Free A Fashionable Indulgence (Society of Gentlemen #1) by Kj Charles

imaginings had painted him, and a great deal more confident. They were discreet, of course. Richard’s hospitality was not to be abused, and Julius was not quite sure if his endlessly responsible friend might consider Harry’s virtue to be within his purview. But there had been a few stolen hours, hurried fumbling at clothes and flesh, and just last night Harry had slid to his knees and taken him in his mouth.
    It had been a while since Julius had tolerated that. The last time had seemed almost unbearably intrusive, standing in a house of assignation with a stranger mopping and mowing at his groin. Revolting, sordid, and sloppy. But Harry had grinned widely up round his prick as though he asked for nothing more in life, and brought him off with exuberant generosity that left Julius weak-kneed and warm with pleasure.
    He was undeniably a likable young man, and he was proving it now.
    Julius sat in the arbor that encircled Arrandene’s rose garden with Mrs. Martindale, a woman of immense influence. She was his cousin by marriage, a Vane relative of some kind, and one of the guests who had come to form Richard’s little party a couple of days ago. The perfumed air was decidedly hot, even in the leafy shade, where Julius sat since he had no intention of permitting the August sun to redden his cultivated pallor. Harry, with no such care, was accompanying Ash and the two young women of their party around the gardens. The ladies were giggling under sunshades as they peered into a fishpond.
    “I expect Lord Gabriel will fall in,” Mrs. Martindale observed, as Ash clutched Georgiana Martindale’s arm to indicate some oversized carp. She squealed. Harry said something to her sister Laura, whose elbow he held, and she looked up and laughed.
    “That young man is terribly charming, isn’t he?” remarked Mrs. Martindale. “Mr. Harry Vane, I mean. Pretty manners and a becoming modesty too.”
    “Yes, he’s very pleasant.”
    “Now, who is he exactly? Lord Richard said his cousin, but I couldn’t quite place him. He’s not of Letitia’s brood, is he?”
    “The Vane family tree is beyond my comprehension, but I am told he springs from a cadet branch.” Julius was careful to sound uninterested.
    “Well, of course, but which one? Let me see. Cirencester, the present Marquess’s father, I mean, had two brothers. Now, I know Lord Arthur’s family…”
    Julius sighed internally, but the woman was an encyclopedia of genealogy. Better to be open. “He’s Lord Gideon Vane’s grandson.”
    “Oh, of course. Poor Paul Vane died in that terrible fire last year…” She tailed off, clearly working it out, then looked up at Harry again. “Is he
Alexander’s
son?”
    “I believe that’s the name. He’s long dead, of course.”
    “Alexander Vane,” repeated Mrs. Martindale. “Goodness. There was a terrible scandal about that, you know. He made the most appalling marriage, quite without his father’s agreement, and was disowned.”
    Julius gave a very small yawn, politely covered by his hand. “Really? How interesting. And was that
very
many years ago?”
    “It may be old gossip to you,” Mrs. Martindale said, eyes narrowing, “but it was a terrible business. We were all quite shocked. Of course I was just a girl. I don’t believe I had come out yet, but I still remember the brouhaha it caused.”
    Mrs. Martindale must have been at least twenty at the time of the scandal. Julius didn’t correct her mathematics. “All very shocking, but scarcely young Harry’s fault. He is, as you say, very pretty behaved, and so many of us have mortifying parents.”
    “I rather liked Alexander,” said Mrs. Martindale, surprisingly. “He was terribly enthusiastic, full of life. A wonderful dancer. But very argumentative, and in search of purpose. He wanted to
do
something. I dare say that was what made him such easy pickings for that
female
who entrapped him.” She shuddered. “Dreadful for the family. But that young man’s