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“I do, you silly goose, I do,” Kitty said on a laugh.
Henrietta made a happy sound and said, “Oh, I do hope so. He did seem ever so jealous, and it was obvious at the very least that he meant to keep Clayton at a distance from me.”
“I should say so. Clay is a charmer, and he is not for you,” Kitty said.
“I wondered why he was so pointed in his attentions.”
“Ree, zounds…you aren’t … I mean, honestly … you can’t be attracted to Clayton Bickwerth?” Kitty knew Clay too well not to know that he was after Henrietta for her money. He was a practiced flirt, nothing more.
Henrietta had turned a bright shade of pink by this time and picked at her skirt. “Of course, I know better than to allow Clayton’s flattery to go to my head … but it was ever so much fun, even if it didn’t mean anything, even if he didn’t mean a word. It was fun.”
Kitty hugged her hard, sat back, and said, “Yes, he is fun. As long as you know that, then do, do have fun.”
“Oh, I know better than to think Clayton actually is interested in more than my inheritance. I am not a dolt, but he does make Harry jealous, and that is even more fun.”
Kitty laughed. “You devil.”
“Oh, but I am.” Ree giggled.
“Well, good. Time was we bring Harry up to scratch,” Kitty teased.
“Nonsense, no … I don’t want to do that. I want it to be a natural thing for him. I want Harry to know himself … first … I …”
“I understand, Ree—I completely understand, but some of the time men have to be made to look the devil in the eye and take that devil by the horns. You see, some men think that love and all it entails is a ‘devil’.” So saying Kitty burst out laughing, and her friend joined her.
Henrietta flung up her hands. “Kitty, you will be leaving for London … and who will make me laugh?”
“Ree, remember that boy who kissed you, what was he called?”
“Baldwin …?”
“Ah, yes, one of your father’s clerks … remember what you said?”
“I said that his kiss cured me of the infatuation I had for him,” Ree answered and giggled again.
“Right. It made me wonder if we should go about kissing those we are infatuated with, if only to be cured.” This struck Kitty as wildly hilarious, and she doubled over with mirth.
“Indeed, where shall we start?”
“You start with Harry, and I … oh dear, well, I have kissed the blacksmith’s son—he was a big strapping Adonis—and then that handsome but conceited Thomas Worely, so I have one up on you, but I should like to kiss a rogue … and learn the difference between inexperienced young men and one who knows what he is doing.”
“Kitty!”
She laughed. “So kiss Clay and then kiss Harry … and you will know, won’t you?”
Ree thought this over. “You are a zany, but your plan does have merit.”
Once again, they burst out laughing.
When they wiped away their tears of laughter, Kitty said, “He is more handsome than an Adonis, I think. An Adonis is a godlike creature … one thinks of as perfect in stature, and then one finds a real man, like the earl, with flaws but ever so attractive … and the entire thing becomes so much more real.”
Ree chuckled. “Yes, but you now sound as though you like the earl … very much.”
Kitty shrugged. “He is not as bad as I thought.” She took her friend’s hand. “Ree, come to London … please.”
“I am hoping to visit you there … talk Mama into a shopping spree.” Ree smiled. “And in the meantime … perhaps I will kiss both Harry and Clay.” The notion made her giggle and blush.
“So be it, ’tis the kissing season. Enjoy yourself, but keep you heart well hidden from Clay.”
