How did he know?By James’s smirking face, she realized he must have said something to the baron.
“Lord Aberavon,” she began and stopped.What could she say?
“You are lovelier than I recall,” he said, wiping the smile off James’s face. “When I last dined at your parents’ home—”
“You know her?” James asked.
Lord Payton stared at his friend as if he’d lost his mind. “Of course they know each other. They’re engaged to be married.”
“But—” James started.
“Will you gentlemen leave us, please,” Lord Aberavon asked. “I would like a moment alone with my ... fiancé.”
At this, Glynnis couldn’t help her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She didn’t know what was happening, but James’s expression was a mirror of her own. Only Lord Payton seemed to have the right of it, even though he was in the wrong.
“Come along, Hargrove. Let’s leave them alone and go have some champagne.”
Still James gawked at her. Yet as Lord Aberavon sat beside her, he shook his head.
“Maybe we can find Prinny’s good brandy instead,” James muttered.
She watched the two friends walk off toward the house, ready to face the truth.
“I do not understand, my lord. We arenotengaged, are we?” Glynnis had to ask in case her father had, in fact, made an arrangement that she didn’t know about.
“No, but I can tell when a lady needs to be rescued, and you seem to be in the suds. Quite deep, too.”
She sighed. “I suppose I am.
***
JAMES AND PAYTON SNUCKaway from the other party-goers onto the second floor. With a few coins given to a footman who knew them both, they managed to obtain a glass each of French brandy and were seated in Prinny’s private salon.
“Don’t you intend to marry her?” James asked his friend after they both slumped into comfortable chairs.
Payton shrugged. “If she had wanted to, I would’ve been game. Someone like Miss Talbot could probably make any man happy. She has decidedly good humor and a lovely face.”
“Abeautifulface,” James amended. “And a figure to match.” He thought of her shapely curves that had fit perfectly into his hands. “She’s clever, too.”
Payton laughed. “It’s a good thing I’m not in love with her because you are.”
James sucked in the swallow of brandy and coughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Just because I hold her in high esteem and think her a right gimcrack.”
“And because you think of herallthe time and long for her and want to see her smile and hear her laugh.”
James’s jaw dropped at Payton’s understanding of his torment.
Payton smiled wryly. “I was in love once.”
This was news. “What happened?”
“That’s another story,” his friend insisted. “But I’m sorry to say you are not going to marry Miss Talbot any more than I am.
“I don’t want to marry her,” James maintained, but his words were hollow. At that moment, he wanted to have her as his own more than he wanted his next breath.
“I truly hope not. I would hate to see you get your heart broken.” Then Payton shook his head. “You’re an idiot and don’t deserve her. You stepped aside and let me get into the race when you had the lead.”
James took another sip. “She seemed to set her cap at you. She managed to entice you into a kiss so you would be discovered. Miss Talbot must have wanted you to be the one to marry her.”
