A pain shotthrough his hand, and he relaxed his fist. It had tightened withouthis knowledge, his anger at Sera’s father finding expression. Wouldthat the man were before him so he could express hisfury.
He sighed. Whatwould that accomplish? Sera would still be upset, and would mostlikely not cheered if Stephen punched the lights out of her father.Better the man remained in Ceylon so his resolve to leave the manbe was never tested.
“Farlisle. Always a pleasure.” The Duke of Sutton loweredhimself into the chair opposite, his usual sardonic smirk firmly inplace.
Wonderful.Thoughts of one bastard had resulted in the appearance of another,but Sera would not be mad if he broke Sutton’s face. “Sutton,” hesaid shortly.
“Ican see you are delighted by my appearance, Farlisle. Truly, try tocontrol your gushing.”
There was littlepoint in responding and so, he didn’t.
A smile playingabout his mouth, Sutton raised a brow. “How goes ourbet?”
That required aresponse. He supposed. “Fine.”
Sutton laughed,a quietly malicious sound. “Your effusiveness knows nobounds.”
“Sutton, why are you here?” He had no care to spend any moretime than he had to in Sutton’s company, and he knew the duke feltthe same. They tolerated each other at the meets with the otherowners of the 1810 Club, but apart from the bet, they both werequite happy to avoid each other.
“Iam here because your lady led me here.”
Sera? Sera washere? “What?”
“Lady Seraphina has deigned to patron our establishment.Rather risqué of her, but then she has always been a wickedsort.”
Sutton’s smirkreally was intensely annoying. “Did you discover this in the briefperiod you courted her?”
He took greatsatisfaction in the way that bloody smirk slipped. “I think thiswill be one of the few times I will enjoy losing a bet.”
“What makes you believe I shall win?”
Sutton nodded atthe room behind Stephen. “Because she is here. Lady Seraphinaappears to have followed you with little care for who recognisesher. Well done, man. Well done indeed.”
Turning, hefollowed Sutton’s gaze. Sera had indeed entered the 1810 Club, heridentity barely disguised by the lace mask she wore. She stood withViscount Harcourt and two women similarly disguised, most likelythe viscount’s sister, Lady Elizabeth, and Miss MariaSpencer.
The corner ofhis mouth kicked up, and he saw the moment she saw him. Herluscious mouth curled into a wicked smile and she arched her brow,daring him to come to her.
Bloody hell, shewas bold. Daring, and mischievous, and arch, and he wanted to go toher and crush that wicked, wicked smile with his mouth.
“Youseemed to have tempted her to court ruin, Farlisle,” Sutton said.“Perhaps I should resign myself the loss of the two hundredpounds.”
“Youdo that,” he said, only half-listening to what Sutton had said.Without another word, he rose from his seat and left Suttonbehind.
Sera watched himas he approached, her cat’s eyes dark and mysterious behind thelace. He let his gaze trail over her and beyond, pretending intenseinterest in the wall behind her. The corner of her mouth tilted upas she cocked her head, her gaze trained upon him.
Passing her by,he met her eyes for half a second. An invitation.
Her throat movedas she swallowed, her chest rising and falling with eachbreath.
Making his wayfrom the main room, he could feel her eyes on him as he entered thehallway, could feel the exact moment she decided to follow him. Heentered the first billiards room he knew to be empty. Turning, heleant against the billiards table and waited.
In a swirl sheentered the room, head proud, shoulders back. Her gown was a deepblue, matched by the lace of her mask, and her dark hair wasarranged in complicated swirls.
He couldn’t waitto disorder them.
Arms crossedover his chest, he said, “What do you here, my lady?”
That half-smirkreturned. The one he wanted to trace with his tongue. “Whatever doyou mean, sir?”
