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If only he were free to do whatever he wanted. If only there was no worry about titles and lineage. If only he could talk to whoever he wanted to, without the suffocating eyes of the ton upon him. If that were the case, then he would not hesitate. He would certainly spend more time getting to know Lady Verity without having to worry about what the scandal sheets had to say. He would be able to enjoy her genuine nature and their conversations about their shared interests.

There would be nothing holding them back.

He paused for a moment, halting Midnight in his tracks as he spotted a couple walking the length of Hyde Park who captured his attention.

It was Lady Verity herself, in a carriage with Lord Ambrose Aldford.

Instantly, he felt sick to his stomach. This wasn’t a sight that he wanted to see. He wanted to be the one walking with Verity, and taking up her time. He certainly did not like seeing her with a gentleman who did not deserve her attention, and who wasunlikely to know anything about her. Philip did not know too much about Ambrose, but his jealousy had him conjuring up all sorts of evil traits the pompous Lord was sure to have.

He turned Midnight away from the scene, determined to clear his head. The rhythmic gallop of his horse and the rush of wind against his face helped to dissipate some of his anger, but the image of Verity with Ambrose lingered.

Returning to his family’s estate, Philip dismounted and handed Midnight off to a stable hand. He knew he had to prepare for the evening’s dinner, but his thoughts remained with Verity the whole time. She had danced with him at the ball, now he was clearly trying to court her, but surely that wasn’t what she wanted.

It made no sense at all.

As he made his way inside, he resolved to speak with her, to find out more about her past and to understand the circumstances that led to her broken engagement. Was that why Ambrose had latched on to her? Because he saw her status and age as something to take advantage of?

The thought filled him with a rage that was out of proportion to the short acquaintance he had with Verity.

***

As evening fell, Philip donned his dinner attire, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Verity. He had not been able to stop thinking about her all day. Thinking about what it might have been like had he been the one in the carriage with her…

His mother’s insistence on a match with Lady Rosalind Fitzwilliam only added to his frustration, especially with the dinner looming over him. He might not have wanted to do this, but he joined his family in the drawing room, where they awaited their guests because he had no choice in the matter.

No one seemed to notice the darkness of his mood. It was as if no one even cared.

The Fitzwilliams arrived promptly; their arrival marked by an air of expectation. Philip could feel his mother staring at him the whole time.

“Lord Cedric, Lady Daphne, and of course Lady Rosalind, welcome,” Adelaide greeted them warmly. “We are delighted to have you with us this evening.”

“Thank you for having us,” Lord Cedric replied, his voice smooth and confident. “It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Philip bowed to their guests, his gaze briefly meeting Lady Rosalind’s. She smiled at him, a gesture he returned out of politeness rather than genuine interest.

As they moved to the dining room, the conversation flowed smoothly, dominated by discussions of the latest social events and trivial matters. Philip found it difficult to engage, he could not seem to find anything to say in front of these people. They were all so interested in things he could not care less about.

That only got worse when Lady Rosalind tried to talk to only him about the one subject that he was never going to get excited by.

Gossip.

“Did you hear about Lady Evelyn’s latest scandal?” Rosalind began, her voice tinged with excitement. “They say she was caught in a compromising position with Lord Davenport.”

Philip forced a polite smile. “No, I had not heard,” he replied, his tone flat.

He truly hated talking about others like this, but he also could not make a scene.

“It’s all anyone can talk about,” Rosalind continued, oblivious to his lack of interest. “I suppose it’s only a matter of time before it’s in the scandal sheets. I wonder what they shalldo. Get married, I suppose, because what else can they do? Unless he wishes to ruin her…”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Philip said, his mind wandering.

Rosalind prattled on, sharing every bit of gossip she had gathered over the past few weeks.

Philip nodded at appropriate intervals, but he found it increasingly difficult to focus.

“Philip, is everything alright?” Rosalind’s voice cut through his reverie, pulling him back to the present. “You seem… distracted.”

“I apologize, Lady Rosalind,” he said, offering a weak smile. “I have a lot on my mind. I have had a very busy week, as I am sure you can imagine.”