“But I did,” she said quietly. Then forced a lightness into her voice. “So now you can be the evening’s Incomparable, and no one will pay me a second glance. Perfect for both of us.”
Her sister sighed dreamily. “Or we could both meet wonderful gentlemen who sweep us off our feet.”
“Glass slippers will cut you, Cinderella,” Mariah warned wryly.
“Not if we’re swept off our feet.”
“Especially then.”
Ignoring that, Evelyn idly swirled her fingers in the water. A dreamy expression lit her face. “And speaking of handsome gentlemen—”
Mariah frowned. “I didn’t realize we were.”
“Robert Carlisle.”
She heaved out a breath and closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore her sister as she sank deeper into the water. Evie was a hopeless romantic, but she’d have to look elsewhere if she wanted to play fairy godmother.
“I don’t think he’s nearly as unpleasant as you make him out to be, Mariah.” She lowered her voice secretively. “In fact, I think he’s quite wonderful.”
She cracked open one eye and gazed at Evie suspiciously. “How would you know?”
“I’ve had several conversations with him and the duchess since the season began, and he was very charming. He seems to know a great deal about shipping and trade—”
If it were possible to roll only one eye, Mariah did so, then closed it again.
“And he’s quite captivated by you.”
That brought both eyes open wide. “Rubbish,” she denied, ignoring the sudden pounding of her foolish heart. “The man cannot stand me.”
“Oh, so much more than you think,” Evie practically purred, so caught up in the idea of romance that she didn’t realize the impossibility of what she was suggesting. Her and Carlisle—ludicrous. “He doesn’t take his eyes off you whenever you’re together.”
Ha! “Only because he thinks I’m plotting against him.”
A hint of surprise laced her sister’s voice. “Are you?”
Of course, but…“That doesn’t signify.” She frowned, ignoring the stab of hurt to her chest as she acknowledged, “I’m nothing to him but a problem to be dealt with.”
“Hmm.” Evie rested her cheek on her arm as it stretched across the edge of the tub, and gazed doubtfully at her sister. “Then for your sake, Mariah, I certainly hope the man knows how to deal with you successfully.”
Mariah scowled at her. Evelyn could be annoying, especially so when she was right. But Mariah was done talking about Robert Carlisle. “And how do you plan on dealing with Burton Williams?”
Evie’s smile glowed with confidence. “Successfully.”
Her heart skipped in warning. Apparently, Evelyn was more attached to Williams than she and her father realized. “And what, exactly, are his intentions toward you?”
“Honorable,” she answered tersely, miffed that Mariah would insinuate otherwise. Yet when it came to Burton Williams’s intentions, Mariah suspected that the man was motivated more by fortune than affection. “And I like him.” Dreaminess softened her eyes. “He’s so handsome and dashing.”
Oh, Mariah was certain of that.
“He’s from a good family and has real prospects.”
She was far less certain of that. “Does he know that he won’t be allowed to be part of Winslow Shipping?” When Papa looked at Williams, she was certain he saw her uncle and suspected Williams might cause the same kind of turmoil within the family. So did Mariah.
“He isn’t a fortune hunter.” With a flash of hurt darkening her eyes, Evie scolded, “You really should get to know him before you dismiss him so out of hand.”
Remorse pricked at her. Perhaps she had judged Williams too quickly. “I will,” Mariah agreed, although she was a bit alarmed that Evie was already considering the possibility of marrying the man.
“Good.” A beaming smile lit her face. “Because I think he likes me, too.”
“I’m sure he does,” she agreed, and meant every word.
What surprised Mariah wasn’t that a man like Burton Williams found Evelyn interesting, but that more men hadn’t yet discovered how truly lovely her younger sister was.
Even now, leaning casually against the tub, Evelyn possessed a smoldering allure born of a natural grace and ease of presence that even Miss Pettigrew and all her hours of deportment lessons hadn’t been able to beat out of her. Instead of inheriting their mother’s green eyes and raven locks as Mariah had, Evelyn had received their father’s fairer coloring, with amber eyes and red-brown hair that could never decide whether to shine softly like honey in the sunlight or blaze like copper. And for all of her poor marks at school—which Mariah suspected resulted from sheer boredom—her mind was sharp enough to keep any prince on his toes. So was her love of excitement, sense of adventure, and exuberant desire to fully embrace life. And all of it wrapped inside the heart of a hopeless romantic.
“Wouldn’t it be grand,” Evie purred dreamily, “if we both found husbands this season?”
“Bite your tongue!” Mariah splashed water at her.
She laughed and wisely sat back out of splashing range. “Give Burton a chance,” she urged. “You’ll like him, I promise. He’s not at all like the rest of those society dullards.”
Which was exactly what worried her.
Still, Williams epitomized what a young lady of Evelyn’s status should be hoping for in a husband. The younger son of a peer, who fit well into society and belonged to a respectable family, he should have been able to provide a good position and comfortable living for her and their children.
And yet…“Be careful with the man, Evie,” Mariah warned gently.
With a smile, she arched a brow. “I’ll be careful with Burton as long as you’re careful with Robert Carlisle.”
“Carlisle needs to be careful with me,” she muttered.
Evelyn clicked her tongue with mocking sympathy. “How horrible it must be to have to spend time with the handsome son of a duke, one who escorts you to balls and fancy dinners and engages you in serious conversations about trade and politics.”
“Sheer torture,” she answered with a heavy sigh.
Evelyn paused, her voice softening, “Is he really so bad as all that, Mariah?”
At the serious tone in Evie’s voice, she lifted her gaze slowly, and the sardonic insult that had been poised on her tongue at Robert’s expense fell away beneath the unconcealed hope and concern for her in Evie’s eyes. Her sister might have been a hopeless romantic, determined to find them both a fairy-tale ending, complete with a knight in shining armor, but her love for Mariah was undeniable.
“No,” she answered, although it cost her a great deal of pride to say it. “He’s actually a very nice man who loves his mother dearly and dotes on his niece and nephew.” She remembered Papa’s words about him, and it cost her even more to admit, “And he’ll bring great benefits to the company.”
“Do you like him?” Evie asked.
What Mariah felt for him was far more complicated than simple like. She shook her head. “He wants the partnership for himself.”
Evelyn smiled softly at that and repeated, “But you do like him, Mariah?”
She hesitated, then answered softly, “I do.” And felt like a traitor, both to the company and to herself, for admitting it aloud.
“And he likes you?” More of an assertion than a question, Mariah noticed, just as she noticed the hopeful gleam in her sister’s eyes. Evelyn wouldn’t be satisfied until she had both of them married off, with a babe on each hip.
“I think so,” she whispered, afraid to put voice to it for fear of tempting fate to prove her wrong.
Evie pressed, her voice as low as Mariah’s, “What are you going to do about him, then?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, all her confusion about Robert encapsulated in those three small words. When Evelyn’s smile began to broaden, Mariah scowled at her. “But I’ve had more than enough of Robert Carlisle for one day, and enough of you, so out you go so I can finish bathing in peace. Out, out!” She waved a dripping hand, shooing her sister toward the door. Then she relented, as always. “But ask Cook to send up a second tray, and we’ll eat dinner together in front of the fire.”