“Three.”
“That—” he spun them, “—is a travesty.”
“It is the way of our world, I suppose,” Alice replied with another turn, eyes dimming. “The first year I attended a ball, and it was known I came from Gentry, I saw a lady look at me, turn away, and pointedly say,people ought to know their place in this world and abide by it. A marriage between any lord of note and a woman of their kind is quite unthinkable by any standard.”
Although he tempered his rage until his words sounded almost amused, Edward still felt it simmer in his chest. “The dear lady must be blind to the truth that there are untrustworthy ladies in the ton.”
Her brows inched up. “Is that the reason you have not married? That the women, er, pardon me,ladies, are not honest or faithful?”
Edward felt shock blast him from dual fronts; the first was that, by his own words, he had painted himself into a corner that he had masterfully evaded for years, and the second, that she was so keen that she had picked up on it.
It took him two turns to admit, “No, Miss Winslow, that is an entirely different matter.”
“Which I am not privy to,” she gave him a tiny smile.
“Correct,” he said and was struck by his reluctance.
Usually, he considered himself easygoing and sociable, but his secrets were going to remain a secret. No one would pry themout of him, not even the sole woman who had managed to do the impossible:charm him.
“I won’t pry,” she said.
Oddly, Edward felt like hewantedher to ask. Hewantedto see that same determination he had seen from her that night at the club—or did it take a mask to allow her to be her real self?
Think of it man, she’s already had a hard time of it with the seasons before, she must act demure so as to not attract any more negative attention. Still, though, I wonder what I can do to see that headstrong side of her.
“How—” She cleared her throat. “How far are you on making gains with... a certain lord?”
A spark of irritation mixed with frustration birthed in his chest knowing he had run into a stone wall with Rutledge. However, it was yet early days, and he still had some cards up his sleeve ready to be dropped on the playing board.
“I have a few stratagems in mind, but sadly, the first one is not making as much headway as I’d hoped,” Edward said. “But never fear, he will do the honorable gesture by your sister.”
Trapping a corner of her bottom lips between her teeth, Alice went quiet and Edward was afraid that she might be considering doing something as hair-brained as tracking Rutledge downagain. This time, she might not be so fortunate in getting out unscathed.
“Leave the job to me, Alice,” he dropped his pitch when uttering her name. By all accounts, it was taboo to speak a woman’s name so familiarly, but this time, Edward wanted—needed—her to trust him.
Her eyes flickered up and Edward felt refreshed by how fresh and wholesomely pretty she was without cosmetics; so many women would not dare leave the house without the over-abundance of rouge and powders.
“Trust me.”
With the crescendo approaching, Edward spun them in dizzying turns and at the end, when the music faded, swept her off to the refreshment tables for a drink. Surrounded by notable lords with their charming wives, Edward spotted a few who whispered behind their fans and looked at them suspiciously.
As she watched, Edward dipped a glass into a miniature champagne lake, then held the glass to her. Taking it, Alice said, “Thank you, Your Grace.” She spoke a bit louder, “And thank you for dancing with me. With his lordship not attending, I feared it would be a dreadful evening.”
He gave her a tight smile, “It is something Benedict would have wanted from me.”
She looked over her shoulder at her sister and Aunt before saying, “Please excuse me. I need to return to my family, but please, enjoy the wonderful evening.”
Watching her go, the smooth sway of her hips, and the shimmer of the pins in her hair, Edward wondered if he should have told her the truth about Rutledge and perhaps the two of them could have decided on a plan.
Scowling, he filled a glass for himself and threw back half of his drink.
This is nothing more or nothing less than the first round in a boxing match. It’s the opening salvo and I still have more moves to make. I’ll get Rutledge to fold… one way or another.
CHAPTER 9
Almost an hour after dancing with his lordship and no one else asking for her hand—she suspected rumors of her and Benedict’s courtship were already making their rounds—Alice escaped through the open terrace doors into the dark gardens.
The crowd was a frightful crush, and it amazed her that ladies of thele beau tonattended such lavish balls almost nightly. Moving in the opposite direction of a light and vibrant ballroom to a shadowed section of the lantern-lit gardens, she found a bench, tipped her face to the sky, and sighed.
