Forbidden (16 page)

"He was never worthy of you, while the
temptation is to believe that there is something wrong with you,
understand that it is a character flaw within
him
that
allowed him to miss the treasure that you indeed are. If you'll
excuse me." Cross patted her hand and left, needing to distance
himself from Essie
and
Trighton before he acted brashly.

And he had already shocked Essie enough
tonight. Fisticuffs with her former betrothed and stealing a kiss
from her were not going to help his case.

And he was quite certain he needed all the
help he could get.

"Is it just me, or
is
my brother acting odd?" Anna asked as her gaze followed the
retreating form of her brother.

Essie tilted her head slightly, studying the
man she thought she knew so well.

Not any longer.

When did Cross make the transition from
comfortable friend to mysterious gentleman? It was as if everything
she thought she knew about him had been thrown into question.

It was alluring.

It was alarming.

It was making her feel things she didn't
trust herself to dwell on.

Her hand felt cold, missing the heat his arm
had lent her. When they had waltzed, it had been like a scene from
a fairy tale, the music punctuating each movement, each step.

Each breath.

What was muddling her mind was that all this
was taking place with Cross.

Cross.

No matter how many times she said his name in
her mind, it didn't add up. How had she spent most of her life in
his company and never… noticed him? Was that it? And why in
heaven's name was he not married? His blue eyes were sinful, deep
and mischievous. His broad shoulders declared him powerful, strong.
Essie watched him walk away, the confident and determined stride of
a man who knew his place, who knew what he wanted.

What would it be like for him to want
her?

Shaking her head, she turned to Anna, not
wanting to answer that question.

"Forget that, you
both
are acting odd.
But I must say, I weren't in on the ruse, I'd be fully convinced
that you two were courting. I had no idea my brother had it in him,
to act so smitten. I had to glance away from watching you dance, it
was…" She twisted her lips slightly as if thinking of the correct
word. "Passionate."

"Passionate?" Essie questioned, thought it
was for Anna's benefit, and to cover up her own secret emotions all
confusing and new.

"He was making love to you with his eyes.
Disgusting. We're talking about my brother." She shivered
delicately and glanced away. "I'm happy to know that you're dealing
well with Trighton's ill taste. Bringing Miss Montray. Everyone
knows she's only after his title…" Anna's eyes widened and she
reached out and grasped Essie's arm. "Do you think his family is,"
She widened her eyes and nodded slightly, as if trying to
communicate something without speaking it.

Essie shook her head in confusion. "I'm
afraid I can't read minds."

"Do you think… wait." Anna pulled Essie's
hand in the direction of an open balcony, thankfully mostly
deserted. "He asked you to cry off, which means he didn't want to
create a scandal, or be the source of one. After all, if you cried
off, it would be far less of a disgrace for both of you if you were
to end it. And since you're here with Cross, people will simply
assume that you both parted amicably, for the most part. But, what
if,
Trighton
needed
you to cry off?" Anna asked in a
whisper.

"He did, he wanted out of the betrothal,"
Essie answered, still not quite seeing where her friend was heading
with this conversation.

"No. What I'm saying, is while your family is
far from poor, you're not as wealthy as some…" She let the words
linger.

Understanding dawned. "As Miss Montray."

"Indeed. She's already in her third season.
So it's safe to say she's feeling a bit desperate. Not to forget,
she inherited all that money from her aunt."

"I had quite forgotten about that." Essie
glanced down, processing all this new information.

"So, since it seems unlikely he had created a
firm attachment to Miss Montray while you were betrothed, it seems
logical to assume that he needs her money."

"But the Trighton's are wealthy—"

"Or so we
think.
" Anna nodded with
emphasis. "Take the McCords last year. Everyone assumed they were
fantastically wealthy; especially after all the money they spent on
their daughter's debut. But it had all been a desperate effort to
marry their daughter as quickly as possible because they were
practically destitute."

"In truth we probably would have never known
unless it hadn't worked as they anticipated," Essie replied,
thoughtful.

"Yes. And if you consider Miss Montray's
prospects… her family's money was produced from trade." Anna
lowered her chin, causing her expression to be direct.

"I had quite forgotten her father had,
er…"

"Bought a Barony. Yes," Anna finished in her
matter of fact tone. "Making it necessary for her to
marry
into a titled family in order for her family to be accepted by the
ton."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"I hadn't either until I started to put the
pieces together. Of course, I
could
be wrong, but, don't you
find it odd that Trighton needed you to cry off, only to
immediately be seen with another deb who is approaching
spinsterhood,
and
who has a large dowry?"

"When you put it that way…" Essie bit her
lip. "It does seem rather probable. But, it doesn't prove anything.
It's all still speculation and…" Essie sighed and smoothed her
skirt. "Honestly, I don't give a fig." She straightened her
shoulders and walked over to the balcony that overlooked the
garden.

Essie heard Anna's approaching footsteps
before she noticed her out of the corner of her eye as she stood
beside her. "You're right. It doesn't matter a whit, I simply
thought that if you knew it wasn't well…
you
… then maybe
you'd feel a little better about the situation," she answered
softly.

"You're right. And you're a dear friend for
considering it. I just… I don't want to think about him right
now."

"I hope sincerely that you aren't talking
about me," Cross interjected, a teasing tone to his words.

"You? Never!" Essie teased and turned to face
him. His eyes reflected the torchlight on the balcony, illuminating
his gaze with a smoldering quality that was far from innocent and
light.

"Speak for yourself," Anna teased Essie as
she strode over to her brother, poking his arm. "Where have you
been?"

"There was an acquaintance I needed to speak
with," Cross answered, tugging at his coat sleeves.

"Who?" Anna asked, her brow furrowing.

"No one important." Cross shrugged.

"How insulting," Anna teased, earning a
confused expression from her brother.

"How so?" He asked.

"You left us to our own devices all for the
sake of an acquaintance you don't even deem worthy enough to
mention. How is that
not
offending?" she asked, smiling
playfully.

"You, dear sister, are a menace," Cross
replied, crossing his arms. "If you want the truth, with Trighton
walking into the room with the Montray girl on his arm, acting
besotted and as if he had never offered for Essie here, I needed a
moment to myself before I made a scene of mopping the floor with
his cravat." He spoke succinctly, daring his sister to reply with a
smart comment.

"Oh," Anna replied, her eyes widening.

Essie felt herself grin, delighted that Cross
would champion her so. Trighton wouldn't stand a chance. He was
almost petite in comparison with Cross' broad stature.

"What a pity," Essie commented, her smile
growing as Cross met her gaze with a surprised expression that
shifted to an amused grin of his own.

"Blood thirsty lot," Anna replied.

Essie shot her a disbelieving glare.

"Oh, very well, I'd like to have seen that
too." She threw her hands in the air and chuckled. "But someone has
to act mature with you two acting to strangely. I had no idea that
when you two agreed to do this, that it would feel so… I don't
know… real?" She shrugged, then tugged on her white kid gloves.

Essie glanced to Cross.

He was watching her, searching her
expression. Not knowing what to do, she glanced down to the marble
floor, feeling a blush heat her cheeks.

If Anna only knew how real it felt, this
whole forsaken ruse. Right down to her present blushing state.

"Essie?" Cross spoke her name softly, almost
intimately.

"Ah, look who we have here." Trighton's
familiar voice sliced through the moment like a sharp knife.

Essie glanced to her right as Lord Trighton
walked onto the balcony, Miss Montray on his arm. His expression
was smug and arrogant, his lips twisted into a smirk.

"Trighton." Cross spoke with a confident
tone, yet as Essie glanced to him, Cross' gaze was focused on her,
watching her reaction.

"How… enchanting." Essie turned her gaze back
to Trighton and Miss Montray. Trighton patted her arm possessively
as Miss Montray's gaze shifted in an uncomfortable manner.

"It is a lovely evening, is it not?" Miss
Montray spoke hesitantly as her gaze darted between Trighton and
Cross, her brow pinched with concern.

"It is, indeed. We'll leave you to enjoy the
air," Essie replied with a polite tone, tugging on Cross' arm.

He bowed to Miss Montray and nodded to
Trighton, but his polite actions were at war with the hard
expression on his face.

Cross began to follow Essie out when Trighton
spoke up once more. "Miss Flanguard?"

Essie sighed silently and turned to face her
former betrothed, wondering what she had ever seen in him.
"Yes?"

Trighton lowered his hand from Miss Montray's
grasp and took a few steps towards Essie, his gaze locked on her as
if stalking prey.

He leaned in slightly. Essie leaned away,
tightening her hold on Cross' arm. His forearm was hard, as if
flexing and practicing acute restraint.

"Desperation does not become you," he
whispered, offering a knowing grin.

"Fortune seeking doesn't become
you
.
And while a precious few know the truth about the previous
arrangement, the persons who
are
aware are more than willing
to destroy any threat to Miss Flanguard's well-being or
reputation." Cross spoke with lethal clarity as he deftly shifted
Essie behind the shield of his body.

"I could call you out for such an
allegation." Trighton took a menacing step towards Cross.

Essie reached up, placing a soft hand on the
small of his back, reassuring him and herself.

"You could…" Cross shrugged, utterly
unthreatened. "But it would be to your own detriment… but then
again…"Cross leaned forward and whispered. "We already knew you
were a fool."

Essie peeked around Cross' broad shoulders,
watching the fury mottle Trighton's face. Her gaze shifted to Anna
and Miss Montray, their eyes wide as they watched the verbal
fisticuffs between the gentlemen.

"Do enjoy your evening." Cross nodded,
offering Trighton a tight smile as he held out his arm for Essie to
take. She obliged and tried to still the pounding beat of her heart
as they walked from the balcony and into the hallway leading to the
ballroom. Anna's footsteps followed them.

"More a moment I thought you'd come to blows!
What in heaven's name did you say to him?" Anna asked, her
footsteps quickening to catch up.

"Nothing that wasn't the utter truth," Cross
mumbled, his nostrils flaring.

Essie couldn't' take her eyes from him; he
appeared like a dark avenging angel, furious and strong.

It was magnificent.

"Well… Miss Montray certainly seemed shaken
up from the whole scene. You should have seen her face as she
watched the whole thing unfold. You know she
did
hear the
part about fortune hunting." Anna spoke in a warning tone.

"Hopefully she'll prove to be a wise young
lady and run from the wolf," Cross replied.

"He did seem not quite right in the head,"
Anna said thoughtfully.

"I must have been daft," Essie said, voicing
her earlier thoughts.

"Pardon?" Cross paused mid-stride and faced
her, clearly confused.

"Me. I must have been utterly daft to even
consider him… let alone become betrothed." Essie shook her head,
feeling ashamed of her lack of judgement.

"Essie…" Cross placed his warm hand on hers
as it rested on his other arm. "Some people are masters of
pretending, of projecting everything that they want you to see.
Just because you are trusting, is not a reason to berate yourself.
Rather, thank the Good Lord that you were saved from such a fate. I
certainly know that I have offered thanks for it, more than
once."

Essie bit her lip, helplessly drawn into
Cross' earnest gaze. "Thank you."

"Always."

Essie searched his face, wondering how she
could have known Cross for so long, yet not know him. Truly know
him.

"If anyone cares for
my
opinion. I
agree!" Anna broke the spell with her wry tone.

"I make it a point to never need your
opinion, dear sister." Cross seemed to shake himself from the
enchantment and smiled wryly at his sister.

"Your loss," Anna quipped.

"So, Miss Flanguard." Cross resumed their
trek to the ballroom.

"Essie, I'll have to throttle you if you call
me Miss Flanguard again." Essie narrowed her eyes playfully.

"I should enjoy that, I think." Cross
flirted.

She blushed.

"I do believe that the next step would be a
lovely ride in Hyde park." He shrugged casually.