a dolt. It’s just that...”
“It’s just what?” All questions of Ursula’s mer-mother vanished as the present became more perilous. He was half-curious, half-dreading what would come out of his faux fiancée’s mouth. A confused Ursula was a dangerous Ursula.
He strolled her over to the refreshment table. She filled a plate with crème puffs and blueberry tarts. After grabbing two more champagne flutes, he followed her down the hall, into an empty study. He sank into a leather chair holding a glass in each hand while she leaned against a shelf, stuffing sugar into her mouth in the most delectable way possible.
“I suppose that—” She managed to get the words out between chews. “You and Carolina engaged in some sort of—let’s call it contact, the same sort of contact that she implied you and I have had, and thus, if all three of us have...” Powdered sugar dotted her lips and three lines appeared on her brow, as if she was concentrating.
He paused, parsing her words. A specific image associated with the words “all three of us,” formed in his head. That’d never happen, not just because Ursula’d balk, but no scenario existed in which Carolina wouldn’t attempt to murder his faux fiancée. Ursula would clobber her in the end, but the entire matter would be rather bloody and not worth the trouble.
He sighed.
How in the world to answer the questions?
“I believe she’s implying that the two of us dabbled in certain activities that she refused to even consider.” He strolled over and dabbed the sugar.
Mercy, those lips were beautiful. If only they didn’t move so much. Though, truth be told, being with Ursula made this the most exciting evening he’d had in a long time, at least while fully clothed.
She snatched her flute from him and took a small sip. “What sort of things?”
Jay choked. “You don’t want to know.”
“I do.” Ursula cocked her head.
