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her hands wide. “Why can you not enjoy yourselves? There is nothing those three men can do to us!”
    â€œExcept reveal it all,” Elizabeth said softly. “If my brother finds out—”
    Rebecca groaned. “He won’t, and neither will ours, if we play this carefully.”
    â€œBut they plan to stalk us!” Susanna said. “I…I didn’t say so earlier, but I saw Mr. Wade.”
    Elizabeth gasped. “Really? He has quite the reputation, and I know ladies have been ruined associating with him!”
    â€œThat is an exaggeration,” Rebecca said, even as she saw Susanna straighten in self-defense. Her sister likedto pretend she was worldly, but she’d withdrawn from men for many years, had pursued her studies and her interests, insisting she was happy. Rebecca hadn’t believed it. And somehow, with their brother’s return and his satisfying marriage, Susanna had realized she might be able to find her own happiness.
    Much as Rebecca didn’t believe in marriage for herself, she suspected that Susanna did. Would this wager turn her away from Society again? Rebecca wouldn’t have it! “Where did you see Mr. Wade?”
    â€œIn the park. I went for a ride after the luncheon.” Susanna hesitated. “I wish you could have gone with me. You know it is not too late to learn to ride.”
    â€œPlease, we’ve had this discussion,” Rebecca said impatiently. “What about Mr. Wade?”
    â€œOh…nothing much. I had my sketchbook with me, and he saw it, and insisted he would sit in the park with me.”
    â€œDid you allow it?” Elizabeth asked, her voice breathless.
    â€œHe was…insistent. But we remained in a very public place,” she added with haste. “I sketched the flowers, and he lay in the grass at my feet. It was…peculiar.”
    â€œIt sounds exciting,” Rebecca said firmly. “He is an eligible man with good family connections. His brother is Viscount Wade.”
    â€œThe viscount is blind,” Elizabeth said, as if imparting important gossip none of them had heard. “He’s afriend of our cousin Daniel, who says he’s so completely normal that—”
    â€œWe’re getting off the subject,” Rebecca said with exasperation.
    â€œOh, sorry.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I feel like I can’t even keep my thoughts in order!”
    â€œI understand the feeling,” Rebecca said heatedly, even as she turned back to Susanna. “Did anything else happen? Did Mr. Wade press you for details about the painting?”
    â€œNot really. He seemed…enthralled by it all.” Even as she blushed, her gaze focused over Rebecca’s shoulder. “Well, this wager has certainly made the Earl of Parkhurst come out of his cocoon.”
    Rebecca whirled around, peering through the palm fronds. She saw the earl immediately—how could she miss him? Tall and so solid, with evening clothes that only gave him the veneer of civilization, though tailored well to his muscular body. She shivered, almost wishing she weren’t so intrigued.
    But he was even easier to spot because at his side were two equally tall, identical young men, both dark-haired. They moved with coltish strides, all arms and legs and eager eyes.
    â€œAre those his brothers?” Elizabeth asked.
    â€œHe mentioned them,” Susanna said. “They look as if they’ve never been to a ball before.”
    â€œPerhaps not,” Rebecca mused. “They’re only eighteen.”
    â€œMere infants.” Susanna shook her head on a sigh. “This afternoon, Lord Parkhurst seemed quite exasperated with them. And that attitude seems to have continued.”
    Rebecca watched eagerly as the earl spoke to his brothers, a frown lowering his heavy brows. They weren’t even looking at him, glancing everywhere else—at the women dressed as flamboyantly as peacocks, at the