No doubt she was even more temptingoutof it.
Silk or satin, lace or linen, her fair hair half-hidden under a deep hood, or with ribbons woven through the golden strands as they were tonight—Lady Emma was as enticing as a bit of sweet, ripe fruit drowning in fresh cream, the juice lingeringon his tongue.
Samuel stifled a groan. Just the thought of it made his heart pound, sending a hot rush of blood to some very inconvenient places.
Damn her.
“Are you listening to me, Lymington?” Lovell let out a fretful sigh. “They’ve danced together twice already. Before that, she danced twice with Dunn, and twice with Tarrington beforethat. I’m surprised she hasn’t worn holes in her slippers by now.”
Lady Emma wasn’t wearing the pale green favored by the other young ladies this season. No, hers was a deeper, more vibrant green—a green that complemented the mass of thick, golden curls gathered at the back of her neck. The ends of her green ribbons fluttered madly as Dunn swept her across the floor, mocking Samuel with their wild abandon.
“Flora may do as she pleases, of course. Perhaps I’ll dance with Lady Jane Townsley instead. Lady Jane has such lovely eyes. Have I mentioned, Lymington, that I prefer blue eyes to dark now? Blue eyes,and fair hair.”
Samuel had hardly been able to take his eyes off that damned green ribbon all night—
“Another thing, Lymington. Flora and Barrett may announce their betrothal, and welcome. Why, I’ll be the first to wish them joy. It’s no longermyconcern what Flora does, though I will say I credited her withbetter taste.”
Samuel dragged his attention from the green ribbons to his cousin, who was glowering at the dance floor, his expression lost somewhere between anger and despair. “Who’s betrothed?”
“Flora and Barrett, of course! Who else?” Lovell turned such a fierce frown on Lord Barrett it was a wonder the man didn’t burst into flames on the spot.
“Betrothed? For God’s sake, Lovell. Flora’s only just met Barrett this season. She isn’t the sort to enter into a betrothal on so short an acquaintance as that.” Still, a pang of apprehension jolted him as Lady Flora laughed at some nonsense of Barrett’s, her dark eyes bright as she gazed up at him.
Lovell cursed. “She’s in love with him, Lymington! Why, anyone can see she’s fallen madly in love with him. WithBarrett, for God’s sake. It’s bad enough she sneaked off to London for the season without saying a word about it to me, but if she’s so determined to fall in love, she might have chosen betterthan Barrett.”
“Lady Flora isnotin love with Lord Barrett. She’s simply being polite.” Then again, a man couldn’t be too careful when it came to the lady he loved. “Still, I don’t know why you’re yielding the field to Barrett, Lovell. If you want Lady Flora’s attention, go and engage her for the next two dances instead of standing here pining hopelessly after her.”
“Pining! You’re mad, Lymington. I’m not pining for Flora. It makes no difference to me if she flirts with every lord in London. I’m merely noting that Barrett is as dull as achurch sermon.”
Samuel said nothing, but waited while Lovell huffed and muttered to himself.
Any moment now—
“Even if Ididwant to dance with her—and I’m not saying Ido—Flora hasn’t looked at me once this entire evening, Lymington. She seems to have forgottenall about me.”
“I doubt that, Lovell.” Samuel had kept a close eye on Flora, and he’d seen her cast more than one furtive glance in his cousin’s direction. Samuel was far from being a romantic, but he couldn’t make himself believe Lady Flora’s feelings for Lovell had faded so quickly.
Lovell grunted, his gaze following Barrett as the dance ended, and he led Lady Flora back to her grandmother.
“Lady Flora can’t refuse to dance with you, Lovell. Not after she’s danced twice with Barrett.” Samuel nodded toward the other side of the ballroom, where Lord Barrett still stood with Flora, the two of them laughingover something.
“A courtesy dance, Lymington?” Lovell huffed. “You want me to gain Flora’s hand for a dance on a ruleof propriety?”
Samuel shrugged. “I suppose you could stand about and scowl while some other gentleman steals your lady right out from under yournose instead.”
And steal her he would. Barrett had wasted no time indicating his interest in Flora. His attentions were marked enough that thetonhad noticed, and they were already whispering about a match. There was no time for Lovell to stand about agonizing over it.
“She isn’t my lady, Lymington.” Lovell’s pique had vanished, and in its place was a hopelessness Samuel had never heard in his cousin’s voice before. It was the voice of a man who’d realized the bliss he longed for had been in front of his eyes all along and had reached out to seize it, only to watch it disintegrate into dust in his hands.
“She can still be yours, Lovell.” Samuel braced a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “But you’ll have to fight forher this time.”
Lovell gave him an uncertain look. “Do you really thinkso, Lymington?”
“I do.” Samuel nodded toward Lady Flora. “Goand claim her.”
Lovell pressed his lips into a determined line, and marched off toward the other side of the ballroom without another word. Quite a number of female heads turned to watch his progress with hopeful smiles, but Lovell didn’t seemto notice them.
Lady Flora hesitated when he held his hand out to her, her pretty lips turned down in a frown, but as Samuel had predicted, she was too polite to refuse him. An instant later she accepted Lovell’s hand and let him lead her to the floor.
