Lady Emily's Exotic Journey Read Online Free Page B

expect a reasonable level of elegance.
    I will never understand the English. When discomfort cannot be avoided, one must bear it. But to deliberately seek it? Idiocy.
    â€œEnough, mon ami. There is no need to enact a tragedy. We all know that Lady Bulwer is a narrow-minded idiot. Even her husband knows this is so. No one pays her any heed.”
    â€œI am not ashamed of my parentage…” He swung around angrily at Lucien’s snort of disbelief. “I am not! But I do not wish it to be sneered about by that old…”
    Since Oliphant’s voice had trailed off, Lucien completed the thought. “Witch? Beldam? Harridan? Hag? You English have so many names for such a creature. Do you have so many of them, then?”
    Oliphant managed a laugh, but it sounded more bitter than amused. “We Arabs have even more names for them. Do you have so few of them in France?”
    â€œAh, no, we have our own surfeit. And some might say that our old men are even worse.”
    â€œAnd so you hide among the Turks and the Arabs?”
    â€œHide? No. I have no need to hide, and no more do you. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Why pay attention to silly old fools like Sir Henry and his even more stupid wife? They are nothing. You are far superior to them and should treat them with the disdain they deserve.”
    â€œYou can perhaps ignore them. I cannot. I must make my life among people like them.” Oliphant turned around to face him. “I never attempt to make a secret of my birth. It is just that…” His voice trailed off again.
    â€œIt is just that you prefer to speak of it yourself, and not make it sound as if it is something shameful.”
    Oliphant said nothing.
    Exasperated, Lucien wanted to shake his friend. “And you think Lord Penworth and his family think as Lady Bulwer does? If so, you are a fool. You ran off, but me, I saw them when she spoke. They despise her, not the people she speaks of. Not you.”
    â€œFine. They are not the sort to kick the filthy Arab out of their path. They may even tolerate him at their table, and go out of their way to treat him kindly. Do you really think that sort of condescension is better than contempt?” Oliphant swung away and slammed his hand against the wall.
    Lucien regarded him silently for a long moment. Finally he said, “I think it is you who treat them with contempt. I see them all. Lord and Lady Penworth look coldly on Lady Bulwer. And their daughter? What she felt was anger. Her hand clenched around her cup, and I thought for a moment that she would throw it at the old beldam.”
    Oliphant looked at him uncertainly.
    Lucien smiled. “Yes. Lady Penworth had to put a hand on her to restrain her. I think you should not judge them too quickly.”
    â€œ I judge them?”
    â€œIs that not what you are doing? And on the basis of what? You assume that they will judge you, despise you, and so you judge them first so you can despise them. Is that not what you are doing?”
    Oliphant turned away again. “You do not know what it is like. You have not spent your life among people who feel nothing but contempt for one half of your family or the other.”
    Lucien shrugged. “No, I have not that experience. But even if you know how the worst behave, why assume that these people are like the worst? Let us give them a chance.”
    â€œAh, but she is so beautiful.”
    â€œBeautiful?” Ah, that might explain the depth of Oliphant’s distress. It was not the reactions of the parents that concerned him, but the reaction of the daughter. He was surprised to discover that he felt a twinge of annoyance, almost as if Oliphant were poaching. That was nonsense, of course. Lady Emily was nothing to him. A mere acquaintance. Still, he would not have called her beautiful. She was something much better than that. She was attractive, full of life, full of interest. Beautiful was too boring a word for