She wasn’t there.
In fact, her entire party was missing from their box. He frowned. Surely she wouldn’t come over to theirs.
As if to mock his assumption, the curtain parted at the back of the box. And then she was there, and he forgot to breathe.
How was it, he thought dazedly, that one small, unassuming woman could so completely overwhelm a space?
Rafe stood, bowing with a flourish. “So good to see you all here in my humble box. Though I cannot hope you are visiting in orderto see me, as I have someone much more appealing here tonight.” Helooked to Miss Weeton. Once again, the girl flushed. Yet Tristan didnot miss the small smile that lifted her lips as she looked to herlap.
There was a nearly indiscernible sound from Rosalind’s direction. He looked at her as the others exchanged greetings. She was fairly shooting daggers at Rafe before she grabbed onto Carlisle’s arm and moved farther into the box, dragging him along with her.
“Miss Weeton, so good to see you again,” she said, approaching the girl where she sat. “You remember Mr. Carlisle, of course?”
“Ah, yes.” Miss Weeton eyed Rosalind with trepidation—and no wonder, after the long line of accidents Rosalind had tortured the girl with over the past week—and cleared her throat, her fingers twisting about each other. “Mr. Carlisle, it’s a pleasure.”
As the man bowed, Rosalind spoke. “Mr. Carlisle was telling me the most fascinating story of a play he saw performed in Leeds years ago. Mr. Carlisle, you should tell Miss Weeton. I’m sure she would be most interested.”
“Er, of course,” Carlisle said, not a little stunned, before he inclined his head toward the other lady. “If Miss Weeton is not opposed, that is.”
What could the girl say? She quickly mumbled her acquiesce. Carlisle sat in the seat beside her, the one Rafe had vacated minutes ago, and started in on his story.
Tristan might have gone on wondering at that little scene had he not caught sight of the self-satisfied smirk on Rosalind’s face. So that was the way of it, was it? The little minx was planning on foiling his attempts to match Miss Weeton with Rafe by acting matchmaker herself.
As she stepped back he advanced on her, taking advantage of the distraction of the rest of the group to grab her arm and drag her into the corner of the box. The cool politeness he had adopted with her over the last days would not help in the least now.
“I know what you’re about, Rosalind,” he growled low.
In a move that surprised him not one bit, she rolled her eyes before saying, “I would think you a simpleton if you did not.”
“You’ve no right.”
“On the contrary, I have every right in the world. And I must say,” she continued smugly, giving the young couple at the front of the box a satisfied look, “they do look well together. Mr. Carlisle is much more her match. Not at all like that Lord Kingston.”
Tristan bit back a sharp reply. When last he’d come to his friend’s defense he had said far more than he’d intended regarding his feelings for this maddening woman. He would not make that mistake again. “You have no idea what you’re doing,” he growled instead.
She pursed her lips. “We shall see.”
“No, we won’t. You will give up this little scheme of yours immediately.”
“I will not.”
He let out a harsh breath. “Rosalind,” he warned.
“Tristan,” she came back.
The effect of his name on her tongue set his every nerve aflame. And if the look on her face was any indication, she was as deeply affected by her slip.
“I mean,” she stammered, “Sir Tristan. My apologies.”
He had been so very careful with her over the past week. He had needed to be. But now was not the time for that. Now he should do what he did best and tease her unmercifully until the fire was back in her eyes.
Instead his fingers, which were still on her arm, stroked the bit of bare flesh above her glove. And he found himself fairly begging her, “Please don’t do this, Rosalind.”
She laughed, but it was forced. Pulling her arm from his grip, she raised her chin. “Do I frighten you that much, then?”
“You don’t frighten me, you harridan. But I will not watch you play with these people’s lives because of a whim.”
“You dare to accuse me of such a thing? You, who are doing just that?”
