She’d been out of his presence for longer than ten seconds.
Which meant he would’ve already forgotten all about her.
Which meant, of course, she could forget all about him.
CHAPTER FIVE
ST. JAMES’S SQUARE, A FORTNIGHT LATER
Lady Beatrix St. Vincent.
Dev’s gaze narrowed.
Here, writ plain in black and white in the betting book that had appeared in the Duke of Acaster’s card room, was the name of the lady he’d mostly put out of his mind this last fortnight.
He’d only intended to glance at the book casually, as one did either for a laugh or to join the action.
But that name was enough to stop his eyes cold in their tracks.
Lady Beatrix St. Vincent.
A prickle of guilt needled through him.
Hehadcome close to running the woman to ground with his horse.
Thankfully, the physician had assured him there had been no bones broken and no real harm done. The lady would recover unscathed.
And that had been the end of Dev’s association with Lady Beatrix St. Vincent.
But here was her name in the gentlemen’s betting book at a ball.
Which usually wasn’t a positive development for the lady in question, as gentlemen’s betting books skewedungentlemanly when it came to the fairer sex.
The bet regarding Lady Beatrix, however, appeared tame enough.
£50 shall be awarded to the gentleman able to persuade Lady Beatrix St. Vincent to dance with him.
Fifty pounds?Dev’s brow dug into his forehead.To dance with a lady?
He’d met the lady in question.
He’d even put his hands on her.
Out of necessity, of course.
The point was the bet gave the impression she was a gorgon. Though Dev could attest to the fact that she was stubborn as a mule, she wasn’t a beast worthy of mythology.
Yet…she was no malleable bit of fluff either.
It was those eyes of hers—remarkable…arresting…beautiful.
Eyes that held a magnetism.
An idea teased him.
He could try his hand at winning this bet.
He might not even mind it—as a personal challenge.
