He was Alexander Holland—Miles’s unscrupulous younger brother.
CHAPTER 2
ALEXANDER
Istared at the face of the woman who had tricked me into digging through my traveling trunk to find my bicorn hat.
It was a beautiful face. The most beautiful in the room by far.
I shook myself of my admiration. No amount of beauty could make up for the undeserved sham she had just pulled on me. Her eyes were a fascinating shade of hazel, her hair dark and glossy. Her straight posture made her seem unfettered by my sudden appearance in the room, but her features betrayed her. A look of panic crossed her face before she looked down at her lap.
Very well. It would seem that she had no intention of owning up to her actions. I would have to explain the situation myself.
Our hostess had the audacity to askwhaton earthI was wearing, when she, in fact, was wearing the most ridiculous gown I had ever seen. Besides that, she had rouge on her teeth.
I needed to act like I belonged, or she might send me back to my bedchamber. I had no intention of missing a single event this house party had to offer. It was how I would endure the weeks before my brother’s return from India. He had something of mine, and I intended to get it back.
“I heard voices from the parlor,” I said to Lady Tottenham before drifting into the room. “So I clothed myself in my finest attire before coming to investigate. My suspicions proved correct. The lot of you have dared have a party without me.” I smiled before taking a seat beside the wicked, dark-haired, beautiful woman.
She shifted a few inches away.
Lady Tottenham’s sharp brows lifted. “I must confess, the coat is an interesting choice.”
“If it offends you, even in the slightest, I shall take it off.” I removed my outer layer.
Lady Tottenham applauded with a laugh. “Please, do not stop there.” The flirtatious tone in her voice was unsettling, considering she was twice my age.
A gentleman in the corner grumbled under his breath as I unbuttoned one of my two waistcoats. Lady Tottenham would regret not inviting me to her midnight parties once she discovered how lively I could be. When I had walked into the room, there had been a grimness in the air. I planned to change that. Once my outer waistcoat was removed, I stood to hand my spare layers to the footman.
Lady Tottenham pouted in dismay. “Is that all?”
“I don’t wish to upset any of your delicate guests.” I glanced at the woman on the sofa beside me before reclaiming my seat. She resisted my gaze, keeping it fixed straight ahead. “The sight of me without my shirt is quite offensive.”
Lady Tottenham chuckled. “I doubt that.”
I turned to the woman beside me again. I was determined to pull her striking hazel eyes back to my face. I had never seen such a rigid posture as hers. Her jaw was tight, and I could sense the embarrassment she was hiding.
Lady Tottenham spoke again, demanding my attention. “Well, Mr. Holland, if you hadn’t made such a delightful entrance, I might have sent you out. I suppose I will allow you to stay for the game.”
I cast my gaze around the room. The bright colors of the chairs and settees clashed with the nervous expressions of the people sitting on them. “What exactly is this game?” I asked.
“Each evening after midnight, I will host a parlor game by invitation only,” Lady Tottenham said. “My invitations must not, under any circumstances, be declined. Nothing vexes me more greatly. It is my ambition to give ample opportunity to my many single, unattached guests for flirtation and romance. I hope to make a match or two from amongst you.”
My brows lifted. That was certainly unconventional. I hardly knew how to respond, so I simply nodded. Lady Tottenham and I had been acquainted only a short time, through a dinner party I attended the year before. I hadn’t known what to expect when accepting her invitation. I certainly hadn’t expected a trap like this. With the state of my finances, marriage was not at the forefront of my mind. With two elder brothers, I was far from being the heir to our family fortune and estate. Two years before, I had finally qualified to become a barrister. I had worked hard to repay my debts and begin saving money for my future.
And then all of it had been taken away.
Lady Tottenham’s house party was nothing more than a method of living without expenses for twenty days. Most of my success in my profession had been in York, which was less competitive than London for a new barrister. But I had come back to London with a purpose: To ambush my thieving brother when he returned from India.
I hadn’t come to be thrown into a matchmaking scheme. But if I hoped to remain in Lady Tottenham’s good graces, I would have to play along.
I cleared my throat, hiding my surprise behind a nod of approval. “Flirtation and romance are two of my favorite things. When do we begin?”
“You have come to the right place. We shall begin straight away, but first, let us all become acquainted.” She gestured in my direction. “This is Mr. Alexander Holland. He arrived late this evening and was unable to join us at dinner.” She proceeded to introduce me to the other guests in the room, ending the circle at the mysterious woman beside me.
“Lady Daventry.”
Ah. Alady.It was no wonder she felt the need to be so patronizing.
