Connor knew there was a reason he did not like the man. Nor did he trust him, no matter his declaration about honorably courting Eden.
Now in thoroughly ill humor, he joined his other guests in the drawing room.
There was not much of an evening breeze tonight, and the room felt oppressively dank and hot. Even more so as Persephone and the other young women swarmed around him like bees around a hive. He tried to pay attention to theirconversations, but it was impossible to manage while they were all chattering at him at once.
Just to be perverse, he made several particularly inane comments and was curious as to how they would respond. He received nothing short of adulation because none of these girls would ever be honest with him and call him an idiot. Adukeidiot. And this made all the difference to them.
He was a duke and they would endure the labors of Hercules to become his duchess.
Of course, their motives did not excuse his own behavior. He was being an ass tonight. All this fake admiration was getting to him.
He tossed out another ridiculous comment. They clapped and smiled and regarded him with worshipful eyes.
He resigned himself to a long evening.
These ladies were not to blame for his ill temper, but they were doing nothing to make it better. However, he resolved to be on better behavior. He forced a smile and complimented each on their lovely gowns. He told them how beautiful they all looked this evening. “Indeed, you are all quite…sparkly.” The array of diamonds was blinding.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” they replied in a chorus of giggles.
Then Eden walked in.
His heart soared.
It took her a moment to spot him, even though he was hard to overlook because of his height. He was usually among the tallest in the crowd.
She released a breath and smiled at him.
His heart soared again.
He was about to make his excuses and detach himself from his hen roost to greet her, but Aubrey’s parents scurried over to her first. In the next moment, Aubrey entered the drawing room,for he had also needed to change his attire before joining them for supper.
Connor nodded to Brewster to sound the bell.
Aubrey escorted Eden into the dining room but frowned when he realized Connor had indeed placed Eden beside him and stuck Aubrey at the other end of the table between his own mother and Eden’s mother. Across from him, Connor had purposely placed two older gentlemen who spoke of nothing but the Newmarket horse races.
Connor had also taken care of seating arrangements at his end of the table, placing an older gentleman who was deaf as a post to the right of Eden and a countess who was already too deep in her cups to remember anything of what transpired tonight to his left. This way, he and Eden could hold a conversation without worrying about being overheard.
Lord Aubrey scowled at him from his end of the table. What did the bounder think? That Connor would ever give Eden over to him?
This washishome.Hisbattleground.
HisEden.
“I’m all right, you know,” Eden said softly in his ear once they were seated and the first course was about to be served. “You did not need to keep me close to you.”
Yes, he did. “I wanted a chance to chat with you at leisure and make certain both you and your father are truly all right. Especially you, Eden. No one looks after you.”
“And you feel that you must take up the laboring oar? I will survive on my own, as I always have.” She glanced up at the footman and smiled as he served her the soup course, a popular white soup in veal stock.
“It is not a labor but a pleasure,” Connor replied once he was also served. “I’ve said it before—you are mine to watch over.”
She laughed lightly. “You do not need to be such a protective ape around me, although I will admit it feels nice. Lord Aubrey was just as apish on the ride back here. Has something been added to the drinking water lately? I haven’t had this much attention from gentlemen since my debut Season.”
“Did he say anything about kissing you?”
Her delicate eyebrows shot up. “My, we are getting personal. You’ve told me what you think about who should give me that first kiss. I have duly noted your offer. But I do not need you to be a third parent attempting to control my life. The two I was given are more than a handful for me.”
Parent? Did she regard him as old and doddering?
