The Bachelor Earl - Darcy Burke Page 0,12

“What sort of kiss will you claim?” she asked, a gleam of flirtation in her hazel eyes.

“What sort do you offer?”

She took a small step so that they nearly touched. “Whatever pleases you.”

Edmund looked past her toward where Eugenia sat. Her eyes were locked on Edmund. Her hands were still clasped, but more tightly than before.

Almost without thinking, Edmund lowered his mouth to Mrs. Makepeace’s and touched his lips to hers. He didn’t stop looking at Eugenia, and so he caught the slight widening of her eyes and the faint blush that rose in her cheeks. Her lips parted, and Edmund wondered if her heart was beating as fast as his. How he wished the mouth he’d just kissed were hers.

He straightened, and the dowager looked away. She lifted her hand to her throat, splaying her fingers just above the hollow as she visibly swallowed.

“That was lovely,” Mrs. Makepeace whispered.

“Yes, thank you,” Edmund responded. “Now, I believe it’s your turn.”

“Perhaps I’ll find you,” she murmured, her eyes glinting coquettishly.

“That would hardly be fair,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m going to sit this round out.” He found he was in desperate need of a drink. Thankfully, there were refreshments on a table near the dais.

“First, let me tie the blindfold on you.” Edmund held up the fabric, and she turned around. He made quick work of securing it around her head. “How’s that?”

“I can’t see a thing,” she said. “Do be careful when you spin me. I am sometimes clumsy.”

“I shall do my best.” Edmund spun her more sedately than Cosford had done to him, then he took himself to the refreshment table.

Almost immediately, Mrs. Makepeace found Mrs. Sheldon. “I can tell this is a woman,” Mrs. Makepeace said. “Can I just keep looking, please?”

Laughter answered her question, then Lady Cosford said, “Yes, go ahead. Perhaps we should have the women move aside for now?”

“What if I want to kiss Mrs. Makepeace?” Lady Clinton asked.

“I say we let her,” Mr. Emerson said with a grin.

Edmund shook his head and poured a glass of brandy. He wanted to go and sit next to Eugenia, but he didn’t. She didn’t look in his direction, not even for a moment. Was she angry that he’d participated in the silly game? She’d had some sort of reaction when she’d watched him kiss Makepeace. Maybe he shouldn’t have done it.

Except he was here to perhaps find a wife. And kissing Mrs. Makepeace was part of the exercise. Or he’d done it to provoke Eugenia.

Had it worked? He was damn sure going to find out.

Chapter 5

Following the ridiculous kissing blind man’s buff, the guests went a variety of directions. Some went to play billiards, while others played cards in the drawing room. Still others retired to their rooms—and Genie speculated that Lord Audlington and Mrs. Sheldon were not going upstairs for the purposes of finding rest. Their kiss during the game had gone on a trifle longer than was probably acceptable.

Probably? Nothing about the game had been proper.

Genie regretted not participating.

Only because the moment Lord Satterfield’s lips had touched Mrs. Makepeace’s, Genie had wanted to scratch the other woman’s eyes out. Then she wanted to push her to the floor and take her place.

Her reaction had been swift, violent, and wholly unsettling. She asked herself again, what was happening to her?

After stalking to the library, Genie found a book to read and took it to a small sitting room tucked into the corner of the ground floor far from the billiards and drawing rooms. She considered going up to her chamber, but Mrs. Sheldon’s room was next to hers, and Genie didn’t want to hear if she was having a rendezvous with Lord Audlington.

The sitting room was cozy, with a view of the damp grounds littered with red and gold leaves being tossed about by the wind. The rain had stopped—at least for now—and a few beams of sunlight streaked through the gray clouds.

She situated herself on a chaise, stretching her legs out on the cushion and crossing her ankles. Opening the book, she proceeded to stare at the first page and not read. She couldn’t stop thinking of Satterfield. Of his sensual lips, his piercing gaze, his muscular arms… Were they in fact muscular? She longed to find out for herself.

Mrs. Makepeace would know how his lips had felt. Watching him kiss her had stirred emotions Genie hadn’t felt in some time, or maybe ever.

Oh bother! Unlike everyone else at this party, she did not