Tristan frowned. “You would not?—”
The door opened to Pomfrey holding a salver bearing a card. He proffered it to James, who read the name and returned the card, shooting a look at Caroline. “Dennison is here.”
Caroline refrained from seeking Tristan’s expression. In fact, she hadn’t needed to, for he immediately left James’s side and lowered himself on the sofa beside her, leaving very little space between them. It was a continuation of his scheme to make Mr. Dennison jealous, undoubtedly, but had the effect of raising Caroline’s heart rate.
She inhaled, noting a hint of bergamot and citrus.
“More of your games, Caro?” James asked, strolling toward the chairs and sitting in the open one beside Kitty.
“Nothing of the sort.” Tristan came to her defense, leaning back and resting an ankle over his knee. His shoulderpressed faintly against her arm, though he didn’t seem to notice. “I merely enjoy your sister’s lively company.”
James rolled his eyes, and Kitty narrowed hers.
“Mr. Edwin Dennison,” Pomfrey announced before stepping aside.
Mr. Dennison strode into the room, his long legs draped in fawn pantaloons and a brown coat buttoned at the waist. He removed his hat and bowed to the group. “I hope I am not interrupting. I wanted to invite Miss Whitby to ride in the park with me, but I can see I’ve chosen my time poorly.”
“Nonsense,” she said, before recalling that Kitty had come to see her first and could not be abandoned. “Only, I cannot leave my guest. Would you care to join us?”
“Certainly.” Mr. Dennison took the final remaining seat on the sofa, causing Tristan to move closer to Caroline to make room. His arm was pressed against hers now entirely. The door opened to Hannah bearing a tea tray, so Caroline sat forward and set about filling cups for each guest. When she handed Tristan his cup, his fingers brushed hers, sending a chill up her arm so strong she nearly dropped his tea. His brown eyes searched her face, but she shifted her gaze, inhaling slowly.
The question of how he affected her could no doubt be answered in some scientific way, for there was no obvious reason. Caroline didn’tchooseto feel such things around the man, but neither could she command those feelings to abate.
The men talked of a mutual friend of theirs who had recently been blackballed from White’s and was now trying his luck with Boodle’s. James finished his tea and set his cup on the low table. “I have a meeting with our solicitor, Caro, so I’m afraid I need to leave. Shall I fetch Mother for you?”
“No need,” Tristan said. “I will follow you out.”
A beat of silence passed before Mr. Dennison added hisdesire to leave as well. “May I take you for a ride in the park tomorrow, Miss Whitby?”
Caroline rose alongside the men and looked around Tristan’s shoulder toward Mr. Dennison. “I would enjoy that. Thank you.”
Tristan leaned forward, breaking her line of sight. He reached for her hand. “Good day, Miss Whitby.”
She put her hand in his, and he squeezed her fingers softly, bowing over it. The air between them buzzed like it had been filled with a slew of honeybees, making her thoughts fuzzy.
James bowed to Kitty before leading the way from the room, the other two gentlemen falling behind him. Tristan glanced at her over his shoulder when he neared the doorway, a soft smile on his lips.
Caroline remained stunned. He was such a talented flirt, she could never tell precisely what his intentions were. Once the door closed behind the men, she dropped into her seat again with unladylike exhaustion.
“Balancingtwosuitors does seem like tiring work,” Kitty said, her tone speaking of amusement.
Caroline flattened her lips. “Tristan is not genuine. He is merely trying to help reinstate Mr. Dennison’s attention, since he is the reason I lost that proposal.”
Kitty laughed. “Mr. Shepherd does not seem at all like he only wants to pass you off to another man. What a foolish notion. He tried to cut in more than once.”
“Only to make Mr. Dennison jealous.”
“I have a hard time believing that.”
Caroline smiled to soften her words. “Trust me, Kitty. I have known the man nearly my entire life. He does not harbor feelings for me.”
“Perhaps he didn’t in the past, but he certainly seems to now.”
The strange sense of hope that bloomed in her chest was warm and ridiculous. Tristan did not want to marry her. He did not love her. He merely wanted to win a wager.
But that was not her information to share. She settled into her seat and sighed. Knowing Tristan believed the masquerade to be a bad idea somehow only made her desire to go. It was obstinate of her, but he presumed to have far more influence over her than he had a right to. If he was genuine in his attention, that would be a different matter. But the man was fickle. “Enough about those men. I would like to hear more about this masquerade.”
Kitty leaned forward and poured herself a second cup of tea. “I will most happily oblige you.”
