Mrs. Malcolm’s nostrils flared slightly. “No, of course not. I didn’t expect any such thing.”
Adam hoped she wore the same one from the ball. It had been gloriously revealing.
Every time she wentout in society, Alice was risking recognition, detection, and thereby utter humiliation. And worse. Yet, against her better judgment, she had agreed because listening to skilled musicians was a treat she greatly missed in her present station.
Regardless, Alice had hardly ever expected to find herself seated not only near Lord Diamond but beside him. Having arrived late due to Lady Susanne having a sudden fashion emergency, the three hurried to their seats, and her charge practically galloped to their appointed row, scooted in, and took the first of three seats.
When Alice went to sit, Lady Susanne said, “No, please, Mrs. Malcolm, allow his lordship to sit beside me.”
The infuriating girl ought to have allowed Alice to sit first! When she tried to rearrange her, the manager hurried over and insisted they take their seats at once. The conductor was already facing the audience.
Lord Diamond quickly sat, and Alice had no choice but to do the same, and thus, he was between them. On the other hand, she enjoyed being on the center aisle with a much better view of what was going on up ahead. When the first pure notes carried her away, she cared not a whit for Susanne’s virtue —after all, what could happen in the Octagon Room?
Yet try as she might, she could not forget the man beside her. Their upper arms were touching, and the warmth seeped through the sleeve of her second-best gown. Her vanity had refused to let her wear the same ballgown again so soon. This one, a dove-gray cotton with cream piping trim, fit her well and was more suitable to a governess. Compared to all the other ladies, however, she appeared drab and underdressed.
Regardless, no one else seemed to be distracted by an attractive man’s shoulder, causing a fiery sensation to sizzle through her. Thus, Alice earnestly tried to ignore him and focus upon the musicians.
Impossible!Lord Diamond’s right leg swayed along to some unfathomable part of the composition, but since she couldn’t tell which, she half-wondered if he were tone deaf or devoid of any sense of rhythm.
When he next leaned his leg in her direction, touching her knee, she started to think he was doing it on purpose.
Startled, she moved away, pointing her toes toward the aisle.
“I apologize,” he muttered. Leaning his mouth down to the shell of her ear, he made her shiver as he whispered, “I am enjoying it so much I —”
“Shh,”she admonished.
He ceased at once.
The remainder of the concert’s first half passed without any further annoyances from Lord Diamond — except she was unable to cease her acute awareness of his closeness. Nor could she quell the tingling in her body. He was a nuisance.
When they arose to stretch their legs before the second half, Susanne was bubbling.
“How beautiful. Don’t you think?” Her question was, as usual, doubtful of her own opinion.
“Indeed,” Lord Diamond said, quickly glancing at Alice. “What did you think, Mrs. Malcolm?Youare the expert.”
Something about the way he said that rubbed her the wrong way, like stroking a cat from tail to head.
“I am sure these musicians are far more adept than I could hope to be. To think anything else would be presumptuous.” However, she had noticed somesournotes, as her father might have labeled them, were they still speaking to one another.
“In that case, without giving offense, may I ask simply whether you enjoyed it?” he asked.
She was being unnecessarily peevish, which wasn’t like her. She had accepted her lot in life after Richard’s untimely yet welcome death.So why was she now taking it out on the only man who had ever made her crackle with desire from head to toe?
“Of course I did. Thank you for asking,” she replied more softly, earning a raised eyebrow of recognition from him that she was, at least, trying to be polite. “I thought they —”
“There is Lady Francine,” Susanne interrupted. “She wasn’t at the ball, nor in Bath this past week. I must go speak with her at once and discover where she has been. Probably to get new gowns in London. I wish Mother would take me to do the same,but she always says we can get anything right here on Milsom Street.” She was still talking about fashion as she wandered off.
“I suppose I should trail along behind her.”
“I believe that’s what chaperones do,” Lord Diamond agreed. He turned and let his gaze follow Susanne’s path. “Except she has stopped already. And since there isn’t a man near her, I believe she is safe.”
“Thank you for explaining my duty,” Alice quipped, and the crabby tone had returned.
“Are you married?” he asked, obviously intending to catch her off guard.
And he had. She answered before she realized.
