Lady Edwina beamed for a second, then frowned. “I’ve no experience with such things, Mrs. Croft. How do you recommend I proceed?”
“That would depend on what…” Samantha’s next words died in her throat when her gaze slid sideways once more and she spotted Wrengate.
Worse, he’d spotted her and his sister. Samantha straightened her spine and drew back her shoulders as he strode toward them, eating up the distance much faster than she expected. He reached them before she’d fully prepared herself for what promised to be an uncomfortable confrontation.
“Mrs. Croft.” His voice was so curt it bordered on rudeness, the flint in his eyes so sharp she could almost feel herself getting skewered. “I was under the impression that I made myself clear when I spoke with your husband last. Yet here you are, socializing with my sister.”
Lady Edwina’s expression turned wary. “Mrs. Croft and I have been having a lovely chat. So much so, I’m happy to call her my friend.”
Wrengate’s expression turned so thunderous at those words Samantha feared his head would explode. He clenched his jaw, then turned that furious expression away from Samantha and toward his sister, who jolted with a gasp.
“Return to the ballroom,” he said. When Lady Edwina hesitated, her uncertain gaze flitting between him and Samantha, he added a perilously low, “Now.”
Lady Edwina swallowed, muttered something about being pleased to have met Samantha, and hurried away. Samantha firmed her expression, her hatred for Wrengate climbing toward a newly discovered peak. What a fool she’d been to think the man might be decent simply because he’d tried to help his sickly sister.
In all likelihood, he’d only done so because of some clause left in his parents’ will. On this uplifting thought she raised her chin and prepared to stand her ground.
The man stepped closer, sending Samantha’s pulse racing as instinct prepared her for battle. She held firm, forcing herself to stay still while he asked, “Did Croft not tell you to stay out of my affairs?”
She drew a slow breath. “He did.”
His eyes sparked with the kind of fury she knew could turn lethal. Her fingers flexed, prepared to retrieve a deadly hairpin and face the consequence later.
The next words he spoke were not only proof of his power, but of how dangerous he could be. “I know it was you who killed the men I sent after Wycliff. That it was also you who broke into my home last September. The evidence I have in my possession is very compelling. So much so it can easily ensure your permanent removal from my life. I hear Australia is lovely this time of year, and with a baby on the way, you’ll no doubt welcome the added rest such a journey provides.”
Samantha reminded herself to keep breathing, to not let instinct take over. Murdering a duke in another duke’s home would probably not be the best way forward. Her mind raced while her heart sent hard beats drumming through her.
What proof could he possibly have beside the few strands of hair he’d managed to pull from her head when they’d fought in his study? She’d worn a mask, both then and during the altercation he’d mentioned, when she’d killed the men he’d sent after Wycliff.
He’d not seen her face or heard her speak. No one had. She was certain of it.
With this in mind, she stared him down instead of retreating. “You’re bluffing.”
His lips curled with dark menace. “Is that a gamble you’re willing to take?”
She considered his question, considered his title, and knew her answer. For if Wrengate was truly as sinister as she believed, he’d have no qualms about producing whatever proof he required in order to rid himself of her forever.
“No.”
He remained where he was for a couple of seconds, shoulders hunched, hands fisted by his sides as he leaned toward her. “Stay away from my family and stay away from me.”
No additional words were uttered. He simply withdrew, like a storm cloud choosing to disappear to other parts, and marched off.
Samantha released a heavy sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. A few steady breaths helped ease the tension out of her shoulders. She relaxed and took another sip of her drink while silently cursing Wrengate to perdition.
One day, eventually, she’d see him in hell.
But not tonight.
She finished her lemonade and returned to the ballroom. Ensuring her path would not intercept Wrengate’s or Lady Edwina’s, she crossed to the opposite side and nearly sagged with relief when she spotted Adrian.
He was standing with Edward and Viscount Birchwood, his attention occasionally drifting toward other parts of the room, until he saw her. His lips broadened into a smile of pure pleasure, even as a few creases appeared on his brow.
Excusing himself to the others, he approached, meeting her halfway. “Is everything all right? You look a bit pale.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him before explaining. “I met Wrengate’s sister, Lady Edwina. A lovely woman with whom I’m sure I could have been fast friends. Until her brother ruined it all with his interference.”
“Ruined it how?” Adrian asked, his voice no longer warm and inviting but hard and unyielding. He caught her upper arm and drew her against him. “Did he threaten you, Samantha?”
