A Secret Affair by Valerie Bowman Read Free Book Online Page B

“First of all, now that he’s kissed you, I daresay you should call him by his first name, and secondly, what was he doing kissing you if he’s not interested?”
    “I’m not entirely certain. I’d offered after all. I think he wanted to see what it was like, too.”
    “But what makes you think he’s not interested?”
    “He reiterated that he has no intention of marrying any time soon.”
    Annie fluttered a hand in the air. “Oh, that’s what they all say.”
    “Perhaps … but he sounded quite convincing.”
    Annie tapped her finger against her cheek. “He said that after the kiss?”
    “No, before.”
    “What did he say after?”
    Frances shifted her sewing in her lap. “He didn’t say much, really.”
    Annie sniffed again. “Then for all you know he was knocked head over heels and rendered speechless.”
    Frances plunked a hand on her hip and gave Annie a skeptical look. “Now that I highly doubt. But I didn’t give him much of a chance to say anything. I stopped him actually. And then I left.”
    Annie’s blinking intensified. “You left?”
    Frances nodded, absentmindedly pulling at the thread attached to her sewing needle.
    “Why did you leave?”
    “He didn’t look as if he were about to swoon. And I … well, I just wanted to remember it that way, as one perfect kiss. Talking always seems to complicate matters.”
    Annie shoved her sewing aside and stood up to pace in front of the fireplace. “Of course he didn’t swoon, Frances; he’s a man. Men don’t swoon. They … contemplate.”
    “If he was contemplating me, I couldn’t tell.”
    “Oh, he’s contemplating you all right. He kissed you, didn’t he? He came to the Chathams’ ball specifically to kiss you. I’d say that’s quite promising.”
    “I don’t know for certain that he came there specifically to kiss me.”
    “But you suspect it.”
    France thought about it for a moment. “It’s true. I hadn’t seen him there before he approached me.”
    “And he did kiss you?” Annie pointed out.
    Frances turned her attention back to her needlework. “I only know what he said which is that he has no intention of marrying anytime soon.” She wasn’t about to betray Charlie’s confidence by telling Annie about his plans to become a tutor. They’d made a pact, after all.
    Annie flung a hand in the air. “Well, if he doesn’t like you, he must not like women.”
    Frances’s eyes went wide. “What did you say?”
    “I said if he doesn’t like you, he must not like women. Any of them. Not in that way at least.”
    Frances cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
    Annie glanced down, twisting one of her fingers with the opposite hand. “Oh no. I hope I haven’t shocked you. Surely you know that such men exist.”
    Frances shook her head. “What men?”
    Annie turned a bit pink. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, and your mother is certain to hate me for it, but yes, there are men who.… how shall I say it? Prefer the company of other men to that of … women.”
    Frances covered her hand with her mouth, then slowly pulled her fingers away. “You mean…?”
    Annie nodded.
    “I had no idea.” Frances’s mouth was a wide O.
    “It’s not talked about much, and it’s forbidden to be sure, but it … it happens.”
    Frances made a show of smoothing her skirts. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Mama you told me. But I daresay just because Mr. Holloway doesn’t take a fancy to me, doesn’t mean he won’t take a fancy to any woman. It would be exceedingly self-centered of me to believe such a thing.”
    Annie shrugged. “I wouldn’t doubt it. There is no other reason whatsoever that he shouldn’t adore you.”
    Frances considered it for a moment. Interesting, she supposed, that such a concept existed, but it didn’t matter one way or the other. She was too practical for that. “It’s nice of you to try to cheer me, Annie, but I don’t believe it for one moment.”
    Annie reached over