It was about time in his dissertation that he got romantic. No, wait, why was she nitpicking? He was a very eligible bachelor and the only one she hadn’t discounted out of hand. The others she’d met were either too proper, too snobbish, or too much the dandy for her tastes. And Wilbur seemed to be a nice man, too.
He was also quite witty when he wasn’t worrying over making confessions like tonight, or who her sponsor was. Before Malory’s name had been mentioned when they first met, he’d been relaxed and very charming,andmore romantic. She should be delighted that he was still available, for whatever reason, and simply consider herself lucky that he was. He was a fine catch, after all, and very handsome even if he was rather pale. Well, actually, his skin was so white it seemed odd to her.
She sighed to herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d thought that since she’d come to London. With everything else she found wrong with the men she’d met, too many of them were pallid in complexion, as well, and at the tail end of summer! But it wasn’t their fault that they looked odd to her, and as Margery had pointed out, a little sun could correct that easily enough. She was simply too used to men whose complexions were deeply tanned because they spent a lot of time outdoors. Yet not everyone enjoyed the outdoors as much as she did. Not everyone could be as perfectly tanned as a sea captain either…
Her eyes were drawn to Drew the moment he entered the room.Goodness,even after taking him off her list, where she never should have put him to begin with, she could still be mesmerized by the sight of him. And her stomach was already starting to flutter. What the deuce was it about him that caused that? Did she really want to give up on him just because of assumptions he’d made? When a little talk between them would clear the air and prove he was wrong about her?
How could she even hold the conclusions he’d drawn against him? Her fatherwasa pirate. And her association with pirates had educated her about matters a young lady of good breeding would never know of until after she was married. So the only thing Drew was actually wrong about was the state of her virginity. A logical mistake.
Oh,dear,shewastalking herself into putting him back on her list. Dare she? She’d rather not be disappointed by him again. That had hurt. But what if he didn’t hurt her feelings again? What if he apologized and admitted how foolish he’d been to assume the worst about her?
The dance ended and Wilbur was leading her back to Georgina. “It seems I’m never allowed enough time with you,” he said with a charming twinkle in his eye. “I hope you’ll join me for a walk in the garden later, so we can continue our conversation?”
Distracted now with her eyes on Drew, Gabrielle merely nodded. Having spotted his sister in the crowd, Drew was heading toward her, too. Gabrielle didn’t think he had seen her yet, but then their eyes met, and he collided with a few people who were in his path.
She frowned upon seeing that. Clumsy? A sea captain? Maybe he was clumsy when he first stepped off his ship after a long voyage, but seamen usually had a keen sense of balance. They had to, because they constantly had to maneuver on ever-pitching decks.
As she approached Georgina, she noticed that her benefactress was speaking with Lady Dunstan, their hostess, who as Georgina had reminded her before their arrival, was one of the ton’s worst gossips. That lady’s presence managed to distract her from thinking about Drew. She had to pay close attention to every word out of her mouth now to make sure she didn’t say anything inappropriate. According to Georgina, a woman like Lady Dunstan could make or break a debutante without even trying.
“Ah, here she is,” Lady Dunstan said with a smile for Gabrielle and then a quick frown at her escort. “Andyou,dear boy, really must stop monopolizing Miss Brooks—or do you have news of an impending marriage that will finally please your father?”
Gabrielle winced for the fellow. So his frank confession wasn’t such a secret after all. Apparently it was common knowledge. Regardless, their hostess was definitely putting him on the spot. Gabrielle had never heard such blatant fishing. No matter what Wilbur answered, he’d be giving the lady a juicy tidbit of gossip to chew on.
But a new voice intruded, slightly slurred, definitely snide. “I wouldn’t count on it, lady, unless his father doesn’t mind pirates in the family.”
Lady Dunstan gasped, hearing that. Wilbur paled. Georgina was rendered speechless for a moment. Having scolded her brother more than once for using that word in public in reference to Gabrielle, she was staring at him incredulously because he’d just done it again.
Gabrielle was simply furious and the glare she turned on Drew wouldn’t let him doubt it. He was drunk, and even drunk he was so damned handsome. But what shocked her more than what he’d just said was the bright spark of desire in his midnight-dark eyes as he looked directly at her.
Chapter 19
GABRIELLE HURRIED DOWNSTAIRSafter being told the name of the visitor waiting for her in the parlor. She wouldn’t have come downstairs for anyone else. She was still somewhat in shock after last night. She couldn’t believe Drew had done that to her, deliberately tried to ruin her chances for a good marriage.
He didn’t succeed, fortunately. He even insisted he wasn’t serious when Georgina, just as shocked as Gabrielle was, started to upbraid him. Of course, what else could he say at that point?
Gabrielle didn’t buy his innocence, though. She didn’t doubt at all that the remark was a deliberate attempt to sabotage her husband hunting. But hewasfoxed to the gills. That his inebriated state was so obvious was probably the only reason Lady Dunstan believed that he’d only been joking and had merely suggested that he leave, which he did.
Wilbur had left, too. He’d taken quick advantage of the distraction to slip away so he wouldn’t have to answer Lady Dunstan’s probing question. Or so Gabrielle had assumed later. She’d wanted to leave at that point, too.
“Don’t let this upset you,” Georgina had said, patting her hand. “My brother can be quite careless in his comments when he gets foxed, and he usually does get foxed his last few nights in port. But Lady Dunstan knows who my husband is. For that matter, she won’t risk having any of the Malorys annoyed with her by repeating what she thinks was no more than tasteless joking. She knows very well that by the time the comment made the rounds, it would no longer be considered a jest. So she’ll say nothing.”
Gabrielle didn’t hear anything beyond “last few nights in port.” Drew was leaving. And she wouldn’t even have known if his sister hadn’t mentioned it. She was sure he wouldn’t have told her. Why should he? She was nothing to him.
And yet she was crushed. First he tried to ruin her prospects, then he intended to leave before the scandal broke. She should be furious with him. She wished shewasfurious. That would be so much more preferable to feeling hurt and disappointed.
“There you are, m’dear.”
Gabrielle turned to see James Malory leaving his study. She didn’t tense up like she used to in his presence. Since the night of the theater when he’d bandied quips back and forth with Georgina’s brothers and she’d seen how they could provoke him without dire consequences, she’d lost most of her fear of him. And his expression wasn’t guarded for once. He actually looked concerned.
“How are you feeling this morning?” James asked, putting a fatherly arm about her shoulders.
She thought he was referring to the couple days she’d hidden in her room claiming illness, so she said, “I’m fine now.”
“No urge to shoot anyone?”
She chuckled at the way he put it, understanding now. “You heard about what happened last night, I take it?”
“Indeed. No more thanIwould expect from one of those barbarians I’m forced to claim kinship with, but George is quite annoyed. She actually expects her brothers to behave like gentlemen. But I’ll make sure there are no repercussions due to Drew’s foolishness, you may depend upon it. I’m going to bite the bullet, as it were, and join you and George for the rest of the Season.”
