James turned and saw Evangeline lurking against the far wall. He couldn’t quite understand why she was hissing at him, so he drew closer. She slipped through the doorway and beckoned for him to follow.
It wasn’t at all a good idea to be alone with her, but he suspected this had something to do with Lily. If nothing else, he was confident that Evangeline would not attempt to trap him into marriage.
When he reached the hallway, she picked up her skirts, tiptoeing toward another room. James stopped where he was and waited. What on earth was she wanting? She beckoned again, but this time, he rested his hands on his hips and stared at her. Until he knew what this was about, he intended to stay precisely where he was.
Evangeline rolled her eyes and tiptoed back to him. “You need to hear this. It affects Lily.”
“Are we eavesdropping, Miss Sinclair?”
“Yes. Now are you coming, or are you intending to abandon your sister in her hour of need?”
He narrowed his gaze at her melodramatics. “Do you even know where you are going?”
“They are inside the library. I thought we could go in the adjoining room.”
“They?” He did follow her this time, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips. She led him into the music room, closing the door behind them.
Warnings flared within his mind, for despite his tentative truce with Evangeline, he knew how improper this was. But he followed her to the far end of the music room. There was a door that was not properly set upon its hinges. It did indeed connect to the library, but from the crevices along the edge of the door, he could clearly hear the conversation of two men.
He recognized Adrian Monroe’s voice, but not the other gentleman. When he leaned in closer to catch what they were saying, he grew acutely aware of Evangeline’s presence. Her skin held the light aroma of gardenia, as if she had bathed with scented soap. James gritted his teeth and pushed the idle thoughts away.
“I thought you said Miss Carlisle would help us,” the other gentleman was saying.
“And so she has. She has sown the seeds of doubt, which was precisely what I wanted,” Adrian answered. “But the stories I have spread will make her claims seem genuine. It matters not if she tries to deny what she said before.Myevidence is far more damning.”
James exchanged a glance with Evangeline, who had paled. She looked as if she were about to say something but stopped herself.
“I have a surprise for my cousin this night,” Adrian said. “One that will drive him past the brink of sanity into madness. It has taken a great deal of time and effort, but I have no doubt it will work. Everyone will be shocked at his behavior, and it will lendcredence to my claim that he is incapable of handling the estates due to his mental state. I will be permitted to govern Arnsbury on his behalf.”
“Good," the man answered, his voice sounding more relaxed. “We can then repay our debtors.”
“Ican repay my debts,” Adrian corrected. “I have been waiting a long time to gain the property that should have been mine.”
His companion coughed. “And what ofmydebts? I thought we were working together.”
James had no idea what the pair intended, but it sounded as if Matthew ought to leave beforehand. Adrian’s nefarious plans deserved to be undermined.
“You may pick up the pieces of Lady Lily's broken heart,” Adrian said drily. “She has a good dowry if you can win her hand. Letherpay your debts, for I don’t care what happens to her now.”
James’s lips tightened into a line, his anger rising. He wanted to shove his way through the door. If Adrian were unconscious and bleeding, he could do nothing. But Evangeline put herself in front of the entrance, shaking her head.
There was no further conversation coming from the room, and he heard the faint click of the other door closing. He started to turn, but Evangeline caught his hand. “Wait for a moment.”
She paused, and then without warning, she drew his head down and crushed his mouth to hers. The kiss caught him completely unawares, and he was stunned enough not to protest. Evangeline’s warm mouth held a hint of citrus, like the lemonade she had drunk earlier. But the heat of her embrace left him reeling.
“Forgive me,” he heard a male voice say, before the door closed again.
Only then did Evangeline jerk away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But…I was afraid they would suspect we wereeavesdropping. It was the only thing I could think to do that would explain why we were here alone.”
He didn’t move, but when she tried to take a step backward, he held her waist with one arm. “It has been a long time, Evangeline.”
“I know it. And I shouldn’t have done that at all.”
In all honesty, her quick thinking had likely deterred the intruder. But from the deep flush upon her cheeks, she looked as if she wanted to die. And he didn’t want to humiliate her.
James took her hand and led her from the room, carefully looking around before he escorted her out. He needed to speak with Matthew, to warn him about whatever Adrian was planning. There was no sign of the men, and he discreetly led her back to the ballroom.
“I—I saw the other man,” Evangeline whispered. “It was Lord Davonshire.”
