“I’ve a few things that might fit,” Colin said, looking down at Jonny. “With a bit of hemming. Come over after practice.”
Jonny sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. This was not going to go well. Not at all.
And so he found himself, a week later, standing in the drawing room of Lord Harcourt’s home, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he wondered how much he could drink to feel comfortable without losing his wits. He wasn’t sure one could be independent of the other.
Rhys walked over and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Aren’t you glad you came?”
Jonny snorted then took a sip of his drink, yet his eyes couldn’t seem to stray from the door.
“She’ll be here soon,” Rhys said with a knowing smile that Jonny wanted to wipe off his face. “I don’t think her parents are the type to miss something like this.”
“Don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Rhys let out a long, rare laugh at that, turning away as Emmaline approached his side.
Just then, the door to the drawing room opened again, and Jonny’s breath caught in his throat.
Her parents walked through first, her father tall, moustached, her mother of a distinctly more feminine build and features. Then came Ada.
She took his breath away.
He wondered how she didn’t draw every eye in the room. The royal blue silk of her gown clung to her curves – the smooth line of her hips, the perfect swell of her breasts. The neckline was low, and Jonny wished he could see beneath the delicate lace that covered what would have been exposed skin, up to her neck.
The gas lamps on the wall brought out the gold in her burnished hair, the delicate curls around her face softening her expression, while a touch of color on her cheeks and lips accentuated her natural beauty.
Her gaze wandered around the room as she entered, her shoulders back confidently, her hands folded in front of her.
She was probably looking for Carter, wondering if he was here to entertain her, Jonny thought with a grimace, just as her eyes landed on him.
Landed and held.
And he knew he would never have it within him to look away first.
He had wanted to call her his woman for some time now, but the truth was, he was hers.
Whether she wanted him or not.
Chapter Twelve
She hadn’t known if he would be here.
Ada was aware the team had been invited, and all week, his potential presence had been on her mind.
She understood Rhys was encouraging them all to come, and yet, she had a feeling that this type of event wouldn’t be one Jonny would ever choose to attend.
Truth be told, it wasn’t one she was particularly thrilled about, either. Usually, she made it through these events because her friends were in attendance, and they could sit together while they watched the rest of the party.
That was, until the three of them had married. Now, Lily, Emmaline, and Minnie rarely attended. If they did, they spent at least half their evenings with their husbands.
Not that Ada blamed them. In fact, she envied them for what they had. When it was time to take the dance floor, they actually had partners they were excited about.
She was always expected to dance with David, of course, given their alleged impending engagement.
He was always there to do his duty, but he might as well have been elsewhere. He would never speak to her as theymoved, despite her repeated attempts at conversation. Instead, he would stare over her left shoulder, and she always had the sense that he was seeking out other potential partners. When they finished their dance, he would thank her with a quick nod before moving on. The next time she would see him on the floor, he would be laughing, deep in conversation.
It had made her feel that perhaps he wasn’t the boring one. Perhaps she was the one who brought out that side of him – a side she didn’t particularly like.
