“Perhaps we can join my aunt and Lady Duncaster,” Mary suggested, noting their presence at the other end of the room. “The gentleman they are talking to is Mr.Thomas Young, the scientist. I would love to participate in their conversation.”
“Perhaps we can do so later,” Rotridge said, not deviating from his path. Reaching the table, he pulled out a chair for Mary and gestured for her to take a seat. Leaning close to her, he murmured, “At present, I am too delighted by the prospect of having you all to myself.”
It was the sort of pronouncement that would make most young ladies blush. Mary arched a brow, but did as she was expected to do and claimed her seat with elegant poise. As soon as Rotridge was seated beside her however, she turned to him and said, “My lord, I know that you have the very best of intentions, but if you wish to win my favor, then I would advise you to pay attention to my interests.” Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she waited for his response.
There was a brief moment of silence, but then he chuckled beside her. “You cannot honestly tell me that you would rather jointhemin favor of having a quiet tête-à-tête with me?”
Did his arrogance know no bounds? “You and I will have plenty of time to ourselves once we are out on the lake.”
“True, though I daresay it will hardly be enough.” His gaze drifted away from her eyes and toward the side of her head. “It is a shame that you did not choose to leave your hair down today. It looked so stunning last night, the way it tumbled over your shoulders in thick flowing curls.”
His voice had dropped to a gravelly tone that made Mary feel slightly uncomfortable. It shouldn’t, she supposed, since he had done nothing but compliment her. But there was something about his voice that she did not like, just as she hadn’t liked the way in which he’d smelled her hair the previous evening. It had felt... intrusive.
Aware that she would somehow have to come to terms with this if she was to spend the entire afternoon with the man, she decided to make an effort to change the subject. “Do you like to read?” she asked, hoping that they might be able to find something interesting to discuss.
“I had no choice but to do so when I attended school and university. It was such a chore really, which is why I have not bothered to read much of anything since.”
Mary’s mouth dropped. “But surely there must have been at least one book that you enjoyed during your studies.”
Reaching for his glass of wine, he seemed to ponder that for a moment. He suddenly grinned, his eyes flashing with unhindered mischief. “Now that you mention it, there was actually one particular book that could hold my interest for hours on end.”
“Oh? What was it called?”
“I cannot possibly tell you that.”
“Why on earth not?” she asked. “I am very well read, my lord, so it is possible that I have read this one as well and... What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I think it highly unlikely that you would have read this particular book.” His voice was a low whisper as he leaned closer to her—so close that his shoulder brushed against hers.
Mary shook her head. A plate of food was placed before her and she sat for a moment, just staring at it in confusion. “Was it political in nature?”
“Hardly.” He took a bite of his food.
Following suit, Mary tried to quell her annoyance, but couldn’t quite seem to manage it. “My lord, I may be a woman, but that does not mean that I cannot discuss matters that are of interest to men.”
Tilting his head, he stared into her eyes with an intensity that made her squirm. “Very well then, I shall humor you. The book was calledHow to Please a Lady.”
Mary frowned. “I do not recall hearing of it before, but I must admit that I am surprised that you would find a book on etiquette so diverting.”
“Etiquette?” His eyes shimmered with mirth. “My dear, you are entirely mistaken.”
“How so?”
Shaking his head, he took another bite of his food. “It is becoming increasingly clear to me that no matter how educated a lady may claim to be, she has absolutely no knowledge of the only subject that truly matters.”
“My lord, I cannot help but feel as though you are mocking me.”
“Then you must forgive me, for that is not my intention. Indeed, you are not the one to blame for your ignorance in the one area that will determine your ability to not only find a husband, but to keep him.”
“As I have said before, I have no interest in marriage.”
He allowed his eyes to roam over her for a moment. Mary dropped her gaze to her plate and proceeded to study a piece of lettuce with great interest.
“Perhaps if I enlighten you, you will change your mind.” There was a buoyancy to his words that made them sound more casual than Mary knew them to be.
A shiver danced across her skin, but it was not the welcoming variety that she’d felt when Signor Antonio had held her in his arms during the waltz, but rather the sort that warned her to beware. “I doubt it,” she said. Finishing her meal, she reached for her wine. “Once I set my mind to something, I am not easily swayed.”
“Then we are not that dissimilar, you and I.” Pushing away from the table, he rose and helped her do so as well. “Shall we?”
