Judith Ivory by Angel In a Red Dress Page B

from one to the other, Christina to Adrien. Then very sweetly, softly, she said, “I have interrupted something, haven’t I?”
     
    Evangeline smoothed a wrinkle from the shoulder of Christina’s dress. She picked out a leaf from the endsof her hair. “Well, you are a dark horse. How long has this been going on?”
    “It’s not how you think, Evie. I have just offended him horribly.”
    Evangeline laughed. “By the looks of you, it’s the sort of offense he’s quite used to.”
    “No—”
    “Well, never mind. He recovers quite quickly—and is not put off nearly so easily as you might imagine. If he fancies you, Christina…” Evangeline let her words trail off. She seemed to be looking at Christina in a new light. Then she shrugged and turned. She leaned against the door of the greenhouse. “He can be very persuasive, you know.”
    “Have you slept with him?” It wasn’t a very polite question. But a whole number of rather impolite things were suddenly running through Christina’s mind.
    Evangeline paused, picked at the spines of a pineapple. “There’s hardly a woman in fifty miles who hasn’t.”
    “Then you have?”
    Evangeline’s face came up. Again, the full contemplation. “Then I have. Several years ago.” More genially, she held out her hands—” Don’t be an idiot, Christina. He won’t be true love, he won’t marry you, but he’s lovely; I can tell you that much.” She cocked her head. “What do you want, for God’s sake? You’ve already tried Prince Charming and he didn’t turn out to be very grand. Maybe what you need is a nice, pleasant Prince of Darkness who’ll stroke your thigh for a time.”
    “Evangeline!”
    “If I were less a friend, I wouldn’t say it. And”—she paused—“if I were less a friend I wouldn’t warn you: There’s half a dozen women in these parts half in love with him. Don’t give him a foothold there. I’ve seen what he can do, the kind of damage he can wreak. He’s a nasty customer, Christina. I hope you understandwhat I’m saying. He’s attractive, sweet, lovable, but absolutely selfish and self-centered. The only way you can deal with him is to be absolutely as perfectly full of self-interest as he is.”
    Christina had never heard Evangeline—any woman—speak like this. The philosophy seemed vaguely wrong, but she couldn’t say where. It seemed also to have a bit of right to it.
    “Evie. Another thing.”
    “Yes?”
    “In French.” She embarrassed herself, yet she wanted to ask this. “Am I losing my mind or does he make love in French?”
    Evangeline gave a brief, wondering smile. “Why, yes. I think he does.”
    “Why—how?—would an English lord do such a thing?”
    “His mother was French. He was raised there. He didn’t come to England to live until he was sixteen or seventeen.” She paused. “I think he’s developed an English accent over it now. But he was, at one time, quite fluent.” Then Evangeline laughed lightly. “Why? Has he said something filthy?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t understand him most of the time.”
    Evangeline gave a wicked grin. “Well, I know all the dirty words. You must let me help you.”
    “Have you got a grammar? A lesson book?”
    “Probably. Somewhere?” Evangeline looked puzzled. “But you’re not likely to find what he has to say in textbooks.”
    “That’s all right. I want to brush up anyway. It will be something to do.”
    Christina sighed and ran a hand back over her hair. She had forgotten. Her hair was a disaster, pins and pieces dangling. She groaned. “For all the damage, I half wish I’d sinned a little more thoroughly. There’s notgoing to be a soul to believe I’ve been attacked by yet a second band of thieves.”
    “You mean you haven’t?” Evangeline was coming to her rescue, picking up strands of hair, smoothing in pins. “‘Sinned thoroughly,’ I mean.” Evangeline threw her head back and laughed. “You are in a state, aren’t you?” She