“Far too many to count.”
He gazed over her head as he murmured the words, so low that she almost didn’t hear it. His soft smile was frozen on his lips, but his eyes…his eyes had grown distant, as if he was losing himself in a past he couldn’t escape from. And Alice couldn’t look away.
In that moment, he didn’t seem like the same gentleman she’d known for the past few days—one who hadn’t a care in the world. In that moment, he became wrapped in layers that Alice wanted to strip away, to reveal the true man hiding underneath.
Is his carefree manner simply a façade then? Is he not truly the rakish gentleman the rumors make him out to be?
But then, the moment passed and the shadow cleared from his eyes. Lord Erlington caught her eyes and his grin stretched across his face. “What is this? Have you fallen for me already, Lady Alice?”
Heat rushed to her cheeks at being caught off guard. Without thinking, Alice jerked out of his hold, curling her fists at her side. Anger raced through her for a moment, directed mostly at herself. She couldn’t believe she’d let her guard down.
“That is enough of that,” she said tightly. “I think Lord Brownley would have gone off to do something else by now, so there is no need for us to pretend anymore.”
“But we can always—”
Alice swiveled on her heel and walked away before he could finish the thought. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. She didn’t want to chance falling for his words again, like she had just then. Above all, she didn’t want to witness that flash of disappointment across his face for any longer than she had to.
Chapter 7
Imust have gone out of my mind.
Alice patted her gloved hands to her cheeks, as if that would clear them of her flushed embarrassment. She weaved her way through faceless people, making her way toward the doors leading out into the garden, as far away from Lord Erlington as she could get. It was bad enough that she’d softened toward him for a moment while they’d dance, but she couldn’t get that look in his eyes out of her face, even though she knew it had surely been a ploy.
He is quite calculated. I’ll award him with that, at the very least. But I won’t allow him to catch me off guard like that again.
She made the promise to herself as well, even though she didn’t feel much confidence. She kept going toward the gardens, intending to find Emma since it had been while since she’d last seen her. Emma would be able to distract her enough—Alice hoped.
Just as the doors were in sight, and she’d cleared the crowd of guests within the ballroom, someone stepped into her path. It was a slim lady, her fan raised to her face, showing nothing but dark-brown eyes and tendrils of brown hair falling from a turban.
“Lady Alice of Warington?” the lady asked, snapping her fan closed. She had pouty lips and a cute button nose that instantly made her a pretty lady.
“Yes?” Alice asked warily. Pretty though she might be, Alice didn’t miss the disdain within her eyes. “Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?”
“Do you know who I am?” the lady asked haughtily.
Alice raised a single brow. “Am I supposed to?”
Even underneath the rogue, Alice saw the lady’s cheeks go bright red in obvious indignation. “Iam Lady Susan Crampton, the daughter of the Marquess of Blackmore.”
Alice bent into the slightest curtsy, still not completely understanding why this lady was approaching her with such hostility. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance,” she greeted politely. “I repeat, is there something you would like to say to me?”
Lady Susan lifted her nose into the air, crossing her arms. “I noticed that you were dancing with the Marquess of Erlington just now and it seemed to me like you were very smitten by him.”
“Smitten?” Alice echoed, incredulous.
“There is no use denying it!” Lady Susan stated strongly. Had there not been noise from the ballroom behind, her voice would have surely carried on for a distance. “I saw the way you smiled at him and how you could not take your eyes off him. Lord Erlington is the most handsome man in England. You can try to deny it all you want, but I am no fool.”
Perhaps not, but you certainly appear quite delusional. Alice tucked the thought away and only asked, “Surely you didn’t stop me just to tell me you noticed that I’d danced with Lord Erlington?”
Her cheeks colored even further, spreading across her nose as Lady Susan tightened her lips. “Of course not! I came here to tell you that you should stay away from him.”
“Oh?”
“Lord Erlington will marry me soon so you should save yourself the heartbreak and simply give up.”
“No.”
Lady Susan’s jaw fell, her eyes widened in surprise. “P…Pardon me?”
