supposed, that he hadn’t simply tossed her out of the alcove to the wolves. If they remained any longer, though, her fading luck was bound to leave her completely.
“Saint—”
He lowered his mouth to hers again, his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head. This time he was hard and ruthless and very thorough. A helpless moan left her before she could stop herself, and her hands lifted to slide around his waist.
Before she could actually touch him, though, he broke the kiss, backing to the far side of the alcove. “So sweet, you are,” he said in his low voice, wiping a hand across his mouth. “You’d do best to stay away from me, you know. Good night, Evelyn Marie.”
Leaning against the wall and trying to regain her breath and her senses, Evelyn thought her mother might be right. She must be going mad; now even St. Aubyn himself had warned her to stay away, and all she could think of was that she would see him again tomorrow.
With a last deep breath she yanked her sleeve back up, straightened, and returned to the hallway. A mirrorhung just outside the ballroom door, and she took a moment to check her hair and make sure he hadn’t removed any other articles of her clothing, or her necklace again.
Evelyn froze, gazing at the reflection of her throat. A single diamond in a sterling silver heart pendant winked back at her. Slowly, her hand shaking, she reached up to touch it. It wasn’t just her imagination. The Marquis of St. Aubyn had taken her pearl necklace this afternoon, and replaced it with a diamond this evening. An exquisite one. “Oh, my,” she whispered.
If nothing was for free, what would he expect in return for this? After that last kiss, a part of her wanted to find out.
“St. Aubyn.”
Saint didn’t look up from the gaming table. He’d managed to slip into the Dundredge card room via the servants’ stairs, though at the same time he was dodging Victor Ruddick he had to wonder why he bothered. Almost no one called him out any longer; the survivors had warned the rest of the populace about the danger of questioning his honor, warranted or not.
Evelyn Marie, however, had actually asked him not to ruin her. That had surprised him into complying, along with the additional thought that it he did ruin her reputation, she would be removed from his grasp. It was all a good lesson in reasons not to dangle after proper, virginal females, but it didn’t lessen his obsession with her in the least.
“St. Aubyn.”
With a sigh, he looked up over his shoulder. “Yes?”
“Have you…” His square jaw clenched, Victor Ruddick glanced at the crowded room and lowered his voice. “Have you seen my sister?”
“First of all,” Saint said, gesturing for another card, “who the devil are you?”
Evelyn’s brother grasped the back of his chair and leaned forward. “You know who the devil I am,” he muttered, “and you know who my sister is. She may be appallingly dim, but she’s a good girl. Stay away from her, St. Aubyn.”
Saint’s estimation of Mr. Ruddick rose a notch or two. Direct threats took guts, especially when aimed at him. “I’m out,” he informed the rest of the players at his table, dumping his cards into the discard pile.
On the other hand, though he knew relatively little about Evelyn, he had gathered that she wasn’t the least bit stupid. He stood, sliding his chair back so that Victor had to move aside or get knocked over. The rest of the room had quieted to an eager buzz of muted conversation; but then, probably everyone knew he’d waltzed with Evelyn last week.
“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing her brother toward the door.
“I prefer not to be seen conversing with you,” Victor stated, scowling. “You’re no good for anyone’s reputation. Just leave my family alone.”
“Then cease sending your sister to chat with my particular…friends,” Saint returned. “Do your own dirty work, Ruddick.”
With that, he strolled out the door and
“Saint—”
He lowered his mouth to hers again, his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head. This time he was hard and ruthless and very thorough. A helpless moan left her before she could stop herself, and her hands lifted to slide around his waist.
Before she could actually touch him, though, he broke the kiss, backing to the far side of the alcove. “So sweet, you are,” he said in his low voice, wiping a hand across his mouth. “You’d do best to stay away from me, you know. Good night, Evelyn Marie.”
Leaning against the wall and trying to regain her breath and her senses, Evelyn thought her mother might be right. She must be going mad; now even St. Aubyn himself had warned her to stay away, and all she could think of was that she would see him again tomorrow.
With a last deep breath she yanked her sleeve back up, straightened, and returned to the hallway. A mirrorhung just outside the ballroom door, and she took a moment to check her hair and make sure he hadn’t removed any other articles of her clothing, or her necklace again.
Evelyn froze, gazing at the reflection of her throat. A single diamond in a sterling silver heart pendant winked back at her. Slowly, her hand shaking, she reached up to touch it. It wasn’t just her imagination. The Marquis of St. Aubyn had taken her pearl necklace this afternoon, and replaced it with a diamond this evening. An exquisite one. “Oh, my,” she whispered.
If nothing was for free, what would he expect in return for this? After that last kiss, a part of her wanted to find out.
“St. Aubyn.”
Saint didn’t look up from the gaming table. He’d managed to slip into the Dundredge card room via the servants’ stairs, though at the same time he was dodging Victor Ruddick he had to wonder why he bothered. Almost no one called him out any longer; the survivors had warned the rest of the populace about the danger of questioning his honor, warranted or not.
Evelyn Marie, however, had actually asked him not to ruin her. That had surprised him into complying, along with the additional thought that it he did ruin her reputation, she would be removed from his grasp. It was all a good lesson in reasons not to dangle after proper, virginal females, but it didn’t lessen his obsession with her in the least.
“St. Aubyn.”
With a sigh, he looked up over his shoulder. “Yes?”
“Have you…” His square jaw clenched, Victor Ruddick glanced at the crowded room and lowered his voice. “Have you seen my sister?”
“First of all,” Saint said, gesturing for another card, “who the devil are you?”
Evelyn’s brother grasped the back of his chair and leaned forward. “You know who the devil I am,” he muttered, “and you know who my sister is. She may be appallingly dim, but she’s a good girl. Stay away from her, St. Aubyn.”
Saint’s estimation of Mr. Ruddick rose a notch or two. Direct threats took guts, especially when aimed at him. “I’m out,” he informed the rest of the players at his table, dumping his cards into the discard pile.
On the other hand, though he knew relatively little about Evelyn, he had gathered that she wasn’t the least bit stupid. He stood, sliding his chair back so that Victor had to move aside or get knocked over. The rest of the room had quieted to an eager buzz of muted conversation; but then, probably everyone knew he’d waltzed with Evelyn last week.
“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing her brother toward the door.
“I prefer not to be seen conversing with you,” Victor stated, scowling. “You’re no good for anyone’s reputation. Just leave my family alone.”
“Then cease sending your sister to chat with my particular…friends,” Saint returned. “Do your own dirty work, Ruddick.”
With that, he strolled out the door and
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