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Jo shrugged. “Perhaps, one day. I don’t know. I can’t see the benefits, truly. Living the way I am, I am free. I have my own money to spend, I do what I want, perform where I want, and travel wherever I want. If I find a person with whom my goals align and if I am in love, then perhaps I would. But it isn’t my sole goal of existence. My goal is to experience life. And preferably without supervision.”
“But don’t you—I mean, wouldn’t you…” Lady Vane frowned. “Wouldn’t you rather share those experiences with someone?”
“With someone I love, yes. Not with someone I was caught shagging in the music room.”
Lady Vane let out a burst of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand, then shook her head. “I suppose I understand where you’re coming from. Except I wouldn’t be shagging someone unless I loved them.” She then frowned and grimaced. “No, you’re right about that, too. I was… I had… an indiscretion of sorts with a man”—she looked up with wide eyes—“prior to my marriage, of course. But if I’d been caught with him, I doubt I would have been happy.”
“But didn’t you get compromised by your husband?” Jo asked before she could think. She grimaced and quickly clamped her lips shut.
Lady Vane laughed again. “I suppose I did. But it wasn’t like that, it was just an inflated tale from two elderly gossips. But imagine a young girl entangled in the same situation with a much older man. Or even if I got tangled with the wrong man. My life would’ve been a disaster.”
Jo smiled. “There are advantages to not belonging to the upper crust of society.”
“I suppose.” Lady Vane lowered her eyes and played with the tips of her gloves. “But my brother—Richard—he’s not so bad, is he?”
Jo’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean—that’s not—”
Lady Vane chuckled. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I suppose I am just curious if what I saw last night was just a moment of passion or if perhaps you see something in him?”
Jo licked her lips, her mouth going dry as her cheeks heated. For all her talk about brazen passion, she was uncomfortable discussing what had transpired last night between her and the viscount. Was there something more than passion?
There was definitely a lot of passion. And there was another kind of attraction. She liked talking with him, dancing, and just sitting in silence.
She let out a breath. “He’s a… he’s a wonderful man. But this is a short-lived affair.”
Lady Vane nodded, but her face grew somber. “Would you like to join me and my friends for some chocolate on the patio? You seem like a fine conversationalist.”
Jo smiled widely. “As long as we don’t continue discussing this.”
Lady Vane chuckled. “No. I wouldn’t do that. But I have to admit, I have more selfish reasons for inviting you. Millie loves you. And I am certain she would be happy if you joined us.”
Jo smiled and for the first time since she woke up, she did not feel any dread at all. “I would love to.”
