Chapter 7
Seven
Evan lined up his shot, his brow furrowed in concentration, but when he struck the billiard ball, it veered off course, missing the pocket entirely. The soft clink echoed through the quiet room of the gentlemen’s club, and he cursed under his breath.
From the corner, Cedric Hall, the Duke of Sinclair, leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. “That was pathetic, Colburn. You are usually more precise.”
“Too much brandy?” the Earl of Ashford chimed in, chuckling as he chalked his cue. “Or is it something else? You have been off all night.”
Evan straightened, setting the cue aside with a frustrated sigh. “You are both imagining things.”
“Oh, please,” Cedric scoffed, pushing away from the wall to take his turn. His sharp blue eyes did not miss a beat as he set up his shot. “I have known you long enough to recognize when something is bothering you. Your head is clearly not in the game.”
Ashford, always the more boisterous of the two, took a seat on one of the leather chairs near the fire, swirling the brandy in his glass. “It is a woman, is it not?”
Evan rolled his eyes, picking up his drink from the side table and taking a long sip. “You assume too much.”
“Oh, really?” Cedric cut in, sinking a perfect shot with ease. “Because I have seen you distracted before, but never like this. I would bet my estate there is a woman involved.”
Ashford grinned as he sat back, crossing one leg over the other. “What else could it be? You have got your estate, your wealth, and your title all in perfect order. The only thing that could possibly throw a man off is the fairer sex.”
Evan clenched his jaw, gripping the glass in his hand a little too tightly. “There is no woman.”
Cedric glanced at him over his shoulder, eyebrow raised. “You expect us to believe that?”
Ashford laughed, leaning forward. “Come on, Colburn, spill it. She has you tied in knots, does she not? I have never seen you miss a shot like that in the ten years I have known you.”
Evan let out a slow breath, his irritation growing as the two of them continued their banter.
He wanted to deny it, brush it off, but their teasing hit too close to the truth.
His thoughts were distracted. The memory of Minerva Bellington’s defiant gaze, the way she had refused him, lingered like a thorn he couldn’t remove.
Cedric took another shot, sinking two balls at once, before standing back and surveying the table. “Who is she, Evan? Someone we know?”
Evan’s eyes narrowed, annoyance flashing across his face. “I told you—there is no woman.”
Ashford grinned, clearly enjoying the situation. “Do not feign innocence, the truth is evident. I can see it. Who is she, Colburn? Someone scandalous?”
“Or perhaps,” Cedric interjected with a smirk, “someone who has actually gotten under that thick skin of yours? That would explain the brooding.”
Evan shot him a sharp look. “You are out of your mind.”
“Then why are you so rattled?” Cedric asked, casually leaning on his cue. “You have been a mess for days. I have not seen you gamble so much since Budapest, or drink so much since Oxford. The only times I have seen you like this is when something does not go your way.”
Ashford laughed, leaning back in his chair. “Wait… do not tell me—the lady in question snubbed your affections! That is it, is it not? She did not fall for your charms!”
Evan set his drink down with more force than necessary, the sound reverberating through the room. “Enough.”
“Oh, we have hit a nerve!” Ashford crowed, laughing as Cedric joined in with a low chuckle. “You are rattled because she refused you.”
Evan’s jaw tightened, his silence giving them all the answer they needed.
Cedric’s smirk deepened. “Ah, so that is what is bothering you. She did not play along. Not used to that, are you, Evan?”
Ashford shook his head, clearly enjoying every moment of Evan’s discomfort. “I have never seen a woman turn you down before This is unimaginable.”
“Neither can he,” Cedric added dryly, leaning on his cue. “That is why it has been gnawing at him. He did not get what he wanted.”
Evan’s patience snapped. “She did not refuse me,” he growled, standing up straight. “She resisted. There is a difference.”
Ashford and Cedric exchanged amused glances, but neither said a word, letting the silence do the work.
Evan clenched his fists, the memory of Minerva’s cool rejection flashing in his mind.
Her refusal–her rejection—had thrown him off in a way he had not expected.
It had left something unfinished, something that nagged at him.
“So that is what this is all about,” Cedric said, his tone now teasing but less biting. “It is resistance, I think, to which you are unaccustomed. .”
Evan let out a slow breath, running a hand through his dark hair. “It is not about that.”
Cedric took another shot, the balls scattering across the table as he sank two in a row. He stood, casually glancing over at Evan, who was brooding at the far end of the room, nursing his drink. “Make yourself plain, Colburn.”
Evan’s jaw tightened, but he did not respond, staring into his glass instead.
“Do not tease us, Colburn,” Ashford chimed in, ever the instigator. “Who is the lady in question? You may as well tell us. It is not like you to get so worked up over a woman.”
Evan scoffed, trying to brush them off. “You are both making a far bigger fuss than necessary.”
Cedric raised an eyebrow, leaning on his cue. “We would not be making anything of it if you were not so determined to brood in silence. What happened?”
Ashford smirked. “What did she do? Or better yet—what did you do?”
Evan shot him a sharp look, but the playful glint in Ashford’s eyes did not waver. He knew his friends wouldn’t let it go, not until they got answers. With a resigned sigh, he finally relented, though his voice was low and curt. “It was nothing. Just... a moment. Nothing came of it.”
Ashford grinned, sensing weakness. “A moment? We are getting somewhere! What kind of moment?”
Evan ran a hand through his hair, glaring at the floor. “I almost kissed her. It was not planned.”
“Almost kissed?” Cedric straightened, setting his cue aside, then teasingly added, “That is hardly nothing, Evan. Who was this almost-kissed girl?”
Evan hesitated, and Ashford’s grin widened. “It must have been someone important if you are being this cagey.”
Evan’s silence only deepened their curiosity. Cedric and Ashford exchanged a glance, both leaning in closer now, ready for the confession.
“Oh, this is good,” Ashford teased, practically bouncing on his heels. “Go on, out with it. Who is the mystery lady?”
Evan exhaled slowly, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this. He had no choice but to admit the truth, but the words tasted bitter on his tongue. “It was... Minerva Bellington.”
There was a moment of stunned silence as both Cedric and Ashford froze, clearly not expecting that answer. Cedric blinked, his usually composed expression faltering for a moment. “Minerva Bellington? Lady Minerva?”
Ashford’s jaw dropped. “The Lady Minerva Bellington? Well-bred, untouchable, that Minerva Bellington?”
“I have heard of eligible bachelors being more afraid of her than match-making mamas,” Cedric pretended to whisper to Ashford conspiratorially.
“I would not blame them, I have seen her sharp gaze set straight a number of wayward suitors,” Ashford agreed.
Evan shot him a warning glance, but Ashford was already laughing, the shock wearing off. “Oh, this is rich. No wonder you are off your game! You nearly kissed one of the most proper women in all of London!”
“Keep your voice down,” Evan muttered through gritted teeth.
Cedric, though more reserved, was still clearly shocked. “Evan, you do realize what that means, do not you? You cannot go around almost kissing women of Minerva Bellington’s standing without grave consequences.”
Ashford was still grinning like a cat who had just caught a mouse. “This is brilliant. No wonder you have been brooding. She did not swoon into your arms! She probably slapped you.”
Evan’s jaw clenched. “She did not slap me.”
“So, what happened?” Cedric asked, his voice more serious now. “What exactly transpired?”
Evan sighed, resigned to telling them everything. “It was an accident. We were in the same place—alone. Things escalated, but nothing happened. She... resisted.”
Ashford leaned forward, his grin widening. “A lady like that—of course she would resist. Did you expect her to melt into your arms?”
“I did not expect anything,” Evan snapped, glaring at Ashford. “It was not supposed to happen.” Unwittingly, he rubbed at his hand, and Ashford’s sharp eyes traveled to the bruise beneath his thumb.
“She bit you!” Ashford crowed. “Oh, this is a tale for the ages.”
Cedric crossed his arms, studying Evan carefully. “Lady Minerva is not just any woman, Evan. She is a well-bred lady, and this could ruin her if anyone finds out.”
Evan set his glass down with a little too much force. “No one is going to find out.”
Ashford raised an eyebrow. “.Are you certain that no one saw you?”
Cedric nodded, his tone more serious than before. “Let us hope that you are right, that no one will find out. We would all hate to see you marrying someone out of obligation.”
Evan’s jaw tightened, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I will not be marrying her—or anyone.”
Ashford, who had been enjoying the teasing, sobered at Evan’s words. “Come on, Evan. You cannot still be adamant against marriage.”
Evan glared at him, the tension in his voice palpable. “My mind has not changed, even from our days at Eton.”
“I thought you just wanted to have time to have your fun,” Cedric added. “You did a few grand tours of Europe, spent your money conspicuously, enjoyed a few trysts with ineligible women. But now, you are flirting with a very eligible woman and saying you are still against marriage in general?”
Evan’s fists clenched at his sides. “I have seen what marriage does to people. I will not do it.”
Ashford frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. “Surely it is time to start thinking about settle down, producing heirs?”
Evan’s eyes darkened, and his voice grew cold. “I have no desire to marry. That will be all.”
His friends fell silent, caught off guard by the severity of Evan’s tone.
Cedric, ever the more thoughtful of the two, spoke quietly. “You are not your parents, Evan.”
Evan’s gaze dropped to the billiard table, his hands resting on the edge as if to steady himself. “I know that. But it does not change anything.”
Ashford, still processing what had been revealed, leaned back against the table. “You do not have to be like them, you know. You can make different choices.”
Evan looked up, his eyes hard and unyielding. “I have made my choice. I will not be marrying anyone, let alone Lady Minerva. And that is final.”
Evan’s friends fell into silence once again. Cedric and Ashford exchanged a glance, but neither pushed the matter further. They had gotten the truth out of him, but they could see that the issue ran far deeper than just a near kiss.
Evan straightened, his expression cold and unreadable as he moved back toward the table. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a game to win. I put far too much money against this bet.”
Cedric and Ashford, still concerned but knowing better than to press further, returned to the game, though the easy banter from earlier had all but disappeared.
But as Evan lined up his next shot, he felt more unnerved than before. He had made his decision. He needed to clear his mind of Minerva before he crossed the point of no return. She was indeed a very eligible woman, and he would never marry her.