“What about you, my lord?” came the voice from the woman beside him, and he wrenched his gaze from the dark-haired minx who’d captivated him.
“My apologies, I missed the question.”
The woman sighed. He’d been apologizing to her throughout dinner, but he couldn’t seem to remember to listen to her and was grateful each time she turned to the gentleman on her other side and talked his ear off instead.
“You, my lord, are a boorish dining partner.”
That much he heard.
“Why didn’t you make it a point to dine with that dark-haired lady if you were going to give her all your attention?” she asked.
He was being so obvious as if he cared about Miss Talbot.Irrational, foolish — what was he doing?He certainly wasn’t behaving like the care-free and unattached bachelor that he was.
“I’m behaving like an ass,” he confessed to the lady whose name he didn’t know but who deserved better. “How can I make it up to you?”
“You can’t. The pudding course has come and gone, and I’m glad we shall soon be set free.”
On that point, he wholeheartedly agreed. When the Prince Regent rose from his chair, appearing overstuffed and uncomfortable, James quickly drew out the lady’s chair and watched her flee from his poor civility.
Sighing, he looked once more toward Miss Talbot, but she was already showing him her back, striding away from the table on Dodd’s arm. He knew he would have enjoyed the meal had he been seated beside her. So far, he’d liked most every minute he’d spent in her company.
And the longer she spent with Dodd, the more miserable he became.
“Why are you looking like a dog who has lost his dinner?”
James smiled at Payton. “Prinny asked me to keep an eye on a young lady so she wouldn’t get into trouble,” he confessed.
“And you desperately want to be rid of her?” Payton asked, scanning the room as if she would have a sign over her head.
“I desperately want to get into trouble with her.”
Payton barked out a laugh. “So why don’t you?”
“She’s engaged. What’s more, I like her. It would be cruel to ruin her just because I can.”
Payton stared at him, then he crossed his arms.
“What do you mean youlikeher?”
James rolled his eyes. “As a person and as a female, she seems...,” he trailed off. “Never mind.”
“Do I know her?” Payton asked, back to looking at the other guests.
“I don’t think so. Miss Talbot—”
Payton’s head whipped around, and he gawked at him. “NottheMiss Talbot, the one you said was a conniving wench?”
