Kate cleared her throat and sat back down, preparing to ask a most scandalous question, but one which, in her opinion, simply had to be asked. Trying to keep her voice devoid of the complete and total fascination that was coursing through her veins, she asked, “Did he make any untoward advances?”
Edwina lurched back, her eyes growing round with shock. “Of course not!” she exclaimed. “He was a perfect gentleman. Really, I don’t see what has you so excited. It wasn’t a very interesting conversation. I can’t even remember half of what was said.”
Kate just stared at her sister, unable to fathom that she could have been trapped in conversation with that odious rake for a good ten minutes and it didn’t make an indelible impression on her. Much to her own everlasting dismay, every single awful word he’d said to her was etched permanently on her brain.
“By the way,” Edwina added, “how was your time with Mr. Berbrooke? It took you nearly an hour to return.”
Kate shuddered visibly.
“That bad?”
“I’m sure he will make some woman a good husband,” Kate said. “Just not one with a brain.”
Edwina let out a little giggle. “Oh, Kate, you are awful.”
Kate sighed. “I know. I know. That was terribly cruel of me. The poor man hasn’t an unkind bone in his body. It’s just that—”
“He hasn’t an intelligent bone, either,” Edwina finished.
Kate raised her brows. It was most unlike Edwina to make such a judgmental comment.
“I know,” Edwina said with a sheepish smile. “Now I am the unkind one. I really shouldn’t have said a word, but truly, I thought I would perish on our curricle ride.”
Kate straightened with concern. “Was he a dangerous driver?”
“Not at all. It was his conversation.”
“Boring?”
Edwina nodded, her blue eyes slightly bewildered. “He was so hard to follow it was almost fascinating to try to figure out how his mind works.” She let out a stream of coughs, then added, “But it made my brain hurt.”
“So he’s not to be your perfect scholar-husband?” Kate said with an indulgent smile.
Edwina coughed some more. “I’m afraid not.”
“Maybe you should try a bit more of that brew,” Kate suggested, motioning to the lonely mug sitting on Edwina’s bedside table. “Cook swears by it.”
Edwina shook her head violently. “It tastes like death.”
Kate waited a few moments, then had to ask, “Did the viscount say anything about me?”
“You?”
“No, some other me,” Kate practically snapped. “Of course me. How many other people may I correctly refer to as ‘me’？”
“No need to get upset about it.”
“I’m not upset—”
“But actually, no, he didn’t mention you.”
Kate suddenly felt upset.
“He had a lot to say about Newton, though.”
Kate’s lips parted with dismay. It was never flattering to be passed over for a dog.
“I assured him that Newton is truly the perfect pet, and that I was not at all angry with him, but he was rather charmingly upset on my behalf.”
“How charming,” Kate muttered.
Edwina grabbed a handkerchief and blew her nose. “I say, Kate, you’re rather interested in the viscount.”
“I did spend practically the entire afternoon trapped in conversation with him,” Kate replied, as if that ought to explain everything.
“Good. Then you’ve had a chance to see how polite and charming he can be. He’s very wealthy, too.” Edwina let out a loud sniffle, then fumbled around for a fresh handkerchief. “And while I don’t think that one can choose a husband based entirely on finances, given our lack of funds, I would be remiss not to consider it, don’t you think?”
“Well…” Kate hedged, knowing that Edwina was absolutely correct but not wanting to say anything that might be construed as approval of Lord Bridgerton.
Edwina brought the handkerchief to her face and gave her nose a rather unfeminine blow. “I think we should add him to our list,” she said, snuffling over the words.
“Our list,” Kate echoed, her voice strangled.
“Yes, of possible matches. I think he and I would suit very well.”
“But I thought you wanted a scholar!”
“I did. I do. But you yourself pointed out the unlikelihood of my finding a true scholar. Lord Bridgerton seems intelligent enough. I’ll just have to devise a way to discover if he likes to read.”