“Are you to attend the theater tomorrow evening? I believe it is Shakespeare’s—”
“I am not to attend, Lord Stafford,” she said, cutting him off. Her eyes then returned to Lord Braxton. The man smiled acrossthe table, looking smug over the fact Lady Alice appeared to have no wish to speak to him.
Was her anger because she’d found out he’d been to the Crimson Serpent? But who would have told her?
He had promised her honesty. Promised to keep her abreast of his search for Kenneth Jackson. And he had broken that promise, but she couldn’t know that.
Jamie emptied his expression, lifting his spoon, though he could not have said what he tasted.
From his left, Miss Timothy asked a question about hunting lodges. From his right, Miss Devlin pressed him about his family estate. He answered automatically, with the ease of long practice. But inwardly, his focus never shifted.
Every movement of Alice’s hands, the tilt of her head, the light catching in her hair—these occupied him more than any conversation at his own side.
She was furious with him. He knew it now, as surely as he knew his own name. Just not why.
Chapter Twenty
Alice smiled atsomething Lord Braxton said, and secretly thought him a fool, as was her father if he thought she’d ever marry the man.
Aunt Gwen had fallen ill late this afternoon with a terrible headache and had been unable to attend. Alice had told her she would send word with their excuses, but her aunt had insisted she attend without her, and seemed agitated when Alice had refused, so she’d given in.
Arriving at the dinner party early, she’d felt a rush of relief when the guests appeared without Lord Stafford among them. But that relief didn’t last because he turned up soon after with his friends.
Alice had calmed down enough to understand why he’d not wanted her to enter the Crimson Serpent, but he should have told her what he found, and had not. She didn’t trust easily, and this was why. People always broke that trust.
Thankfully, her father had kept his word and left the townhouse before Alice had headed to the dinner party. Of course, she had not known that as he’d not made the effort to speak to her again.Loathsome man.Phipps had informed her.
“The color of your eyes brings forth the most beauteous sunsets, Lady Alice.”
“It’s going to be an excessively long meal if you keep posturing, Braxton.”
Alice looked across the table and into the eyes of Lord Hamilton after he spoke. He offered her a smile, which she was forced to return. Had Lord Stafford told his friends about what had taken place in the Black Dog? Did they also know she was hunting Jackson to avenge her brother? The two women at the clinic had said three gentlemen visited the Crimson Serpent. Were the other two Lords Corbyn and Hamilton? If so, then they were cads also as far as she was concerned.
Alice had the unfortunate personality trait that if someone wronged her, then she never forgave them. Charles had often said that if grudge holding was a sport, she would be its highest-ranking player.
Lord Stafford had wronged her, and she would not forget that. His friends, however, Alice would wait to see if they needed to be put on that list as well.
Beside her, Lord Braxton brayed with laughter, taking the insult from Lord Hamilton as humor.Idiot.
“I’m sure your father told you I called to see you today, Lady Alice,” he said.
“He did.”
“I want to take you driving.”
She would rather have insects crawling over her entire body than go anywhere with this man.
“I am uncertain of my plans for the next week, my lord,” Alice lied.
Of course, many had seen Alice as a future wife who came with a large dowry and her father’s title at her back. She’d managed to dissuade all of them in different ways, and the ones she hadn’t, had been unable to speak to her father about their wishes. That was about to change when he returned to London, however. He also now wanted her wed.
Bastard.
“I am a patient man,” Lord Braxton said.
She knew the signs when a man was showing interest in her, and Lord Braxton was making his intentions known. She was just unsure why, as before today he’d not shown any partiality toward her.
Alice thought it was likely that he’d come into his title recently and needed her funds to replenish the family coffers. She might not spend a lot of time in society, but Eloise and Thaddeus kept her abreast of all goings-on.
