Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue - Julie Johnstone Page 0,51

on the balcony? It shouldn’t matter to him, but he found he could not go forward with pursuing her until he knew the answers. And what did that mean, then? Was he pursuing her to save his company or to resurrect a dead dream of what could have been?

Later that night, Asher tried to pay attention as Lady Longford prattled on about all the attributes Lady Constantine had that he might find pleasing, but his mind was on Guinevere and nothing else. He had not seen her since the treasure hunt had ended, and he had not been alone with her since they’d been interrupted by her sister and Lady Lilias in the rose garden.

He cut his attention from Lady Longford and made a quick scan of the parlor, which was filled with all the guests awaiting the dinner bell. All the guests, that was, except Guinevere and, most notably to Asher, Kilgore. Where was she? And where the hell was Kilgore? It still irritated the devil out of him that Kilgore had won the treasure hunt and claimed Guinevere as the person he wished to be partnered with for skits the following day.

Asher hated that Kilgore had outmaneuvered him, and he damn well hated that it mattered to him at all whether she was pleased about Kilgore choosing her or not. And since she’d begged off immediately after the announcement, pronouncing a horrible megrim, he had not gotten a chance to speak with her to secure more answers.

This afternoon, as Kilgore had stared at Guinevere like he was a wolf and she was his next meal, it had occurred to Asher that it could be Kilgore pursuing her, and perhaps it had always been that way, despite what Elizabeth had told Asher. Elizabeth had been a damn liar so it stood to reason that she had been untruthful about Guinevere, too. Or it could be that he had become a fool once again? He was supposed to be here making the business decision to pursue and wed for necessity.

He forced his gaze back to Lady Longford, who still droned on about Lady Constantine, who offered him another apologetic smile.

“Mother,” she broke in when Lady Longford finally paused to take a breath, “Lady Barrowe is waving at you. Shall we see what she needs?”

Lady Longford looked in their hostess’s direction with a frown. “I’ll attend her. You stay here and chat with His Grace.”

“Mother, I’m certain the duke does not wish to—”

“I can think of nothing I wish to do more than chat with ye,” Asher interrupted, seizing the opportunity to speak alone with Lady Constantine, or relatively so given they were in a parlor full of people. They could, at least, have a somewhat private conversation.

Lady Longford beamed at them, and when she departed, Lady Constantine said in a whisper, “Please choose your words carefully, Your Grace. You give my mother hope where there is none.”

“I apologize,” he replied, glad they were apparently still speaking bluntly. It made what he wanted to ask much easier. “Shall we stand by the window where it is cooler?” And more private.

She looked toward the window and then smiled at him, understanding in her gaze.

They made their way over, and he noted the eyes that tracked them. The gossip by supper would be that he was courting Lady Constantine. That could present a problem with Guinevere, but there was no help for it. He needed answers.

Lady Constantine met him with a frank stare. “You have something you wish to ask me?”

“Aye. Is it Kilgore who has yer affection?”

The woman lost all color, and for one moment, he thought she might faint. “I—” She darted her gaze around, searching, he imagined, for her mother or perhaps Kilgore.

“Yer mother is on the other side of the room by the pianoforte, and Kilgore has not graced us with his presence yet.”

A bit of her color started returning to her face, but when she brought her hand to her hair, it was trembling. “How did you know?” she asked, fiddling with her hair. “Was I obvious?”

“Nay. I guessed at supper last night, but I never would have had we not spoken last week. Might I ask, did Kilgore ever indicate to ye that ye had his affection?”

“Yes,” she said, turning nearly scarlet.

Good God. The woman had no idea what her face gave away. Asher would wager his fortune that Lady Constantine had given Kilgore her innocence. “If ye believe ye have his affection and ye have stated