town. Not that I encourage infidelity, unless a man deserves it. He left her alone and pregnant, and she lost the child.â
Caro, too, had given birth to a stillborn child. Anne knew little of such matters herself but supposed it must be painful. But Caro never mentioned it; nor did she give the impression of being greatly affected.
âTo think he used to be a friend!â Caro continued. âIt goes to show how much a man can change. I donât give a fig for Windermere, but I fear Julian will break her heart. Heâs a very bad man. And before you raise your brows at me and ask why I let him in the house, let me remind you that I like bad men.â
Anne tried to disentangle this ill-tempered speech, detecting some deeper emotion. Yet it was so unlike Caro not to say exactly what she thought. It had something to do with Robert Townsend and his friends, who had turned all London on its ears as wild youths. In addition to Denford and Windermere, there had been a fourth member of the set, Marcus, who lived abroad. She remembered Caroâs breathless letters about the quartet. And about the wonders of Robert. Anne hadnât known Robert well. Her grandfather hadnât liked him, said he was a scoundrel, albeit a charming and gifted one. After the marriage, Caro didnât visit Camber often, and usually she came alone. Fond as he was of his brotherâs only child, Anne thought her stiff-necked grandfather might have turned his back on her if it hadnât been for his delight in vexing his sister-in-law, Caroâs mother, who then and still refused to speak to her daughter.
âWas Robert bad?â Only to Caro would she dream of posing such a daring question.
âMy darling Annabella,â Caro replied lightly, âonly a very bad man would elope with a seventeen-year-old. But we were madly in love. I never regretted it until the day he died. I only wish you may find a husband who makes you as happy.â
âI suppose Iâd better find myself a âbad manâ then.â Anne gave a spurt of laughter at the probable reaction of her guardian, a man who made her grandfather look like a freethinker. âI doubt Lord Morrissey would permit it.â
Caro waved her hand dismissively. âIf necessary, weâll get around him. Didnât we manage to bring you here despite his disapproval of everything about me?â
âPerhaps I should set my cap at Denford and save Lady Windermere from sin.â
âNo, love. Itâs different for you. Youâre an heiress and have responsibilities. No rogues for you. Iâm afraid youâll have to settle for a man of solid worth. I donât see why you shouldnât fall in love with one, with just a little effort. Do you think Castleton handsome?â
âNot at all.â
âAre you sure? His appearance isnât striking, like Robertâs, or Julianâs for that matter, but I would call him good-looking. And heâs very large. I think thatâs comforting in a man.â
Anne looked at Caro in astonishment. Her cousin seemed to be quite serious. She herself hadnât noticed anything out of the way about her noble suitor except for his size.
âWell?â
âHe has broad shoulders that look like they could bear a lot of weight. Or dig a hole,â she said hopefully.
Caro regarded her fondly. âWe must hope that Castleton, or some other man, will share your passion for excavating the crumbled ruins of the past. At the very least, I want you to marry someone you wonât end up disliking. Think of being tied for life to someone you loathed, as poor Cynthia is.â
âI donât think Iâll be hard to please.â Sheâd never regarded marriage as anything but a duty she owed her position in life. Something she needed to do and hoped wouldnât interfere with the pursuit of her real interests. âI liked Felix Brotherton even though we were really more