Graham nodded. “We were, indeed. Your friend is a charming companion.”
Adelaide bent her head, and there was a shadow of a smile that tilted her lips, like a private joke had passed between them. And he found he liked that. Liked having her comfortable with him. And that was good, for as she said, they would likely see a great deal of each other if he was renewing his relationship with James and Emma.
And it would be good to have a friend as he figured out where he now fit in his old circle.
Adelaide sipped her after-dinner drink and watched as Graham bent over the billiard table to take a shot. Instead of separating after supper, James had suggested the foursome remain together to talk as the men played their game. Now Adelaide was happy they had done so, since she got to enjoy the very fine sight of Graham’s toned backside as he leaned.
“Did you have a good time?” Emma asked.
Adelaide jumped at her friend’s voice. She forced a smile and turned away from their companions with great difficulty. “Yes, I did. I’m so glad you invited me—it was a welcome respite from the boredom and discomfort of my usual supper company.”
Emma smiled. “And you weren’t put off by Graham being here? I had no idea James was even going to see him today, let alone would invite him to supper.”
“Of course not,” Adelaide said, and meant it. “He was a charming companion.”
Emma expression softened with relief. “That’s funny, for he described you the same way earlier. But hewas, wasn’t he? I never knew him before his engagement to Meg, and everything happened so quickly after I married James that I’ve spent little time with him. But tonight he was the man my husband has always described as his best and truest friend.”
Adelaide allowed herself another glance at Graham. He was leaning on his cue now, and to her surprise he was staring straight at her. He smiled as he was caught and shocked her by winking.
She spun back toward Emma, her breath suddenly short. What was he doing? Not a week before he’d been pinning Lydia Ford to a table and kissing her until she was weak in the knees. Tonight he was flirting with a wallflower and acting like it was all bloody normal.
And he saidshewas the most frustrating person on earth. Except when she looked at him, she didn’t feel frustrated. She felt…well, she felt things she wasn’t meant to feel as Lady Adelaide, spinster daughter of a dead earl. As Lydia, perhaps she could feel them. Pursue them even.
“What do you think of him?” Emma asked.
Adelaide jerked her face to Emma. Was she playing matchmaker? But her friend’s expression was calm and unreadable. Of course she wouldn’t. Woman like Adelaide didn’t belong with men like Graham.
She dropped her gaze and sighed. “Well, I hardly know him well enough to formulate an opinion one way or another,” she said. “Now, you mentioned something at supper about a ladies society for charitable works. I’d be very interested in that.”
Emma hesitated, and Adelaide could see her attempts at changing the subject were a bit heavy-handed, but Emma allowed for it. She began to talk about the group and Adelaide forced herself to truly attend.
But in the back of her mind she heard a voice whispering to her. Her own voice that told her she certainly had an opinion about Graham, even if she wouldn’t dare share it with Emma. Shelikedhim. And that was too dangerous not to acknowledge. She would have to tread carefully now.
It was the only way to protect herself.
Chapter Seven
The applause was still booming in the theatre as Adelaide stepped into her dressing room. Normally she reveled in the accolades, but tonight they felt a little dull. She was distracted and she’d felt that in her performance. In the second act she’d missed a line entirely and her co-star, Robin, had smirked with pleasure and said something snide about it as they rushed to change costumes for their final scene.
“Wretched man,” she muttered as she took in a deep breath she wished would calm her and moved toward her dressing table.
It was then she heard a sniffle from the corner of the room, a tiny area behind her costumes. She pivoted toward it.
“Who’s there?” she called out as she pushed the dresses away and revealed Melinda sitting beneath, tears streaking her cheeks.
“Gracious, Melinda!” Adelaide gasped, leaning down to grasp her friend’s arms and pull her to her feet. “What is it?”
Melinda was trembling as Adelaide guided her to the settee and they sat together.
“It—it’s thathorridSir Archibald,” Melinda admitted when she had stopped crying and could catch her breath. “Oh, Lydia, he came backstage during the performance again.”
Adelaide clenched her teeth. That man was a menace. “Toby didn’t stop him?”
Melinda shook her head. “He was busy with the show, of course. I was standing in the wings, saying your lines along with you and suddenly he was right behind me.”
Adelaide studied her. Melinda was often a bit silly and she was prone to theatrics that went beyond the stage, but in this moment Adelaide could tell she was truly upset.
“What did Sir Archibald do?” she whispered.
