The Bachelor Earl - Darcy Burke Page 0,11

him a saucy smile.

Sir Godwin cocked his head. “How about as soon as I realize I’ve found a gentleman, I purposely lose so I can try again?” More of the guests laughed.

“That is entirely your prerogative,” Lady Cosford said. “You may also choose to watch instead of play.”

“I’ll be watching,” Eugenia said. And with that, Edmund’s hopes were completely dashed.

Mr. Sterling nodded beside her. “I will too.” Then he escorted Lady Kendal to a grouping of chairs nearby.

Edmund stared at them as they sat, close together, their heads bent toward each other. He wanted to sit out too. But before he could get his words past the jealousy burning through him, Lady Cosford announced it was time to start, and she would choose the first name.

After reaching into a bowl, she withdrew a small piece of parchment and unfolded it. “Lord Satterfield!”

Damn. Now he was stuck.

Lord Cosford came toward him with the blindfold. Edmund had to bend his knees so his host could tie the fabric around his eyes. The last thing he saw before everything went black was Eugenia, her hands folded atop her lap, her head turned toward Sterling, a smile lifting her mouth.

What would happen if Edmund managed to choose her anyway? He silently prayed he’d be able to find a way to see so he could make his way to her chair.

“All right, then?” Cosford asked.

Edmund straightened. He couldn’t see a bloody thing. “Yes.” The word sounded terse, even to his own ears.

Cosford put his hands on Edmund’s biceps and began to turn him about. “Goodness, Satterfield, what sort of exercise are you doing? Your arms are quite muscular!” He laughed as if Edmund’s fitness were some sort of jest.

“You only say that because you’re skinny as a pole!” someone called. This was met with great laughter.

As Edmund spun about, his equilibrium began to tilt. By the time he stopped, he had no notion of which direction led to Eugenia. He muttered a curse.

“What’s that?” Cosford asked.

“I’m bloody dizzy,” Edmund said, feeling grouchy. He wanted to get this over with. Then he could decide to sit out and insert himself between Eugenia and Sterling.

“As you should be!”

Edmund didn’t recognize who yelled that, nor the laughter that followed. His shoulders were bunched with tension. He forced himself to take a breath and loosen his muscles.

Relax, Edmund. Enjoy yourself. You’re here to perhaps find a wife. It doesn’t have to be Eugenia. You didn’t even know she’d be here.

While that was true, he couldn’t help the fact that now he did. And every other woman in attendance was lacking in comparison.

When the floor felt stable beneath Edmund’s feet once more, he began to move. Putting his arms out, he felt his way. A quick giggle said he’d come close to a lady. He pivoted and took two large steps. His fingers closed on fabric.

“I have you!” He moved closer and splayed his hand against whomever he’d encountered. He was certain he touched a sleeve. Gliding his palm down, he felt the edge and then flesh. Yes, it was a woman.

He tried to think of who had a gown like that. Better still, he tried to think of the woman’s height and who it could match. Pity he hadn’t found Lady Bradford—her shorter stature would have given her away for certain.

Edging closer, Edmund moved his hand up the woman’s sleeve to her shoulder to determine if this was her back or front. Wrapping his fingers around her collarbone, he slid his hand up to her neck. His fingertips grazed hair at the back—her nape, then. He was facing her. What about her could tell him her identity? He really didn’t want to do this more than once. And how did he plan to kiss her?

Hell, all he wanted to do was kiss Eugenia. And not in a ballroom in front of other people. He wanted her alone, preferably in a bedchamber and preferably nude. As his cock twitched, he silently lectured himself to stop thinking of her.

Moving his hand to the front of the mystery woman, he found a brooch pinned to where her fichu met the neckline of her gown. He smiled, for he’d just seen who had been wearing that. “Mrs. Makepeace.”

“Remarkable!” a male voice said from nearby.

“I’m correct, then?” Edmund lifted his hand to remove the blindfold.

“Indeed you are, my lord,” Mrs. Makepeace said.

Edmund untied the fabric at the back of his head and lowered the blindfold. Mrs. Makepeace gazed up at him, her lips parted.