The Untamed Earl by Valerie Bowman Page A

can … handle his liquor.”
    His eyebrows hitched higher. “What in God’s name is that supposed to mean?”
    Alex shrugged. “It means the more drinking, the better.”
    He narrowed his eyes on her. “Well, that has never proved a problem for me, but are you quite serious?”
    â€œOh yes, quite.” Alex tightened her crossed fingers until they ached. “Lavinia has mentioned it to me on more than one occasion how much she admires a man who enjoys liquor. We once encountered a gentleman who refused to so much as touch a drink. Religious reasons, you know? Lavinia was positively aghast.”
    Owen’s brow was furrowed now. “I’m not certain which sort of religious reasons—”
    â€œIt was something quite rare,” Alex hastened to add. Confound it. This was already more difficult than she’d thought. Owen was intelligent. Quite intelligent. He wasn’t going to believe some of this, and she was a rubbish liar. She felt it best to remain adamant.
    â€œI’ve heard of moderation—never practiced it, mind you,” he added with a devilish grin. “But I’ve heard of it. I’ve never known anyone who entirely abstained, however.”
    Alex shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no. No moderation. Not for Lavinia. In fact, she once challenged two dinner guests to a drinking match.” Alex said a silent prayer that she would not be struck dead by lightning for her flagrant lies.
    Owen whistled. “Lady Lavinia drank, too?”
    Now who was aghast? Alex managed a small but effective laugh. “No. Of course not. But she did place a pound wager from her pin money on one of the chaps and won.”
    Alex’s crossed fingers were getting sweaty. She was relatively certain her forehead was breaking out in a sweat, too. Guilt was not attractive. The truth was that she had been the one to challenge the two knights at the dinner party to the drink-off and had doubled her pin money. She’d also been scolded unmercifully by both her mother and Lavinia for her outrageous behavior. It had not been one of her finest moments, and her mother had insisted she would never find a proper husband if she continued to act like such a hoyden. Her mother was right. It was a good thing she didn’t want a proper husband. She wanted Owen Monroe. She glanced at him to gauge whether he believed her story.
    Owen stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I must say this news about her intrigues me. I wouldn’t have expected Lady Lavinia to be fun-loving. In the least.”
    Alex swallowed the lump of guilt she feared would be permanently lodged in her throat. “Oh yes, Lavinia is ever so fun-loving.” She’d nearly choked on that part. She glanced away, hoping the lie wasn’t visible on her face.
    â€œSurprising, to be sure,” Owen said.
    â€œMy sister is full of surprises,” she assured him with a firm nod. She tugged at the collar of her butter yellow gown. It was decidedly hot in the ballroom this afternoon.
    Owen cocked his head to the side. “I suppose I can find a way to use that information to my advantage. Very well.” He held out his arms. “Shall we dance?”

 
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
    Alex had thought she knew how to dance. That was until Owen Monroe took her into his arms and spun her around and around his sister’s empty ballroom to a tune he hummed. Not only could the man dance, but he could also hum, keep time, and make her feel as if she were the only person in the room all simultaneously. It didn’t matter that she was the only other person in the room. That was entirely beside the point.
    She stepped on his foot only three times. In the first dance. He stopped humming and the dance came to an end. Alex backed away but kept a watchful eye on him, certain she’d see disapproval lurking in his cornflower blue eyes.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she murmured, pushing the