blushed. “I’m so sorry. Normally, he isn’t that…”
“ Scandalous?” Abigail lifted her eyebrow and smiled. “It seems he’s recovered from his aversion to crying women, dear sister.”
Emma blushed to the roots of her hair and changed the subject, but Abigail was still thinking about how Sebastian had kissed her sister. Could she be that blind? This whole time she had wanted something like Sebastian and Emma had. She thought that by kissing Rawlings it would happen. But the kisses she had given him paled in comparison. They were worthless next to what Sebastian and Emma had just shared. It made her wonder all the more how she was to find someone to love when her heart belonged to another person entirely.
****
Phillip knew the second she had stepped into the room. Not because some sort of heavenly being whispered into his ear, “She’s here,” but because men of all different shapes and sizes began crowding. And after seeing the list of available debutantes, he knew it had to be Abigail they were fawning over.
Just as he was getting ready to avert his eyes back to his dancing partner, the sea of admirers parted. He caught a glimpse of her and cursed.
“ I’m sorry, did you say something?” Lady Rosalind, the Marquess of Whitmore’s betrothed, looked at him through sooty black lashes.
“ I, er…”
“ Rawlings, Rawlings, Rawlings.” Lady Rosalind shook her head. “You’d think a man with your reputation would at least have a way with words.”
He shot her a dirty look. In the one night since he’d known her, Lady Rosalind had not only stepped on his feet, but cursed—yes, cursed at her own betrothed for being such a swine He asked her to dance to protect the girl from scandal, but now he was having second thoughts. It made sense that this daring redhead would be one of Abigail’s best friends. Something he was not aware of until the blasted girl started listing every single one of Abby’s positive attributes. Suffice to say that was when Phillip felt the very strong urge to weep. So, he did not feel at all guilty for glaring at the insufferable woman, and was increasingly glad he would not be the one to marry her. It seemed dear Abigail had found a twin in mischief.
“ One should not curse in front of a lady.”
Phillip laughed. “I’ll be sure to hold my tongue when I’m in the presence of one.”
“ Oh, la!” Rosalind feigned irritation, but he knew the woman was stronger than flint. “Out of curiosity, who may I ask has put that delightful mask of jealousy on your face?”
“ Jealousy?” When would this dance end? “I’m wearing nothing of the sort.”
“ Right. And I am overwhelmed with joy at being matched up with him.” She nodded her head in the direction of Whitmore, who was presently groping at his latest mistress.
Both Rawlings and Rosalind shuddered and shared a laugh.
“ He isn’t as bad as he seems.”
Rosalind scoffed, “Are you his defender then? And you’re wrong, he’s much worse than he seems. But, do not worry a fig for me. I will do just fine.” Phillip stared into her steely blue eyes and believed her every word. “Now, what were we talking about?”
“ The weather,” Phillip lied.
“ And I thought you were more intelligent than to lie. If you won’t tell me I’ll just have to ask Abigail.”
The sound of her name gave him away, for his hand tensed, only slightly, on Lady Rosalind’s body. She bit her lip in triumph.
“ That was not playing fair, my lady.”
The dance ended, but before the pairs parted, Lady Rosalind leaned in and whispered, “Women rarely play fair, my lord.”
The next hour was spent with a series of wide-eyed debutantes who not only seemed curious as to why the devil was at Almack's, but how he had gained an invitation. Phillip himself had been curious about the same thing, until Lady Jersey and the Dowager Duchess of Tempest both smiled and winked in his direction. It seemed the patronesses loved
“ Scandalous?” Abigail lifted her eyebrow and smiled. “It seems he’s recovered from his aversion to crying women, dear sister.”
Emma blushed to the roots of her hair and changed the subject, but Abigail was still thinking about how Sebastian had kissed her sister. Could she be that blind? This whole time she had wanted something like Sebastian and Emma had. She thought that by kissing Rawlings it would happen. But the kisses she had given him paled in comparison. They were worthless next to what Sebastian and Emma had just shared. It made her wonder all the more how she was to find someone to love when her heart belonged to another person entirely.
****
Phillip knew the second she had stepped into the room. Not because some sort of heavenly being whispered into his ear, “She’s here,” but because men of all different shapes and sizes began crowding. And after seeing the list of available debutantes, he knew it had to be Abigail they were fawning over.
Just as he was getting ready to avert his eyes back to his dancing partner, the sea of admirers parted. He caught a glimpse of her and cursed.
“ I’m sorry, did you say something?” Lady Rosalind, the Marquess of Whitmore’s betrothed, looked at him through sooty black lashes.
“ I, er…”
“ Rawlings, Rawlings, Rawlings.” Lady Rosalind shook her head. “You’d think a man with your reputation would at least have a way with words.”
He shot her a dirty look. In the one night since he’d known her, Lady Rosalind had not only stepped on his feet, but cursed—yes, cursed at her own betrothed for being such a swine He asked her to dance to protect the girl from scandal, but now he was having second thoughts. It made sense that this daring redhead would be one of Abigail’s best friends. Something he was not aware of until the blasted girl started listing every single one of Abby’s positive attributes. Suffice to say that was when Phillip felt the very strong urge to weep. So, he did not feel at all guilty for glaring at the insufferable woman, and was increasingly glad he would not be the one to marry her. It seemed dear Abigail had found a twin in mischief.
“ One should not curse in front of a lady.”
Phillip laughed. “I’ll be sure to hold my tongue when I’m in the presence of one.”
“ Oh, la!” Rosalind feigned irritation, but he knew the woman was stronger than flint. “Out of curiosity, who may I ask has put that delightful mask of jealousy on your face?”
“ Jealousy?” When would this dance end? “I’m wearing nothing of the sort.”
“ Right. And I am overwhelmed with joy at being matched up with him.” She nodded her head in the direction of Whitmore, who was presently groping at his latest mistress.
Both Rawlings and Rosalind shuddered and shared a laugh.
“ He isn’t as bad as he seems.”
Rosalind scoffed, “Are you his defender then? And you’re wrong, he’s much worse than he seems. But, do not worry a fig for me. I will do just fine.” Phillip stared into her steely blue eyes and believed her every word. “Now, what were we talking about?”
“ The weather,” Phillip lied.
“ And I thought you were more intelligent than to lie. If you won’t tell me I’ll just have to ask Abigail.”
The sound of her name gave him away, for his hand tensed, only slightly, on Lady Rosalind’s body. She bit her lip in triumph.
“ That was not playing fair, my lady.”
The dance ended, but before the pairs parted, Lady Rosalind leaned in and whispered, “Women rarely play fair, my lord.”
The next hour was spent with a series of wide-eyed debutantes who not only seemed curious as to why the devil was at Almack's, but how he had gained an invitation. Phillip himself had been curious about the same thing, until Lady Jersey and the Dowager Duchess of Tempest both smiled and winked in his direction. It seemed the patronesses loved
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