Chapter 3 #2
“What on earth are you reading?” Corinna asked, taking a tiny step closer to peer at the cover.
The man paused. Keeping his index finger trapped between the pages to hold his place, he slowly closed the book and turned the spine toward her. The faded gold lettering revealed a treatise on agricultural crop rotation.
He offered no explanation for why he was reading about dirt and turnips at the social event of the season.
“That seems a rather dry subject for a celebration,” Corinna observed quietly.
“It is highly informative,” he replied, his tone remaining perfectly flat. “It requires no conversation, and it does not expect me to dance with it.”
Corinna felt a small, genuine smile tug at the corner of her mouth. “Most people come to these things to be seen, sir. Not to read about soil management.”
The man finally looked at her. His blue eyes met her gray ones, and the hard line of his jaw softened just a fraction. “I am aware.”
“Then why are you here?” she pressed gently.
“Duty,” he stated simply. “And you? Why are you wandering the edge of a pond in the dark?”
“I am hiding,” Corinna admitted before she could stop herself.
“From what?”
“From the noise,” she said, glancing back toward the glowing windows of the ballroom. “From the expectations. From my sister, mostly. She informed me that I look like a frightened rabbit and that I am reflecting poorly on the family name.”
The man glanced toward the house before looking back down at her. “Your sister is mistaken,” he said, his voice perfectly even. “A frightened rabbit would have fallen into the water before I could catch it. Maybe you’re just a woman who has reached her absolute limit of society.”
Corinna felt a jolt of surprise. Staring at his sharp features, she marveled at how easily he had cut straight through the polite nonsense. “That is the first honest thing anyone has said to me all evening.”
Something in his face shifted. The guarded, polite mask slipped for a brief second, revealing a flash of genuine wonder that she had actually noticed the difference between usual society drivel and his blunt honesty. Lowering the book slightly, he opened his mouth to reply.
“There you are, for God’s sake.”
The quiet moment was shattered completely.
A second man stepped out from the shadow of the hedge. Lean and quick on his feet, dressed in an expensive burgundy coat, he stopped short when he saw Corinna. His dark eyes darted rapidly between her and the taller man.
Clearing his throat loudly, the newcomer bowed his head. “I apologize for the intrusion. But we are expected inside. Immediately.”
The tall man with the blue eyes instantly stepped away from Corinna. He closed the book with a sharp snap and returned it to his pocket, replacing their brief moment of connection with a cold, formal distance.
“Of course,” the tall man said. Turning to Corinna, he offered a brief, perfectly executed bow. “If you will excuse me. I must go.”
Without another word, he followed the dark-haired man back up the gravel path toward the brightly lit house.
Corinna stood alone by the pond for several minutes as the chill of the night air finally crept through her thin sleeves. Pressing a hand to her chest, she tried to steady her breathing and calm her racing heart.
Who on earth was that?
Gathering her skirts, she turned and made her way back into the suffocating heat of the Whitmore ballroom.
She found her family waiting near the main staircase. Eleanor was fanning herself rapidly, looking entirely frantic, while Vivienne stood incredibly straight with her terrifyingly bright smile glowing in full force.
“Where have you been?” Eleanor hissed, grabbing Corinna’s arm the moment she approached. “We are about to be introduced. Smooth your hair, darling. You look flushed.”
“I merely stepped out for some air,” Corinna lied smoothly.
“Stand up straight,” Vivienne commanded under her breath. “They are approaching.”
Corinna turned her head. A small group of people was making its way through the parting crowd, led by their host, Lord Whitmore. Smiling broadly and charming everyone he passed, he looked entirely at ease in the center of the massive room.
Walking two steps behind him, his face perfectly blank, was the tall man with the blue eyes.
Lord Whitmore stopped in front of Eleanor and bowed respectfully. “Mrs. Ashwell. May I present the Earl of Ravenswood?”
Lord Whitmore gestured directly to the dark-haired man in the burgundy coat.
Blinking in surprise, Corinna looked at the earl. He was certainly handsome, possessing a careless, restless energy as he stepped forward to bow over Eleanor’s hand with practiced grace.
“It is an absolute honor, Mrs. Ashwell,” the earl said, his voice warm and inviting.
“The honor is entirely ours, my lord,” Eleanor stammered, blushing deeply under his attention.
“And these must be your lovely daughters,” the earl continued, turning his bright smile upon Vivienne.
Vivienne dropped into a flawless, sweeping curtsy. “I am Miss Vivienne Ashwell, my lord. It is a profound pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”
“The pleasure is entirely mine, Miss Ashwell,” the earl replied, his eyes lingering appreciatively on Vivienne’s beautiful face. He then gestured casually over his shoulder to the tall man standing silently behind him. “May I also introduce my personal secretary and companion, Mr. Julian Marsh.”
Corinna froze.
The tall man with the blue eyes stepped forward. Stopping directly in front of Corinna, he extended his hand.
“A pleasure, Miss Ashwell,” he said, his deep voice giving away absolutely nothing.
Slowly raising her hand, Corinna placed it in his. The warmth of his callused palm sent a fresh jolt through her system. As he greeted her with perfect composure, his large fingers swallowed hers. They looked at each other, holding the gaze for precisely one second too long.
A sharp thrill ran down Corinna’s spine. The secretary let go of her hand and took a respectful step backward, blending seamlessly into the background shadow of the earl.
Vivienne was already performing magnificently. Tossing her head so the candlelight caught the pearls in her hair, she laughed musically at something the earl said. She commanded his attention entirely, ensuring that the wealthy peer saw absolutely no one else in the room but her.
Standing quietly by her mother’s side, Corinna watched the earl interact with her sister for a moment before slowly shifting her gaze past him.
She found the secretary across the room.
Standing perfectly still and watching the crowd with those cold blue eyes, Mr. Marsh looked completely detached from the spectacle unfolding around him.
Corinna felt the specific, irritating discomfort of a puzzle she did not yet have the pieces for.
She thought again about how wildly inappropriate their encounter in the dark garden had been.
As she watched the tall, quiet companion observe the room, she realized just how incredibly interesting this strange man truly was.