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Because when a woht as well ood use of him

Epilogue

The warust afternoon filled Hattie’s drawing roouidness in the four occupants lolling on various settees and fainting couches

“I confess s do not feel healthfully exercised,” said Annabelle, her half-lidded gaze idly following the cherubs dancing across the painted ceiling

On the divan opposite, Hattie’s head lifted a fraction “They do not?”

“No,” came the dark reply “They feel veritably destroyed”

“Ah” Hattie slumped back into the silken pillow “I’m relieved to hear it For a elatin”

“You are not,” Catriona assured her from the plush depths of her armchair

“Still,” Hattie said after a ain, and soon A proper Ordinary like Lucie’s, even, not just a tricycle”

Lucie grinned Todayon bicycles, or, in the case of Annabelle, Catriona, and Hattie, female-friendly Victor tricycles It took a formidable effort to capsize these tricycles and Hattie had aled it twice—Lord kne she would fare on a theeled contraption

She probingly rotated her right foot, then her left Her legs felt fine Surprising, considering she had taken up horseback riding again after Tristan had urged her to set a few hours a week aside for pleasurable activities, not counting those behind closed doors He rented horses in a stable in Binsey, hardly fiery thoroughbreds, but the stables were sufficiently far from the university crowd and still reachable on foot froht, they took a walk across Port Meadow and then went for a deliciously long ride along the Thames at dusk Astride

“You will need to wear breeches to ride an Ordinary,” she told Hattie A woman’s split pantalets would cause the scandal of scandals if exposed to the world frohts of a bicycle

“Gladly,” said Hattie, “as long as they go underthem”

“I wonder,” said Catriona, “will ourof bicycles before we are allowed to ride thee in our minds and clothes?”

“Fashion follows practicality,” Lucie said lazily “Unless you are wealthy Then it serves to display wealth”

“I dread to say it, but I a to share your cynical views,” Hattie said “I have been corresponding with Lady Harberton on theLadies’, and it appears she harbors quite a rage against the current fashion of trains in female dress In her last letter, she detailed the relics she found in her niece’s train after a London outing I don’t recall all the items, but they included”—and there she squinted—“they included two cigar ends, a portion of pork pie, an orange peel, half a sole of a boot, chewed tobacco, hairpins, and toothpicks Rather unattractive, seeing it spelled out”

Her friends’ horrified groans were still ongoing when she stretched out her arle for the last éclair on the table

“You should write a regular colu Ladies’, and how to reested “Officially make a name for yourself as an expert”

“I should,” Hattie said, and raised the pastry to her lips “Harriet Greenfield, discerning art and fashion fiend”

“Speaking of which, hoas your excursion to London last week, Hattie? Pre-Raphaelites, was it not?” asked Catriona

The éclair abruptly stopped its descent into Hattie’s mouth and quivered suspended in midair

“It was excellent, thanks” Hattie’s voice was close to a squeak “Veryeducational”

Lucie watched her friend’s alabaster throat and cheeks flush a nervous red Interesting “What excursion?” she probed

Hattie avoided her eyes “A private art exhibition in Chelsea About the Pre-Raphaelites”

“So I gathered,” Lucie said wryly “I assuo?”

“Yes?” Definitely a squeak

“How did Mr Graves cope?” asked Annabelle, possibly planning to escape her own protection officer for an excursion or two

Hattie’s ansas to sink her pearly teeth into the pastry with a shrug, a wealthy girl unconcerned about what the staff ht think

Oh, she was hiding soeous

But Hattie could never keep her secrets for long When she was ready, she would summon them and spill it all to the last detail

Her own secret, that she was presently sharing her life with Tristan behind closed doors, had been received surprisingly well by her friends Much ht—one day—ly out of character It had taken a very large engageer—courtesy of Lady Rochester’s heirloom chest—for Hattie to approve of the idea It had taken every ounce of Tristan’s char Catriona Annabelle, still the only one who knew of the clandestine affair preceding the betrothal, had left it at a knowing smirk and a “You do not like him at all, hm?”

She was besotted with hi he was hers In tiht even become used to the presence of someone in her life who cared about her needs more than she did It was also very nice to have his unruffled presence by her side when their report broke Powerfulranks behind the editor of the Guardian to defend his choice to publish the findings, but they were outnu war on the sanctity of the family The main point of contention was not the widespread maltreatment of wives in their own homes, but the revelation thatmaltreated, too Well It was to be expected that a tyrant who saer slipping froe they noitnessed was proof that they had done more than pull the beast’s tail They had fired a shot at its very heart: every ative to be the unaccountable rule in his home While the Manchester Guardian hadn’t naist chapters across Britain had decided to lay low, and, as usual, had to wait until the dust had settled Resorting to bicycle rides for diversion was the least a woman could do under the circumstances

One welco the report was the distraction from the betrothal There had been a headline in the Pall Mall Gazette after the announceist Shrew! But since the long-standing connection of their houses ell known, as was their new business relationship, and since Wycliffe and Rochester had issued the announcement in the Ti beyond the ordinary Rochester had resigned hi Since his heir had only barely escaped a full-blown scandal he was not keen to pour water onto the rumor mills

The only one besmirched had been Cecily, and, by extension, the House of Wycliffe And there, too, had been a development to remedy the situation

Lucie propped herself up on her elbows “I forgot to share the latest news”

Three drowsy faces turned toward her

“My brother is engaged to be married”

Three brows creased with confusion She had not the habit of talking about her fas

“To our cousin, the Lady Cecily” She grinned at the collective gasp “Who would have thought To, but at least he is a proper prig—denting his own reputation and pride to restore the fa I do salute him, truly I do”

“Oh, but it was sly of hi for her at the house party and now Lady Cecily will forever be in his debt and devotedly adore him”

“That, too,” Lucie said after a small pause “Hattie, are you certain you don’t wish to tell us about the Pre-Raphaelite Art Exhibition in Chelsea?”

“Very,” Hattie said pro in the wings

se when a woht as well ood use of him