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That was precisely my fear.

Fairfax had given up pretending he was more interested in watching anyone but me. “She’s of age and has gained her independence. That lover might as well be you. Society will look the other way given her age.”

I’d never been able to hide anything from Fairfax. “I’ve decided that if anyone is going to be her first, it will be me. But it’s impossible to be discreet when there are so many eyes on me.”

Fairfax lowered his voice further. “You should know that I overheard a great deal of speculation about Miss Sullivan.”

My banked anger was sparked anew. “Who? Do they know she is here tonight?”

Fairfax shook his head. “No one is certain, but your name has been linked to hers. Some are speculating that you’ve taken her as your mistress. Others are wondering if you’ve already grown tired of her. And then there are those who’ve decided they’d like to try their hand at taking her away from you.”

I swore.

“Exactly,” Fairfax said. “We’re going to keep an eye on her.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “She’s staying with Kendrick and his wife. I’ll inform them that she’s to be accompanied when she’s away from home.”

“That would probably be best,” Fairfax said. “But you can’t stop her from entertaining other gentlemen.”

“I beg to differ.” Ice dripped from my voice.

Fairfax nodded. “Well, this conversation has been very enlightening. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

And then, to my shock, he crossed the room and made his way to where Claire was just ending her dance with Clifton. He held out a hand, and Claire accepted his invitation with a warm smile that should have belonged to me.

These bastards were going to be the death of me. They were lucky I liked them so much and owed them more than I could ever repay. But no one else would be dancing with Claire this evening. After this dance, Claire was mine.

Finally, after an annoyingly long period, I had her in my arms again. And here, where the constraints of society were loosened, no one would censure me for claiming the rest of her dances. Several men had approached, hoping to gain her attention, but my friends were the only other men I trusted with her.

That fact should concern me, but I refused to dwell on it.

One hour later, Claire was finally beginning to show signs of fatigue. I wasn’t surprised since she wasn’t used to staying up late at events that sometimes ran into the morning hours. Claire liked to wake up early and devote her time to caring for others.

She was resting her head on my shoulder now. It was one of the most innocent interactions I’d ever had with a beautiful woman, but for some reason it affected me more.

“It’s time to go now, Claire.”

She lifted her head and blinked up at me. “Is the masquerade ending?”

I couldn’t hold back my smile. Clearly the others hadn’t told her what to expect. “Not until the sun rises. But you’re already falling asleep.”

She let out a soft sigh. “I suppose you’re right. Are the others leaving?”

I’d lost track of my friends. A quick glance revealed that Fairfax had abandoned his watchful post at the edge of the room. The others were gathered near the door, watching us.

“I think they’re waiting for you.”

We’d stopped moving and stood like that, staring at each other in the center of the crowded room. When she licked her lips, I barely held back a groan.

“What we discussed…” she started, and I knew exactly to what she was referring.

“We’ll talk about it again, but not tonight.” I lowered my lips to her ear. “If you don’t change your mind, I’d very much like to debauch you.”

She pressed her cheek against mine and we remained like that for several moments. Then I straightened and led her from the ballroom.

We were silent as we left the assembly hall. I pulled Kendrick aside as we waited for the carriages. “Fairfax told me that bringing her here has made her a target. Don’t let her leave the house unescorted.”

He nodded. “I’ll keep her safe.”