Notorious (Rebels of the Ton #1) - Minerva Spencer Page 0,65
within sight of their chaperones. The hedges had been trimmed and shaped to form a series of concentric circles with breaks, the inner circle containing a huge fountain that held pride of place. It was flanked by stone benches, the colorful lanterns more sparsely spaced on their wrought iron holders. It was . . . romantic.
He led her to a bench, and she sat while he propped one foot on it and leaned over his bent knee until their faces were not far from each other. The nearest lantern had a blue glass cover, and the cool light bathed his handsome features in silver and made him seem as distant as the moon.
“That was not so terrible,” she said, uncomfortable with his silent regard.
“Yes, but you’ve still to dance with him.”
“Just one dance, and that will be the end of it.”
“Hmm. I meant to ask you sooner—are you free for the supper dance?”
“But—” She bit her lip, not wanting to say the next words.
“But what? Surely you cannot be thinking a man cannot ask his brand-new wife to have supper with him?”
She couldn’t help smiling at his arrogant tone. “It will be our second dance this evening.”
He shrugged. “You are free? And if you are not, you can disappoint the other gentleman.”
She shook her head to hide the joy leaping inside her. “You are incorrigible. Do you always get your way?”
He gave her a smoldering look. “Always.”
Drusilla felt as if she’d been brushed with fire. He was flirting with her—just as she’d seen him flirt hundreds of times with other women over the past few months. But now he was flirting with her, even though he did not need to expend the effort. She was his under the law to treat however he pleased; he did not need to charm her to bed her.
She realized he was still staring at her in a way that seemed to consume her. In fact, she’d rejected two offers for the supper dance earlier—unheard of for her—hoping he might ask “Yes, I am free.”
He nodded, taking her acquiescence for granted. Drusilla tried to work up some outrage, but found she couldn’t. After all, it was a dance with her he was arrogantly commandeering—how could she dislike that?
“Why do you think Eva would give Visel the supper dance?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I’ve been wondering about that myself.”
He cocked his head. “And you cannot ask her?”
She opened her mouth, and then closed it again.
“Come, Drusilla, why are you two out of sorts with each other? I asked her, but she would not tell me. She is in ill humor tonight—I don’t envy Visel his supper with her. If he is not careful, he will end up with a fork in his forehead or a plate of food in his lap.”
“She is very angry at me.”
“I gathered as much. You don’t wish to tell me why?”
“I will tell you if you demand it, but I would rather not.”
He straightened at her cool tone and clipped words, lowering his foot and stepping back, the intimacy between them gone as suddenly as it had come. “You are under no compunction to share your thoughts or secrets with me.”
He didn’t sound any different, but Drusilla knew her words had hurt him. She reached out and touched his hand, and he glanced down at her, his eyebrows arched, his expression proud and haughty.
“I didn’t mean to repulse you. I would like to tell you, but I would ask you not to speak of it to anyone else.”
“Of course, what you tell me is in confidence.”
His posture was stiff and he was frowning, and she realized she’d impugned his honor yet again: gentlemen did not carry tales. Lord, would she ever get this right?
“Eva came to me with the location and time of your duel. She wanted me to go and watch with her.” She decided to leave out the matter of Eva’s clothing and her Visel-related espionage.
He sucked in a noisy breath and let it out along with a few harsh-sounding words in Arabic. He pinned her with his gaze. “I take it you said no, hence the argument?”
She hesitated, and he sat down beside her. “Go ahead. I will not speak of this to Eva or my parents.”
“I threatened to tell the marquess if she went alone.”
He grimaced. “Ah, I see why she is so angry.”
“Should I not have done so?” she asked, her tone sharp.
He smiled. “Shhh. You remind me of a creature we have back home.”