Not far away, he noticed Lilly chatting with some friends. He stepped around some couples to get to her, then took her by the arm and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. “Where is Miss Middleton?”
When he pulled back, confusion was written on his sister’s face. “When I left her, she said she was going to talk to you.” She glanced around them. “Didn’t she come?”
His heart dropped. If Ellie had come this way, she would have seen him with Lady Livingston. What were the chances that Ellie had overheard?
Inwardly, he groaned. He hoped that wasn’t the case.
Chapter Four
Ellie elbowed herway through the crowd, praying nobody would detect the tears swimming in her eyes. She needed fresh air before she became sick. The events of the last hour were enough to cause any woman to go insane. Especially because Vincent Wallace was involved.
She made it to a side door and hurried through it before anyone could stop her. She was certain her father or Augusta would be searching for her soon, especially when her next dance partner wouldn’t be able to find her. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t stay in that room one moment longer without screaming.
After Lilly had come to tell her about Lord Pettingill, Ellie’s anger had surfaced—again—and this time she wasn’t just going to brush it away as she had when Vincent ruined her conversation with Mr. Hobart.
The nerve of that man!Why couldn’t Vincent just let her be? He obviously didn’t want to be her husband in name only, so why was he trying to destroy her chances with other men?
Ellie slowed her steps to not attract attention from the others who were strolling in the moonlight on the back terrace. There was too much lighting out here on the walkway to find privacy. She needed to find someplace where she could hide so that others wouldn’t see her anguish.
Phrases drifted through her mind from what she’d overheard when she came upon Vincent and Lady Livingston. Ellie’s heart wrenched, and she held her breath, trying to keep from crying. He wouldn’t accept her offer, yet he would meet the widow later tonight to hearheroffer? Ellie wasn’t completely naïve. She knew exactly what that woman wanted from Vincent. And the fool appeared eager to get it.
Finally, she found a grove of trees where nobody stood around, a place where she could hide and release her frustrations. She pressed her forehead against the trunk, brought her knuckles to her mouth, and allowed her sobs to break free. Her body shook as she thought of everything that had happened to her lately. It was her own fault for being this emotional. She shouldn’t have expected Vincent to eagerly accept her bargain. She figured he would be jumping at the chance to help his sisters—and her, of course. It hurt to know how wrong she’d been.
She especially berated herself for enjoying his kiss a week ago. Why had she done that when she was still very much in love with Adam? But then, Vincent was a scoundrel of the worst kind. He had taken advantage of her weakness—of her innocence. She’d been an utter fool.
Behind her, the leaves of the bushes rustled, but before she had time to wipe the tears from her eyes, two strong hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her away from the tree, pressing her face against a muscular chest. She didn’t need to look at the man’s face to know who it was. His familiar, masculine pine scent had left an imprint in her memory, which would probably be hard to erase.
“Shh…” Vincent said in a quiet voice. “Don’t cry, my precious.”
Her heart twisted again. Why did he keep calling her that endearment? She most certainly wasn’thisprecious.
Taking in a deep, slow breath, she tried to collect her wits before she spoke. If she said anything now, she’d just cry all over again.
His warm palms drew small circles on her back as he gently pulled her closer. Although their embrace was most improper, it was also, in an odd way, comforting. Her mind clogged with confusion. Why did she feel this way? What happened to the hatred she had for him only moments ago?
He was silent, except for his breathing, which brushed the top of her head, and slowly moved down to her ear. A shiver ran through her, which confused her more, since she wasn’t cold. But when his lips swept over her temple, she hitched a breath. What was he doing? Was this some kind of seduction? Well, she’d show him his tactics weren’t going to work this time.
She lifted her head and gasped. He was entirely too close. Shadows played across his face, making him that much more handsome.
“Are you feeling better?” Tenderness coated his voice.
She expelled a breath as she tried to collect her senses before they went flying all over the place. She wished she could see his eyes, but even those were darkened with shadows. He continued to hold her against his body, and of course inhaling his scent like this made her legs weak.
“I’ll be fine once you move away,” she finally said, thankful her voice didn’t crack.
His mouth stretched wide. “I’m happy to see that your energetic personality has returned.”
“Please.” She pressed her hands against his chest to push him away. She was only able to take one step back because his arms were locked around her waist. “I don’t know why you came to find me, but I wish you’d return inside. I want to be by myself. Can’t you see that?”
“What if I want to talk to you first?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
He stroked her cheek. “Lilly mentioned that you wanted to say something to me earlier. Will you tell me what it was?”
Her memory returned in a disturbing flash. Vincent had stood so close to Lady Livingston—a woman with a sordid reputation, no less—and her hand rested on his chest. The look of lust in the woman’s eyes resurfaced in Ellie’s mind, and to make it worse, Vincent had held the same expression while looking at the widow.
Ellie’s gut twisted again. “It’s not important any longer.”
