She ended just at the right time, and was finally paired again with Mr. Leslie. Thankfully, the dance ended soon afterward, and she didn’t have to talk to—or touch—Vincent any more.
Exhausted, her feet aching, she didn’t want to dance the next reel. She begged her partner to let her rest a spell. He was kind and fetched her a glass of punch, allowing her to sit while they chatted. This meant so much more to her because she actually got to know him a little better without interruptions. Mr. Aaron Hobart was the second son of an earl, but didn’t have a title, although he had an inheritance. Right away her mind drifted to another earl she knew…
She mentally shookthat manout of her thoughts and concentrated on Mr. Hobart. He seemed to have better manners than the others she’d danced with tonight, and although he wasn’t outright humorous, he did put her at ease. It wasn’t hard to picture him as her husband.
Gradually, Ellie could see a light at the end of her dismal tunnel of husband hunting.
*
Vincent couldn’t takehis eyes off Ellie. She was absolutely stunning tonight. No longer did she look like Dominic’s younger sister, with freckles scattered across her nose, dirty shoes, and a wrinkled dress, as he’d remembered from their youth. Now she resembled arealwoman, but not the kind that was easily seduced.
Ellie looked elegant in her red gown. Of course, he knew why she’d dressed this way. She wanted to attract men, which was definitely working. However, Vincent was willing to bet that most of the men who danced with her tonight didn’t know how innocent she really was—since Vincent had firsthand knowledge of that.
He tipped a flute of champagne to his mouth and sipped slowly as he watched her sitting with Mr. Hobart, in deep conversation. So far, her dance partners had been a boorish lot, but from the sparkle of interest in her eyes, Vincent could tell she was going to get to know Mr. Hobart much better.
A twisting knot started in his stomach, and the longer he studied the two, the harder the knot tightened. This would not do! He should ask questions about Hobart and discover if this man would be a good fit for Ellie. After all, Vincent knew what lengths women would go to because of desperation.
He tore his attention from the pair and searched for someone who might know about Hobart. Lord and Lady Campbell stood close by. Vincent grinned. Lady Campbell loved to gossip, and during a recent fox hunt, Lord Campbell had enjoyed telling everyone what he’d heard from his wife.
Vincent strode toward them and greeted them with a bow. He started up a conversation about hunting, and at that point, Lady Campbell excused herself and walked away.
When Lord Campbell paused, Vincent decided to ask the question on his mind. “My lord, what do you know about Mr. Aaron Hobart?”
The middle-aged man with a rotund belly raised a brown, bushy eyebrow. “Hobart, you say?”
“Yes, the Earl of Whitehouse’s second son.”
“The earl is a fine chap.” Campbell nodded as he linked his fingers together across his wide middle. “Hobart is a good hunter. He takes after his father, you know.”
“I’m sure he does.” Vincent chuckled. “Can you tell me why he’s not yet married?”
The other man quickly glanced around them before leaning toward Vincent. “From what my wife says, Hobart spends too much time at the gaming tables. Apparently, he’s looking for a wealthy wife and won’t settle for anything less.” The lord took another glance around. “But if you ask me, he’ll never be sober enough to find the right woman, even if she’s naïve enough to fall for his charms.”
Vincent bunched his hands. Ellie was certainly the perfect target for Hobart. Unfortunately, the gambler would have all her money spent within a year or two. She didn’t deserve a husband like that.
Perhaps he should warn her. Suddenly, an odd emotion filled him. It was if he could feel his friend staring down from heaven toward Vincent, encouraging him not to let Hobart win. Indeed, Vincent would be a heel if he didn’t say something to Ellie.
But she was upset at him. Would she even listen to reason? Vincent’s father was a prime example that men shouldnotgamble away their money.
When the topic died down, Vincent excused himself and made his way through the crowd toward Ellie and Hobart. The dance would end soon, so he really only had a few minutes to make a comment before the next man claimed a dance from her.
Ellie didn’t see him coming, but Hobart did. As Vincent came closer, he nodded. “Hobart? Will I see you at White’s tonight? There’s another big game with high stakes planned this evening.” Vincent winked. “And, of course, plenty of bourbon. Just the way you like it.”
“Um…of course.” Hobart’s face reddened.
Vincent took a quick peek at Ellie. Her cheeks were crimson as well, but it wasn’t embarrassment that lit up her face. Her glare nearly burned right through him. It hurt to think he’d upset her again, but this particular situation had to happen in order to keep her from falling into the gambler’s clutches.
Without saying another word, Vincent continued through the crowd until he found an empty space against the far wall. This would be a perfect place to keep an eye on his sisters, who, thankfully, had full dance cards, and to watch Ellie to see what other man she might take an interest in.
Two dances later, Ellie made her way on the dance floor with Lord Pettingill. Vincent didn’t need to ask Lord Campbell about this particular man. Pettingill was worse of a rake than Vincent, if that were possible. Just last year, he had tried to seduce one of Vincent’s sisters, before he even had a title. Thankfully, Vincent stopped the flirtation before the man could ruin Lilly’s reputation. After that, Vincent kept his eyes on Pettingill—and the rakehell seduced three other women within a month.
Another little tidbit he’d learned about Pettingill was that he charmed wealthy women into buying him gifts or paying off his debts.
Vincent studied Ellie’s expression while she danced and chatted with Pettingill. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. Dead giveaway that she was thinking about making this man her next conquest. But Vincent couldn’t say anything to her in front of the other lord. So how could he go about letting her know that Pettingill wasn’t worth her time?
“Oh, Vincent.” Lilly grasped his arm, jerking him out of his concentration. “I’m having the most wonderful time. I’m so happy you decided to bring us with you to the ball tonight.”
Vincent smiled at his sister. She looked pretty this evening with her lavender gown and her hair done up fancy. But it was the enjoyment on her face that brightened her countenance considerably.
