“Very well,” Isadora conceded. “As if you’ve left me with a choice.”
Isadora barely had time to collect herself before she was cornered by her two friends, who ushered her off to a private corner of the room.
“What—?”
“Oh, stop. We have a lot to talk about.” Violet’s face brightened up with glee.
“He’s quite possessive, isn’t he?” Daphne remarked, mirroring the same enthusiasm. “I would have never been able to guess.”
“Neither me,” Violet nodded. “You never told us about this side of him.”
“There is no side,” Isadora muttered, reaching for a glass of wine from a passing footman. She took a careful sip, ignoring her friends.
“Woman!Are you truly delusional? Did you see the way he spoke about you tonight?” Violet continued. “You make him sound ever so unromantic when you talk about him.”
“That is because he is,” Isadora scoffed. She did not know what had gotten into him tonight, but she knew enough that she should not read into it too deeply.
This was exactly what Evan did. He was confusing. Making sense was not a natural thing for him.
“Oh, I am not sure if I agree with you after what I have witnessed tonight,” Daphne insisted. “He was so possessive over you. He wanted everyone to know you were his wife and how proud he was of you.”
“But that can be interpreted in a different way,” Isadora said, ignoring the heat creeping up her neck. “He is practical. Logical. Not one for foolish sentiment. His comments were only made for that reason.”
“Bragging,” Daphne added. “He was bragging about you. Can’t you see it?”
Isadora’s fingers tightened slightly around her glass, and her cheeks burned. “That was not bragging.”
“Oh, my dear, it most certainly was,” Daphne teased. “I don’t think he’s ever spoken so much at a dinner before. And certainly, never about anyone else.”
“You keep saying these things, Isadora, but your face tells a different story,” Violet smirked.
“I am only flushed because of this insufferable conversation,” Isadora muttered.
“Or perhaps because your husband was singing your praises all night and couldn’t stand to let another man have your attention?” Daphne grinned.
“That is not what happened,” Isadora said quickly.
“Oh?” Violet tilted her head. “Then why did Lord Bellington suddenly become invisible the moment Evan decided to join your conversation?”
“Coincidence,” Isadora said immediately.
“You truly think that?” Daphne asked, unimpressed.
“I—” Isadora hesitated because, no, she did not. But she also refused to read into whatever Evan had been doing. “Evan is merely… protective of his things.”
“Histhings?” Violet’s brows shot up. “So, you are one of histhingsnow?”
“You know what I mean,” Isadora groaned.
“Oh, we do. You just said it in a very unfortunate way,” Daphne said, barely containing her amusement.
“I believe ‘possessive’ was the word Daphne used earlier. And it is far more fitting, don’t you think?” Violet asked.
“It does not matter,” Isadora said, trying to shut the conversation down.
“It does matter,” Daphne insisted. “Because for someone who is so logical, and so practical, he was acting rather irrationally tonight, don’t you think?”
“You say he is not sentimental, but that man did not stop watching you. Every time you so much as turned your head, his eyes were already on you,” Violet pointed out.
