“The Earl of Oakwood is notorious for his rakish behavior, Father,” she hissed. She leaned back and eyed him accusingly. “You of all people should know this.”
Despite her attempts to convey the seriousness of her words, James remained dismissive, his focus elsewhere.
“Are you listening to me, Father?”
“The Earl is a respected man of the high society,” he countered snappily, at last, his tone firm and unwavering. “Whatever the man chooses to do in his free time is none of your business.” His eyes narrowed on her. “He’s wealthy and connected—a suitable match.” He glared at him warningly. “We need this. Bright smiles only when he returns.”
Evelina felt a sense of defeat wash over her. Her eyes flicked to her sister, and with a heavy heart, she nodded in acquiescence to her father’s wishes.
It was true, after all. She wasn’t in the position to be picky.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Tell me, Your Grace, exactly how long do you intend to keep aimlessly staring at the lady?”
Gabriel’s aunt’s voice held a playful yet knowing tone as she sidled up beside him, her gaze mirroring his towards the enchanting figure across the ballroom.
Dressed in the most ethereal dress he’d ever seen on a woman, Evelina exuded an elegance that seemed to captivate not only Gabriel’s eyes but his very soul.
Her attire, a delicate confection of lace and silk, draped her form like moonlight, accentuating her grace and beauty even more.
He loved looking at her.
She was like the finest of wines, a temptation he could not resist. He wondered how he hadn’t paid attention to detail just how stunning the woman truly was.
The more his eyes lingered on her, the more his mind replayed the dance they shared earlier, the memory still fresh and vivid in his thoughts. The memory of her in his arms, the intoxicating closeness they shared on the dance floor, stirred a tempest of emotions within him.
Longing, desire, and a yearning for something he couldn’t quite name tugged at his heart, clouding his mind.
“I do not know what you mean.”
With a gruff tone, he replied. His head not turning an inch in the Countess’s direction, a fleeting attempt to feign ignorance evident in his demeanor.
However, Clara’s knowing smile pierced through his facade, from the corner of his eyes, he felt her teasing gaze, unraveling his pretense effortlessly.
Despite knowing it was a bad idea, he turned to attempt to hold her gaze. But it only took a couple of seconds in this battle of wills.
While the Countess met his eyes with playful persistence, a hint of amusement danced in her hers, causing the duke to avert his gaze, a faint red coloring his ears at being caught in his silent admiration.
The furrow of his brows betrayed his annoyance at being so transparent to the woman, her ability to decipher his thoughts a skill that never failed to irk him.
Acknowledging the futility of denying her insight into his emotions, Gabriel chose to remain silent, his unspoken words drowned by her quiet triumph.
Her victorious giggle filled the air as she playfully urged him, “Just go ask her for another dance, won’t you?”
Just the thought of another dance with this beautiful woman had Gabriel’s hands twitching. He would have loved to hold her close once more.
What am I even thinking?
Despite the allure of the suggestion, he hesitated, his inner turmoil reflected in his eyes as he shook his head in disagreement, finally mustering the words, “There is no need for that.”
From the corner of his eye once more, he noticed his aunt’s playful pout as she teasingly remarked, “Oh, but that first dance was quite the spectacle, dear nephew. My parties haven’t seen such entertainment in ages.”
Her words dripped with amusement, clearly fishing a reaction from him. Refusing to take the bait however, Gabriel maintainedhis composure, clicking his tongue disapprovingly at her relish for stirring up gossip.
Chuckling, she continued, “An unexpected pair, you and Miss Balfour , I will tell you that.” She let out a dramatic sigh, putting a hand on her chest, “Yet, your chemistry on the dance floor was simply… mesmerizing.”
Her words highlighted the attention it had garnered. Gabriel had barely noticed the eyes they had pulled until Evelina scurried away from the floor the moment he let her go, leaving him to walk off on his own.
