‘Be serious.’
‘Oh, believe me, Miss Talbot, I am being very serious.’
‘Is there nothing I could give you in return to make it worth your while?’ she cajoled. ‘If you will not do it out of charity, then what is it that you do want? You know I have little money, but I am not entirely without value.’
Radcliffe closed his eyes and took an audibly deep breath. For a moment, his theatrical distress reminded her irrepressibly of his mother and she fought to keep her face still.
‘Perhaps I could cure the next of your mother’s illnesses,’ she suggested.
He scowled at her. ‘You know as well as I that my mother will be in quite top health until the last ball of the Season,’ he snapped.
She opened her mouth to make another suggestion.
‘Very well,’ he said, before she could. ‘Very well! I’ll ask around. And in return, you can owe me a favour.’
‘A favour.’ She looked at him dubiously. ‘Of what sort?’
‘It shall be a “favour of my choosing at a time of my appointment”，’ he said, beginning to enjoy himself. She opened her mouth to argue—
‘Please,’ he held up an imploring hand to forestall her. ‘Let us just leave it there. I shall think of something when I am a little less fatigued, I promise you.’
‘All right,’ she said reluctantly. ‘But you can’t ask me to leave town before I have a marriage organised.’
‘I won’t,’ he promised faintly.
‘And it cannot be something that would in any way affect my standing in society.’
‘All right.’
Another pause. ‘Perhaps we ought just to decide upon the favour now, for ease.’
‘No.’
‘Then we have a deal,’ Kitty said promptly. ‘How soon can I expect you to have the information for me?’
‘Please leave,’ he said plaintively. ‘You are far too exhausting. The sooner you leave, the sooner I’ll have it.’
‘Wonderful.’ Kitty beamed seraphically. She stood to leave, then hesitated, remembering her other task. She pulled an envelope from her pocket.
‘I wonder,’ she said tentatively. ‘If I might ask one more thing of you … I should like to write to my sisters, but the cost to receive post is such that they – well, every penny is already accounted for. Could I ask you to frank my letter?’
Her face was hot – this request, though less audacious than her previous, felt far more difficult to make. Members of the peerage were entitled to have their post delivered free of charge, by the simple means of signing the envelope – though Kitty imagined only Radcliffe’s family and close friends would feel confident asking it of him. She braced herself for a denial. But she need not have worried. Wordlessly, Radcliffe held her eyes and held out his hand – he was not wearing gloves – and Kitty pressed the letter gratefully into it. As his fingers curled carefully around the edges, she felt the whisper of his touch against her own gloved hand.
‘I’ll send it today,’ he promised, and she believed him.
Archie hesitated on the edge of St James’s Place. He was unsure – even now – whether this was totally necessary. After all, it was not as if Selbourne had behaved ill towards him – on the contrary! At the beginning of their friendship, Archie had of course borne in mind Gerry’s warning. He had dubbed Selbourne – Selby, as Archie had been begged to call him – a bounder of the worst sort. And yet as Selby had confidently asserted to Archie that he was emphatically not a bounder of the worst sort, it was this that Archie was inclined to believe. And thus far, he could not have been kinder to Archie, inviting him along to house parties and faro clubs, guiding him through the most exciting and decadent nights Archie had ever experienced.
It was just that … It was just that now, Archie wondered if the life of a man-about-town was for him. He was so tired, feeling always ill at ease in mind and body. And until his recent birthday, he hadn’t a sixpence to scratch with, having spent all of his allowance for the whole quarter in the company of Selby. He could only be thankful that he now had full access to his inheritance.
In the midst of all this uncertainty, Archie felt sure his brother would know what to do. Resolute again, Archie took a bracing step forward, eyes fixed upon the door to number seven. The door opened, and Archie hastened forward. It was unlike Radcliffe to be up and out so early, but Archie could not miss him. He had to speak to his brother today. But no … the figure was unmistakably feminine. Archie slowed once more, his eyebrows shooting up. How terribly improper, he couldn’t help thinking. A second later, another feminine figure emerged from the house – a maid, it seemed, from the cap. Thank goodness. That did make the thing more appropriate – an official visit, then, rather than a clandestine arrangement. The first lady turned her head in Archie’s direction, and he realised – with a sickening jolt in his stomach – that it was Miss Talbot. Miss Talbot who was leaving his brother’s lodgings. The same Miss Talbot that he had thought, not so many weeks ago, he himself would be marrying. Archie stood stock still, watching her walk away. It was like that between them, then.