Her thoughts swirled with too many feelings. How had she allowed herself to become so unmoored by a man she barely knew?
Only… that wasn’t exactly true. Because she knew him.
Of course, she knew him.
She closed her eyes, the faint scent of flowers and damp earth grounding her as she struggled to regain control. But no matter how hard she tried, the memory of his touch, his closeness, refused to fade.
AFTER DINNER
After following Melanie’s departing figure with his gaze, Malum turned his attention to the decanter of port as it was passed around the table.
He hadn’t planned to touch her so much. Every gesture, at first, had been deliberate—a light brush here, a steadying hand there, all part of the act. They were supposed to be in love, weren’t they? Yet, somewhere between the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers and the subtle hitch in her breath, control had slipped. His instincts had taken over.
Now, with the ladies gone, his focus should have been on the larger conversation, on maneuvering Northwoods into revealing something of use. Instead, his thoughts tugged elsewhere. His gaze kept drifting toward the door she’d disappeared through.
He didn’t have the luxury of indulging in distractions, not tonight. And yet, as the discussion circled aimlessly around the table, he resolved to seek her out after the meal.
He couldn’t shake off a near-constant, nagging need to check on her, to see her, to make sure she was doing alright.
… And perhaps, if he were honest with himself, a need to pick up where they’d left off in the park. An idea that warred with any notions of honor he’d had where she was concerned.
Fucking honor. Malum raised the sweet liquor to his lips and downed a larger gulp than he usually would, and then, observing the other gentlemen at the table, he simply waited.
Standish, seated at the head, swirled his glass absently and, as Malum expected, wasted no time in homing in on Northwoods. "You’ve taken quite an interest in Lady Josephine,” he remarked, his tone light but probing.
Northwoods’ responding smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. "She is a charming young lady, to be sure. A credit to your family, Standish."
“Sheisyoung, isn’t she?” Standish pressed. Only seven and ten if Malum was remembering correctly, though that was certainly not the only issue with their courting.
"Not too young," Sir Percival said, oblivious to the tension. "My wife was but fifteen when we met—married her less than a year later."
Malum had not met the man until Lady Standish’s brief introduction during the meal, but he knew of him, as he did any gentleman who’d ever applied for a membership at theDomus.
Sir Percival Percival, knighted for filling the royal coffers rather than any real service, was a reminder of how cheaply honors could be bought. Born without a title or any of the responsibilities that came with it, he’d inherited a fortune from his family without ever having to lift a finger. His girth and ruddy complexion spoke more of indulgence than industry. Knowing Standish, Malum could only assume Percival was here thanks to the influence of his wife, who seemed to get on rather well with Melanie’s mother.
Northwoods seemed grateful for even that small show of support, but his relief was short-lived, seeing as no one else gave any sign that they agreed. His grip tightened on his glass, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips nervously. "I assure you,Standish, my intentions are nothing but honorable. I hold Lady Josephine in the highest regard."
Melanie’s brother stayed silent, and his stare might just as well have cut Northwoods in two.
It was interesting, seeing this side of Standish.
"Good," Standish finally replied, his voice even. "Because if you have any intention of causing her unhappiness—intentionally or not—you’ll find this family does not take kindly to such things."
The words hung in the air at the not at all subtle warning.
Impressive.
Northwoods inclined his head, but his fingers drummed lightly against the table, betraying his discomfort.
Helton broke the silence with a wry smile. "Courtship and family matters aside, I hear you’re keeping interesting company these days.” Northwoods tilted his head, feigning confusion, so Helton elaborated. “My wife learned you and Crossings were seen riding in the park yesterday.”
Malum chuckled. Melanie must have mentioned it to her sister.
Northwoods shifted in his seat. "Yes… And we were lucky enough to run into Malum and his fiancée.” Northwoods finally met Malum’s stare, after having avoided looking at him all evening. “I was particularly surprised to hear Lady Melanie’s voice. It was a pleasant change, of course. One can only hope her health continues to improve."
Malum’s attention sharpened, though he kept his voice casual. "Have you been keeping track of my fiancée, then?"
Northwoods let out a bark of laughter that was probably meant to come across as good-natured, but wound up sounding too high-pitched and abrupt to be natural. He cut himself off and then hurried to placate Malum. "Not at all, Your Grace. It’s merely that her silence was noted after the tragedy. All oftheton, as I’m sure you… recall… That is to say, one can only imagine how difficult it must have been for her…”
