A Wild Pursuit Read Free

ladies are descending on the house, and I’ll make myself scarce,” Arabella chortled. “I’ll have a word with Bea as well. I daresay she’ll flee into the village rather than be trapped with a bunch of seamstresses.”
    Esme scowled at her. “There’s no need to mock me.”
    â€œI’m not mocking you, love…well, not entirely. Would you prefer that I return to London and left you to the worthy matrons?”
    â€œNo!” And Esme found she really meant it. “Please don’t go, Aunt Arabella. It is truly wonderful having someone here, at the moment. Not that I wish Mama could, but—”
    â€œThere’s nothing wrong with wishing your mama wasn’t such a stiff-rumped old chicken,” Arabella put in. “My sister has always been a fool. Docile as a sheep. Let you be married off to Miles Rawlings without a by-your-leave, although anyone could tell that the two of you would never suit. Fanny never did learn to say no to your father, but what’s her excuse now? Your father went his way these two years, and has she come out from his shadow? No. Just as prissy as he was. The only thing that woman thinks about is her reputation.”
    â€œThat’s quite harsh,” Esme protested. “Mama has had a most difficult life. I know she has never recovered from the death of my little brother.”
    â€œThat was a grievous sorrow, to be sure. He was an enchanting lad.”
    â€œSometimes I’m terrified for my babe,” Esme confessed. “What if—what if—” But she couldn’t finish the sentence.
    â€œThat will not happen,” Arabella stated. “I won’t allow it. I do wish to point out, Esme, that while your mother has experienced tragedy, she needn’t have responded by becoming so highty-tighty.
    â€œJust don’t turn into her, with all your plans for propriety. Promise me that. Poor Fanny hasn’t had a day in years in which she didn’t find some impropriety to turn her mouth sour. That’s the problem with caring overmuch about your reputation: it leads to caring overmuch about other people’s reputations as well.”
    â€œI would never do that,” Esme said. “I merely promised Miles that I wouldn’t be a scandalous mother to our child.”
    â€œDeathbed promise, eh? I’ve made a few of those myself.” Arabella was silent for a second.
    â€œIt wasn’t exactly a deathbed promise. We had discussed how we would raise our child a few days before he died.”
    Arabella nodded. “It’s difficult to ignore the wishes of a dead man. I agree with you.” She seemed to shake off a melancholy thought. “Hey-ho for the Proper Life! Your mother will be pleased, I suppose. Actually, your ambitions are all the more reason to consider Fairfax-Lacy as a husband. He’s proper enough to suit your mama, and yet he’s not tiresome. Which reminds me. Such a hen party tonight. The only man in the lot will be Fairfax-Lacy, if he arrives, and even I can’t see the point of dressing for a man half my age.”
    â€œHe’s not half your age,” Esme pointed out. “He’s just slightly younger. You’re only fifty, and he must be in his forties.”
    â€œToo young,” Arabella said firmly. “Do you know, I once took a lover who was ten years younger, and it was altogether an exhausting experience. I had to dismiss him after a few days. Too, too fatiguing. The truth is, darling, I’m getting old!”
    Esme gathered her wandering thoughts just in time to answer properly. “No!”
    â€œSurprising, but true.” Arabella looked at her reflection, but without a trace of melancholy. “I find that I don’t mind very much. In fact, I rather like it. But your mother complains endlessly about her aches and pains.” She turned around and fixed Esme with a fierce eye. “You are my favorite