“Did we make you wait very long?” Lady Emma asked as soon as the gentlemen were before them. William watched, amused, as Lady Alice turned toward them with obvious reluctance. As soon as she did, her eyes met William’s. He raised his brows in question and she only looked away.
“Not at all, My Lady,” Christopher responded. It appeared both he and Lady Emma were unaware of the tension mounting between William and Lady Alice. “You look quite lovely, I must say.”
Lady Emma’s cheeks went red. “Thank you, My Lord. Now, shall we?”
She gestured to a stone path off to their left, leading them between a row of hedges. Christopher nodded and the two of them set of without getting a response from anyone else. William watched them go for a moment before he looked at Lady Alice, who was also staring after them.
Her face was not as guarded as it had been a moment ago as she stared after her sister. She seemed almost surprised. “Lady Alice?” William called.
In an instant, her expression fell and it felt as if a dozen walls had shot up between them. “Yes?” she asked, not looking at him.
William said nothing. He only stretched an arm toward the path and without saying another word, she followed behind her sister. William hid his smile, walking alongside her.
“Tell me, My Lady,” William began. “Have I said or done anything in the short time of knowing each other to offend you?”
Lady Alice’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing to slits. “Pardon me?”
“It appears to me as if you do not like me,” he told her. She looked back ahead and he continued, “I must wonder what I might have said to bother you so. Normally, upon meeting someone new, they are usually quite eager to speak to me.”
“Thankfully, that does not apply to me.”
William winced, then smirked. It appeared Lady Alice did not plan on holding her thoughts at bay. “Does that mean I truly have offended you, My Lady?”
“It does not mean anything.” Like her expression, her words were cold enough to freeze him on the spot. “If you believe that I do not like you, My Lord, then perhaps you should take that as your sign.”
“To what? Leave you be?”
Her silence was her response.
William chuckled. “Even if that had been my plan before, it certainly cannot be now. You intrigue me, My Lady.”
“That is quite the pity since I am nothing of interest.”
“Oh, I beg to differ. You are quite the beauty, though I do not doubt you have heard that many times over. But in addition, you have quite the cold glare that could cut a gentleman in two.”
“I do not know what you mean, My Lord,” Lady Alice said in a tight voice. At least she was trying to be polite—somewhat. Had she truly cared to be rude, she would not have responded to him at all.
Either that, or she could not help walking right into an argument. He’d seen the way she’d met his eyes in the dining room earlier. It was quite clear that Lady Alice could not back down from a challenge.
“What can I do, My Lady, to make up for my wrongdoings?”
She was quiet for a moment. Lady Emma’s and Christopher’s voices filtered into the silence. Lady Emma was gushing about the dots of purple flowers they were now coming upon and Christopher…well, Christopher was staring at her as if she was the most fascinating thing on earth. Lady Alice seemed to be taking note of that as well and, for a moment, William thought she might truly ignore what he’d said.
“Do you truly want to know why I have not taken to you since your arrival, My Lord?” she asked, her voice oddly soft.
“I think it would certainly be a first step in building a long and wonderful friendship, yes.”
Her eyes flickered to him for a moment, annoyance sparking the lovely green color. “I am not a stranger to your reputation, Lord Erlington. You enjoy playing with the hearts of ladies and then leaving them on their own as if nothing happened. You must forgive me if I am reluctant to be associated with someone who is known for such behavior.”
For some reason, hearing of his reputation from her—with such barely contained disgust in her tone—bothered him. William tucked the feeling aside. “You should not listen to rumors, Lady Alice. I may very well be more than what meets the eye.”
This time, when she looked at him, it was with another glare. “Do you mean to tell me that those rumors are all baseless and untrue?”
“I mean to tell you that you should not let such predispositions stand in the way of what could be a wonderful friendship.” He grinned, unable to help himself. “My brother and I will be here for quite some time, My Lady. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be amicable with each other?”
The flash of anger that went across her face both surprised and amused him. “As it were, My Lord,” she said, her soft voice belying the fury he sensed smoldering within. “I cannot think of anything worse.”
Before he had the chance to respond, Lady Alice quickened her steps and left him behind, coming to her sister’s side. Lady Emma looked at her sister in surprise and, noting the barely-concealed anger on her face, she glanced back at William in curiosity.
