His nostrils flared and the muscle in his jaw jumped, but silently, he moved out of the doorway and let her pass.
Hurrying down the stairs, Glynnis saw Lord Payton chatting with Mr. Sparks. Her entire encounter with James had probably lasted only three minutes, so why did she feel as if she’d kept him waiting an eternity?
“I’m dreadfully sorry. At first, I couldn’t find this particular pair, and then, there they were, under the bed.” She tucked them under her arm as Mr. Sparks opened the door for them.
“As I said, Miss Talbot, we shall enjoy the party when we get there. There’s no rush.”
Knowing James was probably at the top of the stairs watching them, by the way the hair on the back of her neck stood up, Glynnis willed herself not to turn.
At the same time, she forced herself to forget she preferred him over every man she’d ever met.
***
JAMES STROLLED ALONGthe Marine Parade by himself. His mood would be worse except he had felt the shiver under his fingers when he’d held Glynnis. And her warm lips had responded briefly with passion before she’d bitten him like a hellcat.
He supposed he deserved it. Moreover, he was intrigued by her jealousy over a harlot. After all, she was engaged.Why would she care if he enjoyed himself?It was a mystery, but she definitely had been bothered.
Probably not as much, however, as he was perturbed by her newfound companionship with Payton. If she had to await Aberavon in the company of a man, why not do so with him? Why take up with another?
After watching Payton take his lovely houseguest by the arm, James had waited a few minutes, not wanting to be trailing upon their heels down the street to the Old Ship, although the view of her backside might have been worth it. He’d thought about having a drink to bide the time but reconsidered.
With his obsession —which is what he would now call this unceasing desire for Glynnis— burning through him, making him blatantly irrational, he didn’t want a repeat of the previous assembly’s indulgence.
He’d been spoony drunk by the time he got to ...Dammit all!He’d forgotten her name again. He doubted the Cyprian would hold a grudge since he’d left her well paid, but it had been a waste of good female flesh and his own coin. He needed to show a little more restraint.
“Stop behaving like a spoiled whelp,” he muttered to himself when he finally entered the assembly room on the ground floor of the Old Ship. Quite a goodly sized crowd had already gathered, but the high, white plaster ceiling kept it from growing too warm. With their gold-and-red-striped curtains drawn back, the windows were all open along one wall of cream-colored wallpaper as were the double doors at the opposite end, leading into the back courtyard of the hotel.
Above them, the royal box was empty since there would be no concert that evening. In the perfectly positioned, musicians’ balcony, however, the sounds of a small orchestra were already flowing down to the ballroom floor.
Deciding to pay his respects first to the Regent, now that His Highness had all but set him free, James made his way toward the elegant royal retiring room added after one of Prinny’s first visits to Brighton in 1787, supposedly to entice him back. As it turned out, he had needed no such enticement.
Approaching the double open doors off one side of the ballroom, James knew Prinny was already enjoying himself in the royal chamber, as evidenced by the tail-end of a ribald joke followed by his loud laughter, quickly joined in by those around him.
James supposed a jovial Prince Regent was better than a dour one. But sometimes, he might instill more confidence in the British people if he weren’t quite so jolly at so very many parties, and if he took more of an interest in matters of state as he did in matters of music and art.
Prinny welcomed him with a smile and a nod, and James bowed.
“Here’s my good friend, Hargrove.”
James was taken aback by the warmth of the greeting and by Prinny’s declaration to the tuft-hunters surrounding him like bees to a flower.
“Hargrove has brought me the most exquisite vase, all the way from the Louvre. You shall see it at my birthday party. Did I mention we’re having a masquerade?”
And with that, the flicker of fame passed from James back to the prince and those who crowded close to give him early good wishes.
Having done his duty, he returned to the ballroom, trying not to look for Glynnis and Payton. He failed, spying them laughing over something on the other side of the room with two other bucks dancing attendance.And why not?She was easily outshining everyone else in the room, just as she had in London all those months ago.
And exactly like that first time he’d spotted her, a surge of longing went through him. Glancing around wildly for some other destination — Staunton? No. Cumberry? No! Dodd? For God’s sake, no! He ignored the refreshments and then saw a dull but harmless fellow he knew from his London club. They could have a chin-wag over the last Parliamentary session or the price of tea shares.
Yet he couldn’t help noticing when Glynnis noticed him. Her gaze tracked him crossing the room. Her cheeks stained pink, and he felt an answering tightening of his loins thinking of their recent kiss. How they hadn’t yet danced the hornpipe jig, he didn’t know.
“Morley,” he greeted his acquaintance, and their conversation commenced.
It was many minutes later, maybe a good half an hour when he glanced over in her direction for the umpteenth time only to discover her missing.
While Morley talked about coal reserves, James scanned the rest of the ballroom.
She and Payton were dancing, and he wished with all his heart he was her partner.
