Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
All throughout dinner, Sariah tried to catch Reed’s eye from further down the table, but for some reason, it seemed as though he was avoiding her, when in the parlor, she could feel his stare following her about the room.
However, she started to wonder that his sudden reticence might be due to Lord Michael’s desire to suddenly be close to her.
He’d even confessed that he’d found a way to secure a seat next to her for the meal.
This was not a welcome surprise. Although she had once fancied herself in love with the handsome soldier before he’d gone away to war, his return as a hero was not as enticing as she had imagined it might have been.
She was glad to see him, of course, because he’d been good friends with her brother over the years and had made numerous appearances at Foxworth House, but he had never seemed to reciprocate her feelings.
Now that she was engaged, it seemed that he had finally discovered her allure and was intent on wooing her away from her current betrothed.
She wondered if perhaps she was reading too much into his attentions, but when Maggie remarked on the same thing in the parlor after dinner was over, Sariah was grateful someone else had noticed it. “I bet he intends to make you an offer,” Ava said emphatically.
The three of them were huddled together on a settee.
Sariah put a hand to her forehead. She was not in the particular mood to endure her friend’s penchant to romanticize everything.
Not when her body was still humming delightfully from her encounter with Reed in the gazebo.
She had been considering all night how she might find enough time alone with him to duplicate the sensation of the “little death,” but Lord Michael Feltstone had turned into an unwelcome complication.
“I do not want another suitor,” she sighed. “One is quite enough at a time.”
Maggie gave a snort. “I am just glad you are the one having this issue and not me. While my mother despairs that I shall ever make a suitable match after one failed season, I fear for what will happen when next spring arrives. I may have to break a leg on purpose just to save myself the horrors that I will certainly be forced into with my mother’s matchmaking efforts. ”
“I would love to find a husband,” Ava sighed dreamily. “I do not want someone old enough to be my father and I should prefer it if our interests aligned, but I am eager to set up my own household and start a family.”
Sariah had an idea. “What do you think of Lord Michael?”
Ava blinked her wide blue eyes. “I think he is quite handsome, but he barely flicked a glance over me.”
“Then we shall have to endeavor to change that,” Sariah said firmly.
“I will give it some thought and devise a plan so that his attentions become fixed on you and I can continue in peace with Re—er, Mr. Carrington.” She would have been too lucky to hope that Maggie didn’t catch her slip of the tongue.
“Are you on a first name basis?” she murmured. “I am truly starting to wonder how false your betrothal is.”
Sariah could not keep the warmth from seeping into her cheeks. “I daresay I am starting to wonder that myself.” When Ava gasped and Maggie lifted a red brow, Sariah quickly added, “There is no new understanding. I want to make that perfectly clear, but I would not be… averse if it were in truth.”
Maggie shook her head. “I never thought I would see the day you would be eager for marriage.”
“Neither did I,” Sariah said honestly. “I fully intend to continue my pursuits for women’s rights in England, but I know that Mr. Carrington would not forbid it should we get married. He is just as eager for change within society as I am.”
As the men returned from their cigars in the dining room, Sariah’s spirits immediately rose. However, when it became clear that Reed had not joined the rest of the assemblage, her stomach sank.
She prayed it was not a precursor to how the rest of the party might go.
It was the first fox hunt that Reed had ever joined. Until now.
He’d considered remaining behind while the rest of the men enjoyed the pleasant morning’s endeavors, but it was actually because of Lord Michael’s urging that he had decided to mount a horse, courtesy of Lord Harville, and wait for the horn to sound.
The braying hounds were eager to be off, taking two footmen to keep the set of four restrained until the start of the race.
Although Reed wasn’t as strong as some when it came to riding, he was not without any skill.
No doubt Lord Michael could ride circles around him, and indeed, it appeared as though his stallion could easily overtake Reed’s gelding.
While Lord Harville had offered him some prime stock for the event, it was obvious that Lord Michael was a connoisseur when it came to horseflesh.
He supposed that came with the need for survival during the war, but Lord Richard had mentioned that his friend’s father had always kept a well-bred stable.
“So you are responsible for his arrival,” Reed murmured, more to himself than to Sariah’s brother.
“I suppose I am, but do not feel threatened. Michael is harmless. He might be a former soldier, but he does not cheat to his advantage when it comes to a hunt.”
Reed nodded, although he could have cared less about the hunt. He was more concerned about his intentions toward his bride. Or rather, the woman everyone believed was his intended.
He clenched his jaw and joined the rest of the men preparing to set out.
He did not like this pang of jealousy that shot through him when it came to Lord Michael and Sariah.
But he could not ignore it any more than he could push aside what had happened between him and the lady at the gazebo.
He’d thought of little else, sleeping poorly because of it.
He kept thinking about her, warm and seductive in her bed, and the desire to join her and wipe all memory of Lord Michael out of her mind had almost made him act on the impulse.
It was through a sheer power of will that he’d remained in his chamber and stared at the wall, waiting for dawn to arrive so he could finally rise.
Now, he was sitting here, glaring at the competition that he didn’t know he had until that point. He should be focused on gaining more investors for his shipping venture, but instead, he was more interested in deciding how far Lord Michael’s sudden regard for Sariah actually went.
Reed sidled up beside the former Dragoon and touched the brim of his hat in greeting. “Fine morning.”
The gentleman turned his head to acknowledge Reed.
The gentleman had dark hair and eyes, the complete opposite of Reed, and he couldn’t help but wonder what Sariah’s preferences were.
“Yes, I would have to agree,” the other man said politely.
“I daresay I have heard a lot about you, Mr. Carrington.”
“Have you?” Reed said evenly. “I hope it was favorable.”
“It was,” Lord Michael concurred. “It seems that you are a shrewd businessman and that after you announced your engagement to Miss Kent, your capital has increased greatly.”
Reed wasn’t certain how to take that comment.
It sounded innocent, but something told him there was an underlying meaning there.
“I will admit that Lord Foxworth has been very generous in introducing me to potential investors with my joint shipping venture, but I hope you are not implying that it is somehow connected to my agreement with the lady.”
“I would never presume to infer that you are using Miss Kent for personal gain,” his opponent returned. “That would be dishonorable in the extreme.”
Reed had to fight to keep his opinions to himself.
While it might not be far off the mark to say his association with Miss Kent had started that way, he should not feel guilty because he had never lied about it, as it had been a mutual benefit to them both to embark on this fabrication.
However, he didn’t feel as though he owed this man an explanation, so he did not take the bait.
Lord Michael must have understood that Reed was not going to engage, so he switched tactics. “Tell me, how did you and Miss Kent meet?”
Reed smiled tightly. “At the Peerless Pond. She was in distress and I came to her aid.”
“Ah. How gallant. A true English hero.”
Again, Reed did not particularly like the way the other man voiced his opinions, but again, he allowed the slight to roll off him.
As the horn sounded, signaling that all participants in the hunt should prepare, the gentleman offered one last, parting remark. “Good luck on the hunt, Mr. Carrington.”
Reed was quite sure that was said in a condescending manner, because he knew Reed would not be able to keep up with these seasoned hunters.
However, Reed was determined that, while he might not win the day, he would certainly not allow Lord Michael such an easy victory—both with the fox, and Miss Kent.
Sariah was utterly bored out of her senses.
While the men were out enjoying the hunt, the women were forced to partake of embroidery in the main parlor.
She rolled her eyes at Maggie and Ava, the three of them struggling to pay attention to their stitches while the rest of the ladies—their mothers included—embarked on the latest on dits of the ton.
“This has got to be some form of torture,” Maggie sighed, as she pricked herself with the needle once more. “At this rate, I am going to find myself with such sore fingers that come the end of the day, I shall have to bandage every single one of them.”
Ava was the only one of their trio that did not seem to mind the task. “I have never been particularly adept at embroidery. I prefer watercolors, but I am determined to make the best of it.”