Chapter Seven
Two nights later, Phin accompanied Maggie and Delia to a soirée hosted by one of his late brother-in-law’s close friends.
He’d been prepared for a dull and rather frustrating evening—his thoughts being overly occupied with the fact that he hadn’t yet heard back from Mr. Mishra about the necklace.
But then, as he entered the drawing room where everyone was gathered, he caught sight of the fair Lady Eleanor.
It seemed that he and the young woman were developing a habit of being in the same place at the same time. And he wasn’t upset by it.
In fact, as his body tightened and hummed with a rush of intent awareness, he acknowledged that he was quite pleased.
The lady stood near the far end of the room, cloistered by her two cousins and lorded over by her stiff-spined brother.
Though she was tucked into the corner and surrounded by others in their evening finery, she sparkled like a diamond in a silvery-blue gown.
It took only another second for Phin to realize that she didn’t appear to be enjoying herself.
Her posture was tense with her hands clasped in front of her.
Her chin was slightly lowered as were her eyes…
as if she were trying to minimize herself.
He recalled how panicked she’d gotten at Maggie’s ball and then her stiff awkwardness at Mishra’s shop. It was clear that she was not comfortable in social situations. Was the lady simply shy? Or was it something more?
With a frown, he forced himself to look away, recalling how she hadn’t been particularly fond of his attention the last two times they’d met.
For the next half hour, he dutifully followed his sister and niece in their tour about the room, but his thoughts were not so easily commanded.
After nearly a dozen introductions were made, Maggie and Delia settled in amongst a group of friends and Phin risked another glance toward Lady Eleanor only to find her staring back at him.
Her gaze was direct and focused. And though she tensed and her lashes fluttered very subtly when he looked her way, she did not shift her attention.
Adrenaline spiked in his blood. His physical attraction was hot, sharp, and more intense than any reaction he’d had to a woman in a long time. If ever.
Curious of his reaction, he naturally tried to examine it. Though the lady was lovely beyond compare, he couldn’t ignore that something deeper than appreciation for her loveliness was triggered when he looked at her. Something disconcerting and powerful.
There had been times in his many adventures when he’d been faced with certain quandaries or forked paths.
He’d learned to rely on his instincts in such situations.
In doing so, his ability to recognize when a decision felt right had grown stronger and stronger over the years, to the point where he trusted his intuition implicitly, often despite evidence that disputed his internal judgment.
What he felt when he looked into Lady Eleanor Fairchild’s eyes was similar. Something just felt right about her.
He’d never had such a reaction to a person before. It was unsettling, to say the least.
He couldn’t quite comprehend the effect she had on him, but he forced himself to calm his response as he tilted his head and offered a smile.
She did not smile back. If anything, her eyes narrowed just a bit as the line of her lips tensed even more. For a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of distrust…or suspicion on her gaze. Then she purposefully looked away.
Confusion swept through him until he recalled the brief seconds in Mishra’s shop when she’d looked down at the drawing of the bridal necklace. At the time, he’d thought he saw a flash of recognition in her eyes. But he’d discounted it as impossible.
Perhaps it wasn’t.
Did the lady know something about the necklace? It seemed a far-fetched assumption. But it might explain that odd look in her eyes. Of course, it was also possible that she’d simply taken a dislike to him, but he much preferred the first option.
A tingling sort of anticipation swept through him. Though it was extremely unlikely, believing there was even the slightest possibility that she knew something of the necklace gave him a solid reason to talk to her.
However, after her first unsettling glance, she absolutely refused to look at him again—something that surely would’ve happened by accident at least once or twice in the following hour if she were not being so intent on avoiding it.
Fortunately, Phineas could be patient when the potential reward warranted it.
And eventually, Lady Lydia excused herself from the group and subsequently left the room.
Then Miss Martindale became engaged in a lively conversation with two dashing young gentlemen who couldn’t’ve been out in society much longer than herself.
That left only the marquess, but even that formidable gentleman eventually became ensnared in the delicate clutches of a society matron and her two daughters.
Since there was no telling how long the lady’s stuffy older brother would remain occupied, Phineas didn’t waste a moment. Circling the outer edge of the room, he managed to step up beside Lady Eleanor before she realized he was there, leaving her with no opportunity for retreat.
The sudden flinch of surprise that jolted through her when she did finally notice his presence made him feel a moment of regret for employing such a tactic.
He smiled, hoping to set her at ease. “Good evening, Lady Eleanor. My apologies,” he said with all the charm at his disposal. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her posture didn’t relax even a little bit. If anything, she stiffened even more. “Lord Waring. I’d hoped you wouldn’t approach me tonight.”
As soon as the words left her lips, she closed her eyes and turned her face away. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have said that.”
Phin chuckled. “On the contrary, I appreciate the honesty. But may I ask why?”
Though clearly still distressed by her own outspokenness, she pressed her dusky lips together and turned her gaze back to meet his. The moment their eyes met, a jolt shot through him from the top of his skull to his heels.
But a small frown shadowed her stare. He could see she hadn’t expected his question.
“I…I suppose…” After failing to find the words, she gave up with a small huff and an obvious drop of her shoulders as she glanced away again. “I don’t know.”
“I can understand why you might not desire my company,” he said in a tone of light commiseration.
“It’s my handsomeness, you see. And my devil-may-care charm.
Most people simply can’t believe I could be so overly blessed.
I no longer get offended.” He sighed. “It’s a burden I do my best to carry with graceful humility. ”
Her eyes widened in shock at his conceit until he gave a quick wink to assure her that he was only teasing.
She blinked with a flutter of lashes, then narrowed her gaze. “You are…absurd.”
“I prefer impish or mischievous.” He paused then added, “But I like wicked best.”
The blush that darkened her cheeks was distinctly alluring. But instead of gracing him with even a small smile of appreciation for his brazen charm, she glanced away.
“I might give you villainous,” she replied under her breath.
“I’ll take it,” he whispered.
The fine muscles of her jaw tensed as she took a swift breath through her nose.
“Now that I am here, do you wish for me to walk away?”
Phin watched her proud, elegant profile, trying to read her thoughts. She gave very little away in her expression.
“I assume you had some purpose for interrupting my brief moment of solitude.”
“You enjoy the solitude?” he asked. It was obvious she did, but he was curious as to the why.
“I crave it,” she answered quickly then rolled her lips in between her teeth, as if she wished she could draw the words back in. But he rather adored that she had such a tendency to say exactly what she was thinking. It was a rare quality.
Phin tilted his head, trying to see more of her expression. “Is London society such a bore?”
She laughed, the sound a bit forced and stilted. “Society? It would prefer to have nothing to do with me.”
“I find that difficult—”
“Oh, they all love my family, my title, my wealth and future dowry well enough,” she interrupted with just a hint of spite in her tone. “Me, however…”
Phin chuckled. “Surely, you’re not going to try to convince me you are not totally adored by the ton.”
She arched a brow and slid him a glance from the corner of her eye. “You haven’t heard what they say about me?” When he tilted his head in question, she continued. “That I’m utterly without personality. I’m passionless, dull-brained. Frigid.”
Amused by the absurdity of it, Phin laughed, but his amusement only deepened her frown.
“You must be joking,” he insisted.
“I assure you, I’m not.”
“Anyone who spoke with you more than a moment would see that you’re intelligent, discerning, and quite articulate.
I suppose I can imagine your forthrightness might put some people off who prefer not to hear the truth.
But there are just as many who’d value such a quality.
” He stopped when she turned to him with a wide, direct stare.
His heart seemed to bounce around a bit when he met her glimmering gaze, causing his next words to escape without filter, “You’re also undeniably beautiful. ”
As soon as he uttered the last, her expression twitched into a subtle but obvious grimace. The glimmer fled her gaze, leaving it flat and cold. A humorless smile twisted her gorgeous lips.
“Ah, there it is.” Her tone was as dry as a desert. “For a moment, I thought you might be somewhat original.”
There was more to her response than simply having heard similar compliments many times over from others. It wasn’t just disillusion or disappointment that he saw in her eyes. It was genuine regret.
“You’re upset that I find you beautiful,” he observed with a hint of incredulity.
She sighed and her gaze flickered to the side. “I find it tiresome that people put so much value on something that is undeniably shallow and irrelevant.”
Though she answered simply, he sensed a buried thread of frustration in her tone.
He cleared his throat and flashed a smile.
“Then I promise not to say another word about your soulful stare or the satin gleam of your hair. For the rest of our association, there won’t be a single comment about how gracefully you move or the regal elegance in your form.
I’ll swear not to stare too long at the lovely shadow of your collarbone or the delicate curve of your ear…
” Though he’d intended to keep his tone light and teasing, he couldn’t maintain the air of nonchalance as his gaze followed the direction of his words.
His voice deepened and roughened. “And I certainly won’t say a thing about how smooth and warm your skin looks or how your lips present a perfect lure for the drift of my fingertips. ”
Phin hadn’t meant to say such scandalous things.
His teasing had slipped quite unexpectedly into something more akin to seduction, but he’d quickly become bewitched by the loveliness of the features he was vowing to ignore.
A feeling that deepened as she turned her wide eyes back to his.
A lovely rose colored her cheeks and she parted her lips in surprise as the pulse at the base of her throat fluttered.
He suddenly wished he were making another promise—to say such things to her whenever possible. All day and all night, if it would put that starry look in her eyes.
“Would that please you, my lady?” he asked.
She blinked. Then slipped her tongue along her lips to wet them before pressing them firmly together.
Phin tensed as the heat of desire rushed with unexpected force through his veins.
Then she took a long breath through her nose, forcing the air to fill her lungs and straighten her spine. The muscles along her fine jaw tightened again as she cast a swift glance about them before bringing her dark gaze back to his.
“It would please me more if you refrained from all interactions with me. I do not know your game, Lord Waring, but I’ve no intention of playing along.”
Though he’d already crossed the line from harmless, friendly flirtation into something more dangerous, Phin couldn’t hold back his irreverent reply. “Games can be fun.”
She made a soft, derisive sound and lifted her chin, but he was certain he detected a sharp glint in the depths of her eyes.
“I had suspected before, but now I know for certain; you are a hazard, Lord Waring. A risk that offers no reward.”
“I wouldn’t say that—”
“You have nothing to offer that I could want,” she interrupted curtly. “Now, I suggest you move on before my brother reaches us. He does not look pleased.”
Phineas glanced in the direction of her pointed stare and saw the Marquess Redington baring swiftly down upon them. The man didn’t seem to like him much.
Knowing that momentary retreat was often the best tactic when attempting to accomplish a greater goal, Phin gave Lady Eleanor a tilted nod and a wicked grin. “You may not wish to join the game, my lady, but you play it well.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted again on a swift inhale, but before she could reply, he turned and walked away, tipping Lord Redington a jaunty nod as he went. It wasn’t until much later that he realized he’d completely forgotten to ask her about her reaction to his drawing of the necklace.