Phyllis wished he would direct those eyes somewhere else, and just as she was about to excuse herself, Leonard was patted on the back by someone, who forced him to turn around. He did not leave her alone with Lord Livingstone, but it seemed that for the next couple of minutes, they were at the mercy of each other’s company.
“I hope you did not take anything I said to heart, Lady Phyllis,” Lord Livingstone sounded apologetic once again, and she started to think that it was a well-practice skill that most certainly worked with the ladies he had courted.
“Of course not,” she smiled. She wanted to tell him that for someone’s words to affect her, she needed to care about the speaker in question, but even inside her mind, it sounded too rude. So, she refrained from adding that part.
“Lovelyandwell-mannered,” he pointed out. “You seem to be filling all the roles that a wife must have. Again, Alexander is a very fortunate man.”
“It is him you should be telling that, not me,” she replied as courteously as she could, counting the seconds until Leonard would turn around and she would excuse herself to go speak to Joyce, or even her father.
The truth was that this man had not offended her in any manner. In fact, he had only been giving her compliments, which most women would be very grateful for. However, she found his attention crossing the line of propriety, and she wished to withdraw to the solitude of her own thoughts, which were still lingering on Alexander.
Perhaps he should tell Alexander that he is fortunate to have a wife like me,she thought, almost smiling at the thought. She resisted the temptation to do so, knowing that it would provoke a question regarding the cause of that smile.
“Rest assured that I will tell him that,” Lord Livingstone replied, as if he were able to read her mind. “A man needs to know what he has before he loses it.”
“What makes you think he will lose me?” she wondered, genuinely curious this time.
He shrugged mysteriously. “Usually, when we do not know what we have, we tend to neglect it. And neglect is the first step toward losing that something.”
She had to admit that he was right. But she refused to admit it loudly, especially to him. He already seemed conceited and egotistical. Admitting to him that he was right would only make his head even bigger.
“Do you speak from personal experience?” she dared to ask, wanting to turn the tables on him, and perhaps even make him a little uncomfortable, as he had made her.
“Always,” he nodded, without a tinge of shame or embarrassment. “I am five and twenty years of age, but I assure you, that I am twice that old in experience.”
Something assured her that was the truth. Not that it mattered. Fortunately, at that point, Leonard turned around and focused his attention on them once again. “I apologize for disappearing, I had to greet another old friend.”
“That is fine,” she replied, gesturing at her empty glass. “I’m afraid that I shall have to leave you, gentlemen. A lady’s glass is empty.”
“Nonsense,” Leonard refused, offering her his arm. “In Alexander’s absence, we shall be your guardians. And we need a drink as well.”
Phyllis’ lips parted in an effort to refuse as politely as she could, but she knew that she didn’t have the reason to do so. Leonard was being courteous, and his friend, too… in his own way. Refusing their company would be downright rude.
“All right,” she acquiesced. “Lead the way.”
“Gladly, my lady,” Leonard smiled, as he led them through the crowd, towards the refreshments table.
It was proving to be one long evening, much longer than Phyllis had anticipated it would be.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
“… and that is why we find ourselves in this position,” Alexander could hear the deep, manly voice that was talking to him, but he was barely acknowledging it. “What do you think, Your Grace?”
The truth was, Alexander wasn’t thinking at all. His mind was elsewhere. Namely, it was across the ballroom, staring at Phyllis, who seemed to be immersed in a conversation with another gentleman. She was smiling at him, standing dangerously close to him, replying to his every statement. Alexander knew exactly who that gentleman was, which made the whole situation even worse.
He tried to focus his attention once again on the man standing opposite him, because this was one of the people who would be investing in his business endeavor. The least he could do was actively take part in this conversation, which could not have been further away from his mind.
“Yes, Lord Stanton, I do believe you have a good point there,” Alexander tried to sneak his way out of this by pretending that he had been listening all along. Unfortunately, his gaze constantly drifted towards Phyllis, who seemed be speaking to Thomas Livingstone every single time Alexander glanced there. A subtle flicker of jealousy ignited within him, casting a shadow over the festivities every time Phyllis seemed to be immersed in explaining something to him.
“Perhaps,” Lord Stanton replied musingly. “I’m just not certain what the next course of action should be.” The ending was left open, not a question, but not exactly a mere statement either.
Alexander had to admit to himself that not only did he not know what the next course of action should be, but furthermore, he had completely forgotten what the conversation was about. All he could focus on was Phyllis and that gnawing sensation of jealousy which grew with each passing moment, a sensation he could not explain in any other way other than with a wish to march over there and plant that smug man a facer he would never forget.
“Well, you are an intelligent man, Lord Stanton,” Alexander smiled nervously, not wanting to seem rude and at the same time, endeavoring to find a way out of this conversation. “If anyone can find the right course of action, it is most certainly you.”
A few moments passed, moments that felt like an entire eternity. Alexander knew what it would mean to offend a man like Lord Stanton or even look him the wrong way. He might end up withdrawing his support from Alexander’s project. Not only that, but he might also convince other benefactors to do the same, which would be a disastrous move. Alexander had to focus all of his conscious efforts right now.
Fortunately for him, Lord Stanton seemed to appreciate the response intermingled with a compliment. He smiled, as his large, manicured moustache stretched across his upper lip, hiding most of it from plain view.
