Relations, indeed.
There was a knock and she abruptly stopped. She started for the door, and then paused to check her reflection in the dressing table mirror. No need to pinch her cheeks this evening, as her color was already high from her anger. The light pink of her gown paled in comparison.
She put her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath as she opened it.
For an instant, some of her bravado failed, for the marquess looked particular fetching in his black and white attire, his sandy hair slicked back from his forehead and those blue eyes bright with what she could only ascertain as mischief.
Her lips quirked, for this was one lady who wasn’t going to be easily maneuvered by a handsome face and a few charming words.
If he wished to earn her respect—first he would have to survive their courtship.
His gaze traveled over the length of her attire, pausing on her bodice, before meeting her eyes once again. “Miss Hargrove. You look enchanting.” He extended his arm and she accepted the offering, placing her hand lightly on his forearm.
“Thank you, my lord.” As they began to walk, she stumbled slightly, her momentum causing him to falter in turn. “Oh! I do apologize. I fear I’m terribly clumsy at times.”
He visibly swallowed, although she thought she detected a bit of annoyance in his tone. “No harm done.”
She offered a grin she hoped was bordering on the ridiculous and made a show of pushing her spectacles higher up on her nose. “And my vision! Why, sometimes, I find it difficult to see a hand directly in front of my face.” She placed her palm directly in front of his face until it nearly touched his nose.
He leaned back and said, “Er… I see.” He gently set her arm back to her side. “Shall we continue?”
Dulcenia hid a smile as they descended the stairs together. She noted that he took particular care to make sure his steps were slow and almost exaggerated, as if she might cause them to go tumbling headfirst to meet their demise.
Once they reached the landing, he exhaled heavily, as if he was relieved they had made it that far without further incident.
As they entered the parlor before the meal was announced, she made sure to keep any more antics to a minimum around the other guests. It wasn’t until she spied Lady Jane Allen that her stomach began to sour. When the debutante turned from her group of ladies and saw her with Lord Dalhousie, her gaze instantly narrowed. She excused herself from her party and began to walk toward them.
Dulcenia stiffened, but she lifted her chin when her opponent gave her little more than a passing glance as she murmured, “Miss Hargrove.” Before she turned to smile broadly at the marquess. “Lord Dalhousie. I didn’t realize you were attending this house party.”
“Indeed, he is.” Another masculine voice entered the conversation. “As am I.”
Dulcenia eyed the newcomer with his wide, devil-may-care smile and dark coloring and lifted a brow. She knew Lord Marcus Keane and had never really cared for his rakish ways. Even now, his gaze was bold as he slid it up and down her frame. “Miss Hargrove. I daresay I never realized what a… charming creature you are.”
She smiled, but didn’t reply, or she would have likely told him that the reason he never noticed her before was because he hadn’t bothered to acknowledge her. Fortunately, his attention was soon diverted to Lady Jane. He put a hand to his heart and took the hand she offered, bestowing a lingering kiss on her bare knuckles as he did so. “Your beauty has never faded far from my mind, my lady.”
Jane scrunched up her nose. “You are entirely too confident for your own good, my lord.”
He winked at her. “Indeed, I am,” he returned unrepentantly. He straightened and turned his attention back to Dulcenia, much to her chagrin. “If you would not be averse to joining me at the dining table, I should like the opportunity to be your companion.”
Before Dulcenia could reply, the marquess interjected smoothly, “The lady is with me, Marcus. Perhaps another time.”
Marcus didn’t appearto be affronted by Carew’s interference, but rather amused. Giving Carew a knowing look, he bowed to Lady Jane and offered her his services, which she accepted with a pleased expression. Carew hoped the man could feel his glare as they departed. He didn’t know what his friend was trying to do this early in the game, but he didn’t appreciate it. He’d known Marcus to play on a completely different level, and although he might not wish to marry Miss Hargrove, neither did he wish to see her reputation in tatters. If Marcus believed that Carew’s emotions could become engaged, there was no telling what he might do to distract her away from him.
He would have a talk with Marcus very soon to clarify the terms of their wager, but as dinner was announced, he followed the rest of the assemblage into the dining hall.
It was a large room that easily seated the entire house party, and he noted that Dulcenia’s lips curved upward in a relieved smile when she spied Lady Osbourne seated next to the Duchess of Ross.
As they took their seats, Carew leaned over to whisper in her ear, “You seem rather close to Lady Osbourne.”
She shrugged lightly. “She is my chaperone, and I rely heavily on her counsel of late, so I guess you could say we are friends, if not just friendly acquaintances.”
“I see,” he murmured. “And bycounsel, I assume you mean you discuss how to go about ensnaring a husband?”
He had the pleasure of seeing her cheeks brighten. She opened her linen serviette with a snap and placed it in her lap, and then she reached for her wine glass, which a footman had just filled. After taking a bracing sip, she said evenly, “You make it sound as though I am fishing, my lord, when I don’t intend toensnareanyone. I also explained this to Lady Osbourne and she told me that there is nothing wrong with meeting new people, so that is what made me agree to come here.” She turned her flat, brown gaze on him. “So don’t flatter yourself that you are my sole purpose for being here.”
Carew couldn’t help himself. He laughed. Who would have thought that mousy “Dull”cenia could have been so witty? “Duly noted, Miss Hargrove. I will do my best to remember that you have no interest in me whatsoever.” He slid a glance at her to gauge her reaction and when she remained silent, clutching her fists in her lap, he added softly, “Unless youareinterested in furthering our acquaintance?”
This time her eyes flashed with fire when she looked at him. “You are incorrigible, Lord Dalhousie. Rest assured that I don’t think we would suit if either one of us were interested.”
