He chuckled. “I concede. That’s indeed something Georgie might have said.” But then he gave her a knowing look and guessed, “Ah, I understand.Yourelated that to being a Lothario.”
She shrugged and managed to sound nonchalant. “If it’s merely the word you object to, ‘philanderer’ works just as well, don’t you think?”
He winced. She was immediately contrite. Did she really need to ruin these few minutes with him? The dance was almost over. She’d go back to getting her feet trampled by the long list of partners on her dance card. He’d go back to arranging an assignation with another woman for later in the evening. She didn’t doubt that’s what he’d been doing earlier with that lady she’d seen him talking to.
She debated confessing the truth to him, that it hadn’t been her idea to come back to England, and certainly wasn’t her idea to appeal to his family for help. But that really wasn’t something he needed to know and it wouldn’t make the least difference in what relationship they were allowed—which was none at all. Because shedidwant to get married, preferably to a man she could persuade to live part of each year in St. Kitts so she could still see her father regularly, butDrewdidn’t want to marry ever.
“I see another Malory has shown up,” Drew remarked just as the dance ended.
“How many are there?”
“Too many,” he replied with a chuckle. “But this one, like James, doesn’t care to be dragged to affairs like this, so I wonder what he’s doing here, unless…Did you meet them when they picked up Judith today?”
“Her parents? No, I was getting last-minute fittings for this gown.”
“They may just be here to meet you, then. And that’s a very pretty gown, by the way.” His dark eyes ran up and down the length of her, pausing at her bosom.
She wished he hadn’t said that. She wished he hadn’t looked at her like that. It accounted for the blush she was wearing when he deposited her in front of the Malorys he’d just mentioned. Georgina had already found her relations by marriage and made the introductions.
Anthony Malory was incredibly handsome, but oddly, he looked nothing like his brother James. Taller, and certainly darker, he sported the same black hair and blue eyes that his niece Regina had. His wife, Rosalyn, was simply breathtaking, with red-gold hair, lovely hazel-green eyes, and a trim though voluptuous figure. It was obvious now where Judith got her coloring from.
“You must be the pirate,” Anthony said baldly.
His wife gasped. “Anthony!”
And Georgina scolded, “Not so loud, Tony. And don’t say thatwordin public when referring to Gabby. We don’t want to ruin her chances of making a good match.”
But Gabrielle saw that no one other than the Malorys was nearby to have overheard him, and the poor man was beginning to look contrite, even though she was sure he had just been teasing. So she grinned and said, “Yes, bloodthirsty and all that. It’s a shame there are no planks around here so I can prove it.”
He chuckled. “Well said, m’dear.”
But Drew whispered behind her, “He thinks you’re teasing, but I actually wish you weren’t. Pirates aren’t virgins and don’t give a damn about convention, so you could prove you really are one by spending the night with me.”
Gabrielle’s blush was immediate. But when she turned to rebuke Drew, she almost gasped, seeing his expression. There was such heat in his eyes, as if he were already imagining her in his bed. And, good heavens, she started to do the same thing. Her stomach wasn’t just fluttering now. Her whole body felt warm and as if it were trembling! She put her hand on her chest to try to contain the pounding there.
Behind her, Georgina was telling Rosalyn and Anthony about some of the parties she intended to take Gabrielle to over the next couple of weeks. But Anthony must have noticed the interaction between Gabrielle and Drew, because he remarked, “It shouldn’t take long to find her a husband. She seems to find the men in London agreeable, even the American ones.”
Hearing that, Georgina looked curiously at her brother, then her eyes flared slightly and she asked him, “You’ve been behaving, haven’t you?”
He gave her a boyish smile. “Don’t I always?”
Georgina snorted. “No, you don’t. But see that you do, henceforth.”
He rolled his eyes at her, as if she were making something out of nothing, but Gabrielle was very aware of the hand he put on her waist to turn her back toward his relatives. It was a very casual touch to anyone who might have noticed it, but not to her. She felt the slight squeeze of his fingers just before he let go.
Wilbur Carlisle had to say her name twice to gain her attention. She’d been too busy wondering why Drew had just touched her in what was a distinctly possessive manner to notice that her next dance partner had arrived to claim her. Had Drew seen the young gentleman approaching and touched her like that just to make a subtle point? Wilburdidglance at Drew a bit curiously. No, she was being silly and making something out of nothing herself.
She gave Wilbur a bright smile and her full attention. Now, here was a nice chap. If she had to make a choice immediately, she would choose Wilbur as a husband. He was handsome, amiable, and witty. She could find no fault with him, other than he didn’t make her stomach flutter the way Drew did. She’d met him last night at Regina’s and had enjoyed their brief conversation. He’d even made her laugh several times, something none of the other men she’d met so far had tried to do. She was pleased that he was there tonight so she could get to know him a little better. Without a doubt, he was the most handsome of the gentlemen who had flocked to sign her dance card as soon as she arrived. Not as handsome as Drew, of course, but…Good grief, she had to stop thinking of philandering rakes like Drew Anderson and keep her mind focused on the men who were as interested in marriage as she was.
Chapter 14
GABRIELLE GOT VERY LITTLE SLEEP THAT NIGHT.Rolling through her mind repeatedly and keeping her awake was Drew’s remark. Prove she was really a pirate by spending the night with him. She should have been scandalized. But she wasn’t. When she took the time to think about it after she got home, she was too pleased by what she’d read between the lines—he wanted her. And what a remarkable effect that knowledge had on her. One moment she felt so excited she became almost giddy, and the next moment she experienced the deepest despair. Because she couldn’t do anything about Drew’s desire for her. Nor would he.
Margery woke her the next morning earlier than she would have liked. She almost shooed the older woman out so she could get a few more hours’ sleep, but she remembered that Margery hadn’t been home much the last couple of days. She had many old friends in London she wanted to visit. So now would be a good time to talk to her and get her opinion on her prospective suitors, in case Margery was going out again today.
“Help me figure out which qualities I should be looking for in a husband,” she said as Margery riffled through her wardrobe to pick out her day dress.
“Just use your common sense, girl,” Margery said, and held out two dresses. “The pink or the blue?”
