“You have my blessing.” Seraphine waved him away with amused resignation.
Moments later both men disappeared into the billiards room. For the first time all evening, Seraphine found herself alone. The noise of the gathering suddenly seemed overwhelming, the laughter, the music, the endless conversations. She slipped quietly from the drawing room and wandered into the corridor beyond.
Silence greeted her, and she released a slow breath. The cool air felt wonderful. For several moments she simply stood there, thinking. Mr. Harper was perhaps the most promising gentleman she had met since arriving at Amberhall.
He is handsome, interesting, funny, and he makes me laugh. Most importantly, he is not dull.
A small smile touched her lips. Thalia certainly approved of him; otherwise she never would have introduced them and therefore he must be a man of means.
“Do you think it is wise to throw yourself at such a man?”
The deep voice behind her shattered the thought, and anger flared instantly before she even turned around.
“Throw myself?” she demanded. She spun to face Damien. “How dare you say such a thing to me?”
He stood only a few feet away, tall, imposing, and infuriating. His expression remained utterly calm, which somehow made everything worse.
“I merely observed what occurred,” Damien said, his voice maddeningly calm as he slipped his hands behind his back.
“You observed?” Seraphine repeated incredulously.
She folded her arms tightly across her chest and took a step towards him. “You mean you were spying.”
His jaw tightened visibly, and a muscle ticked in his cheek. “I was watching,” he replied.
“That is the same thing.” She lifted a brow and gestured sharply with one hand.
Damien shook his head once. “It is not the same.”
“It absolutely is.” She threw her hands into the air in exasperation.
He took a step closer. She hated how aware she became whenever he did that. Her chest heaved up and down in anger and she felt how exposed her flesh was, particularly when he glanced down at her plunging neckline.
“I watched a gentleman flirt with you for the better part of an hour,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
“And whose fault is that?” she shot back, throwing her hands into the air. “You spent an entire week eliminating every manwho approached me,” she continued, taking a pointed step towards him.
His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “Harper is unsuitable,” he said curtly.
“Oh?” She arched a brow and crossed her arms. She lifted her chin. “And you know him personally?”
“I know of him,” Damien replied, his jaw tightening.
“Which means no.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand, refusing to let him intimidate her simply because he was taller, broader, and currently looking at her as though she had personally offended him.
Damien's mouth flattened into a hard line. For a brief moment, something flashed across his face. Irritation, certainly. Perhaps even jealousy. The thought appeared so suddenly that she nearly laughed at herself. Damien jealous? That was ridiculous.
“It means that I know enough,” he said, taking a step closer.
The movement was subtle, yet Seraphine noticed it immediately. She always noticed when he moved closer. The corridor suddenly felt narrower than it had moments before.
She waited for him to say something else. When he continued staring, she raised a brow.
“Well?” she prompted, tapping her fingers impatiently against her folded arms.
Damien exhaled through his nose and glanced away for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “He is a womanizer.”
Her stomach tightened slightly. She refused to let him see it. A sharp laugh escaped her as she shook her head. “Coming from you, that is rather amusing.”
