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“Take her out for walks or a chaperoned luncheon. Young ladies need to be wooed.”
Edward’s brow rose. “And if say one wants to woo a lady, how would he go about it?”
Maisie rolled her eyes. “You are twenty-and-eight. Do you not know of it yet?”
Edward shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with ladies. If you want to discuss the Continent’s geography or perhaps a history lesson on one of our colonies, I’ll be more than willing to discuss it. However, talking about the latest laces and necklines is really not my forte.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Brother! You don’t need to have anything in common, but a desire to know her. Women like it when you listen to them and remember the things they have shared with you.”
“Is that so?” Edward asked thoughtfully. He was carefully considering everything his sister was saying. It was a gold mine of information and Edward wondered why he had never talked to her about it. It would have made things easier for him. However, he wasn’t thinking of his betrothed at the present.
“And how do you approach, say, a lady who is cross with you?” he asked.
“Simple, a box of chocolates or flowers. But pray, who is cross with you? Jane always gushes about you even though you never visit her on your own.”
“It was just a hypothetical question. Something to keep in mind for the future,” Edward said.
Maisie nodded, not suspecting otherwise. “Times are changing and people are more open to an engaged couple socializing with each other.”
“I’ll be more accommodating to her in the future,” Edward said. He felt a stab of guilt in his stomach. He had no intention to keep his word. The truth was that Edward admired Jane for the woman she had become, and she would make a fine wife but he felt nothing for her. And now that he had that taste of passion, he craved it more and more. The taste of Ariadne lingered on his lips. She had tasted sweeter than honey and he had wanted to sink into her—
Maisie waved a hand in front of his face. “Does something bother you?”
Edward cleared his throat before answering, not trusting himself. The memory of the kiss was seared into him and even on his way back home, it was all he could think about. “Not at all,” he replied finally.
Maisie nodded and was about to leave when something caught her attention. She pointed to his neck. “What is that?”
Edward blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“That on your cravat and your high collar. Looks like specks of mud,” Maisie. She tried to draw closer to him but he took a few steps back. He had realized almost immediately what it was. He had probably gotten it from Ariadne when he had taken her in his arms. “What is that?”
“I stumbled at the park and it must have stuck to me.” He brushed at his cravat. “I’ll go change it right away.”
Maisie pulled at her lip as she considered her brother. Edward pulled in an anxious breath. Even though his sister was a great confidante, he had no intention of letting anyone in his family know where he was. Maisie was also very close to their father, which wouldn’t bode well for him if he did tell her. “Oh all right. You look a little funny with that. It’s even on your chin. You must have taken a great fall,” she giggled.
“I stumbled,” Edward repeated. “My pants are all right.”
“I can see that,” she said sardonically. “I’ll take your leave now, Brother. Jane and I are sewing embroidered handkerchiefs today. It is such a delight.”
“That’s good,” Edward remarked because he didn’t know what else to say.
“If Jane manages to finish her design, she’ll bring it by to show you. I’m certain you’ll love it! She chose your favorite colors.”
Edward wondered how Jane even knew what his favorite colors were. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said. He waved at his sister as she disappeared at the end of the hall. He didn’t like keeping her in the dark, but in this matter, he absolutely had no choice.
* * *
The next day, he returned to the studio in the morning. The studio door was locked when he walked up to it. He stood there, waiting for Ariadne, thinking if perhaps she had reneged on her part of the deal. Few people in the alley threw him curious glances, but today he was wearing an old coat and breeches that he had dug from the back of his closet. His footman had been surprised at his choice of shabby clothes but chose not to comment.
“Where are you headed, my Lord?” he had asked. Edward had looked at him and only thought of his father. All the servants acted as his ears and nose and scarcely anything slipped his notice.
“To the bookstore. I seem to have run out of reading material for today.” That had been his excuse for today. It was a weak one and he needed to come up with more ingenious and inventive excuses if he wanted to keep up this ruse. As he was lost in thought, a boy appeared in front of him. It took him a few moments to realize that it wasn’t a boy, but Ariadne herself. She had her hair piled up and hidden under a tattered bowler hat and she was wearing breeches and a shirt of a similar fashion to yesterday.
He opened his mouth to ask his question but she beat him to it. “Don’t ask. I’m not going to say anything.”
Edward wasn’t dissuaded. “Where did you go dressed as a man out of everything?” Another thought occurred to him and after everything he knew about her, it really didn’t surprise him. “Do you do this often?”
“What do you mean?” she asked as she unlocked the studio door. As soon as they entered, the musty smell of it hit him square and he resisted the urge to cover his nose.
