Now where the hell hadthatthought come from?
Irritated for even allowing her to enter into his mind where she didn’t belong, he decided to take a moment to contemplate the lady since her image had already taken root, even though he knew it was against his better judgment.
There had been something infinitely appealing about Travell’s younger sister. He could tell she wasn’t a twittering simpleton like so many of the other females that paraded about in society. She was possessed of a uniqueness of quality and spirit — rather like a diamond in the ruff that had yet to shine. And while he would have to agree that ill-fated episode on the terrace had been unfortunate, he felt she’d handled the situation quite well, considering the circumstances. Besides, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t endured much worse during his younger years.
Waking up in a dirty, French gutter, half dressed, with a bad hangover and no real recollection of how he’d gotten there readily came to mind…
But this wasn’t about him — and in the end, it wasn’t about Triana either. It didn’t matter how he regarded her — good or bad. He was there to focus on his mission; to do a job, and once it was over, he’d put some steward in charge of his estate until he turned up his toes and some distant cousin or other could inherit. To let his concentration slip, for even a moment, might very well make all the difference between success and failure.
Life — and death.
So there would be no more thought of Triana Abernathy — pretty blue eyes notwithstanding.
Giving a firm tug on his waistcoat and smoothing down his impeccably tailored jacket, Gabriel returned to the ballroom, nodding a greeting to a fellow peer now and then, or pausing to have some meaningless chat, before he managed to catch Lady Worthington’s eye. As the orchestra began to strike up a waltz, he raised an expectant brow as he moved toward her and gallantly led her onto the dance floor.
***
Triana and her mother barely spoke two words to one another on the ride home, which was probably just as well as angry silence was better than none at all. Especially since there was nothing either of them could say to make a difference in swaying the other’s opinion.
Once inside their modest, yet fashionable townhouse in Mayfair, they parted ways with barely murmured goodnights, though Triana knew this evening was long from forgotten in her mother’s mind. Undoubtedly, she would pay for her actions with a lengthy lecture come morning.
But now, as Triana lay awake long into the night, staring at the light blue canopy above her bed, she found her thoughts drifting to the Duke of Chiltern and wishing she could remove his presence from her turbulent mind. Her stomach had finally settled down from the wine’s ill effects, if not continuing to churn on account of some bothersome man.
Finally giving up any attempt at sleep, she threw back the suffocating covers and tied her dressing gown with a jerk. She might as well find a book to read, for anything was better than the alternative of staring at the wall, fantasizing about a pair of shimmering, silver orbs and bemoaning what could never be.
The rest of the house was quiet as Triana padded downstairs to the library. She considered her options from the many volumes, but eventually selected a thin verse of poetry,Elegiac Sonnets andOtherPoems,by Charlotte Smith. Curling up in one of the leather wingback chairs by the flickering fireplace, she opened it and began to read.
Normally one of her favorite writers, Triana quickly shut it with a snap when the first line she read was from one of the sonnets that seemed to resemble Triana’s own situation a bit too closely;“Ah! then, how dear the Muse’s favours cost, If those paint sorrow best—who feel it most!”
Placing the book on a side table, she crossed her arms and stared at the marbled mantel. Entranced by the glowing embers of a dying fire, she tried to focus on their spitting flames to lull herself to sleep, but she soon realized this was also a useless quest for her solemnity. Feeling a shudder she knew had nothing to do with the chill, Triana pulled her robe more securely about her and finally gave up the fight and let her mind wander where it truly desired to go.
Gabriel Wilde.
What was it she found so appealing about him? Was it simply the fact that he was handsome? Because there was certainly no doubt in that regard. Twisting her lips, she wondered if her infatuation was that easy to explain, but almost immediately dismissed it. Triana knew lots of attractive men, but only this one caused her heart to flutter madly.
Of course, there was that old adage of wanting what you couldn’t have. Perhaps she was drawn to the illustrious duke merely because he was unattainable — to her, at least. Then again, perhaps envy prompted her interest, for Chiltern stood for everything she had always dreamed of — taking London by storm.
Absently, Triana pulled Gabriel’s handkerchief out of the pocket of her robe, where she’d hastily shoved it out of sight earlier, and ran her thumb over the embroidered monogram. It was as if by doing so, the delicate linen would reveal all the answers she was searching for. Just by holding something that was so intimately…his.
She recalled his thoughtfulness that evening, and it filled her with a wealth of mixed emotions, for only Travell and her closest friends had ever treated her with such similar respect. It was almost as if she’d been…someone, and not just a name to poke fun at.
The absent, dreamy sigh that followed was enough to snap her back to reality.
Drat.
This idiotic fascination was becoming worse than she’d thought. There had to be a way to snip it in the bud before it got out of hand and she found herself dangling from a bad ending. But how did one go about exorcizing an enigma like the Duke of Chiltern? Tapping a finger against her bottom lip, she considered her dilemma for a time before coming to the only logical conclusion.
Usually when something appeared too good to be true, it most likely was, so… what if she uncovered a part of the duke’s nature that wasn’t quite so appealing? If she did that, then surely she would realize he wasn’t any different than the rest of the men that slithered about society and thus, become much easier to dismiss. She needed something foolproof, not second hand hearsay from the servants.
But who could she enlist to help her in such a quest?
Surely Korina could be counted on to dig up some long forgotten scandal, but then she would have to admit that she’d fallen for Gabriel’s charm in the first place. She’d never hear the end of it.
No, she needed to find someone who actually knew the duke — a friend, or confidante…
Abruptly, the solution hit her with all the force of a stone.Travell.
Of course! Her brother was perfect! He and the duke appeared to be of a similar age, so perhaps they’d even attended university together. If nothing else, surely he could be counted on to offer some sort of dark insight into the duke. Couldn’t he?
