She withdrew her hand, flushing. “Sherry, you have known me since we were children, and if you are to believe that I am wearing the willow for Severn, I cannot bear it! Oh, I don’t deny I was flattered by his making me the object of his attention! and, yes, perhaps I did a little like the notion of being a duchess! But when I thought how it would be to be married to him, to be obliged to live with him for the rest of my life — oh, I could not!”
“What, you don’t mean that he really did come up to scratch, and you refused him?” he exclaimed.
She nodded. “Yes, I could not prevent him. My going to Severn Towers at Christmas was fatal! But do not speak of this, Sherry, if you please! It would be so unbecoming in me to boast of having made such a conquest, and Severn would very much dislike to have it known!”
“Well, by God!” said Sherry, quite thunderstruck.
She tried to smile. “How odious you are! You may imagine how deeply I am in disgrace with Mama. The only person, except poor Papa, who has been kind is your mother, and that is in part why I am going with her to Bath. To be open with you, Sherry, I believe she has taken a foolish notion into her head that you may divorce poor little Hero, and end by marrying me after all.”
“Well, I shan’t,” said his lordship, with an entire absence of gallantry.
“Don’t flatter yourself I would accept you!” retorted Miss Milborne. “I care no more for you than I cared for Severn! Well, yes, perhaps a little more, but not very much!”
“I wish I knew who it is you do care for!” said Sherry.
She turned her face away. “I had thought you did know. If you do not, I am glad.”
“George?” Then, as she made no answer, he said: “Of all the stupid coils! George took such a pet over you that there’s no doing a thing with him these days. Riding as hard as he can to the devil. You’d best stay in London, Bella!”