“A pity.”
The duke smirked.Leaning in, he glanced toward the entrance – the very spot where Miss Carmichael stood – and quietly said, “You ought to stop gawking and ask her to dance.”
Adrian stilled on the realization that Eldridge had seen straight through his attempt at appearing indifferent.
The duke stepped back, a wry look adding a hint of mischief to his steely gaze.“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Mr.Croft.”
With that, Eldridge turned and walked off, leaving Adrian alone as he went to join the Duke of Wrengate.A man who’d always struck Adrian as the callous sort who’d kick a puppy if it were in his way.
Jaw clamped, Adrian headed outside to the terrace for a bit of fresh air.As he stepped through the door, a light breeze ruffled his hair and cooled his skin.He crossed the flagstone paving and leaned against the railing, then closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself.
Shoving one hand in his pocket, he smoothed his thumb over the miniature he carried with him without fail.
No one was supposed to know his mind, but if Eldridge was able to read his expression, anyone could.He took a breath and acknowledged that he was severely out of practice.Clearly he’d have to do better.
A soft gasp alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t alone.Turning, he saw that he’d been joined by the ever-eager Miss Leonora Brighton, a friend of his sister’s who often sought him out whenever the chance to do so arose.
Adrian almost groaned.He doubted her parents would be especially thrilled if they knew of her interest in him.
“Are you all right?”she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.“If you’d like someone to talk to, I’m happy to offer companionship.”
Adrian stared at her.“Thank you, but I think it would be best for you to return indoors.”
He was not the sort of man who could be coerced into marriage because he’d been found alone with someone’s foolish daughter.If anyone happened upon them, he’d walk away without second thought while her reputation would be forever ruined.
Ignoring his suggestion, she shrugged one shoulder and moved toward him.“Your father’s death was terribly hard on Evelyn.It must have been awful for you as well.”
This was not the sort of conversation he wished to have at the moment.Certainly not with her.He pushed away from the railing and prowled through the darkness until they were standing no more than a foot apart.Her eyes widened with some sort of twisted yearning that made no sense.They barely knew one another.
Raising his palm, he set it against her pale cheek and allowed his thumb to lightly caress her.He watched with an almost perverse degree of gratification as her eyelids drooped and a sigh of pleasure drifted across her thin lips.Like a tiny duckling seeking shelter in a lion’s den.
“You would do well to stay away from dishonorable men,” he murmured.“Set your sights on finding a suitable match instead.”
She swallowed hard, her throat working roughly with the effort as she sought his gaze and held it.“How can I when I’m irrevocably drawn to you?”
Not him, he wagered, so much as the thrill of courting danger.It might be time for him to recommend Evie cut ties with this woman.
His hold on Miss Brighton’s jaw tightened, squeezing until she whimpered and squirmed.“Three upper-class women were murdered last year, Miss Brighton.The killer has not yet been captured, and until he is, I recommend caution when choosing whom to seek out in dark corners.”
Maneuvering her to the side so he could pass, he strode to the ballroom door and returned inside, coming to an immediate halt when he spotted Evie.She no longer danced with Edward.Instead she stood by the refreshment table, chatting with Miss Carmichael.
Unsettled, he studied them for a moment before he made his approach.What were the odds of a woman he knew next to nothing about befriending his sister?
He reminded himself that she was the foster daughter of a man he’d taken an instant liking to.And yet, Adrian could not shake the awareness that if someone were to try and gain access to him, the most expeditious way of doing so would be through Evie.
Or maybe he was simply too jaded.
Evie was more open and trusting.So it wasn’t impossible for her to fall into conversation with someone she’d not met before.
As he drew closer, he wondered what their conversation entailed.He was, after all, Evie’s brother and while he wanted her to have friends, he also wanted to make sure she was safe in her choices.The last thing he needed was another Miss Brighton.
He cleared his throat as he reached the ladies, drawing both their attention.
“Evie,” he said and added a nod of acknowledgment, though his gaze remained on Miss Carmichael.
He watched her intently, taking in her features – the porcelain skin, blonde hair, and almond-shaped eyes of cornflower blue.They seemed to penetrate him as she greeted him with a soft smile.
Something inside him stirred, though he quickly quashed it.He wasn’t here to make friends or entertain romantic notions.All he wanted was to discover if she had ulterior motives.
