Her Reluctant Groom (28 page)

She smiled weakly. “Agreed.”

“
Excellent,” Drake said, flashing her a weak smile. “Are you ready to meet him?”

“
He’s here?” Emma squeaked with uncertainty.

“
Just over there.” He jerked his thumb to the right. “He’s the one inspecting the duke’s brick over by the wall sconce.”

Emma’s gaze followed Drake’s thumb to collide with a man who appeared to be as cracked as he was handsome. The man wore buckskin breeches and a white coat. The profile of his face was breathtaking with hard lines and a strong chin. It was too dark to see any of the finer details, but it was easy enough to tell he was devastatingly handsome. However, there was something strange about him. She couldn’t name it exactly, just an air about him. He was by himself now, and she’d seen him by himself earlier this evening, too. He had been standing by the refreshment table, counting the glasses, and now he appeared to be counting the bricks on the exterior of the duke’s house.

Ducking her head so as not to give away her thoughts about this unusual man Drake had suggested, Emma said, “How about tomorrow, when he’s…uh…less distracted.”

“
As you wish,” Drake said with a chuckle. “I told you he was a bit different.”

“
Yes, just a bit.”

***

Marcus tilted his head and shoved his clammy hands into his pockets then balled them into fists. He hated London. He hated balls. He hated watching couples dance. But most of all, he hated watching Emma be twirled around the floor by a man who wasn’t him.

Right now she was in the arms of Lord Wray, a young, attractive lord who had everything he needed to give any woman the type of life she deserved, including children. Marcus nearly snorted. Not only was it suspected, it was proven he could do that. At Eton he’d gloated when a chambermaid was dismissed from her employ for reasons undisclosed. Nobody had to guess what that meant; they all knew, and they even knew who’d put her in that condition. Wray had made sure of it.

Marcus scowled and sagged against the wall, doing his best to stay hidden in the shadows of the ballroom. He’d sought admission for the sole purpose of seeing Emma just one more time. When he’d made arrangements to come, he hadn’t considered the fact he’d have to watch her dance with every man in attendance. All men in attendance, except Patrick, he amended. With him she hadn’t danced. Instead, they’d gone to the gardens for what felt like an eternity. A bitter taste filled Marcus’ mouth, and the sick feeling already in his stomach intensified tenfold. What had those two done together in the garden?

“
Hard to watch the woman you love in the arms of another, isn’t it?” Benjamin Collins, Duke of Gateway and the host of this ball, commented, coming to stand next to Marcus. Gateway offered him a glass and together the two stood in silence for a minute, their eyes fastened on Emma.

“
Yes, it is,” Marcus acknowledged at last. He didn’t know a lot about Gateway’s relationship with his wife, but he did remember Alex telling him the duke had a love match. Likely, Gateway must have spent his share of dances watching his wife in the arms of another man. But at least she was his wife, Marcus thought bitterly as he let his eyes scan Emma’s figure.

Silence enveloped the two once more as the orchestra played the final bars of a waltz. “I can ask the musicians to play one more waltz at the end, if you’d like,” Gateway offered, turning his ice-blue eyes back to Marcus.

Marcus shook his head. “No, thank you.” He didn’t want to watch her dance with yet
another
man. He’d seen enough already tonight to give himself an ample amount of jealous feelings to last a lifetime. One more dance would only add to his torture.

Gateway cocked his head to the side. “It wouldn’t be an imposition. I’d rather enjoy an extra waltz with my wife.”

“
It’s your ball. Do as you wish.” After the words were out, he gave a stiff shrug he hoped Gateway would take as his indifference, though he doubted it.

The duke sighed. “You’re not being very forthcoming, Sinclair.”

“
Nor do I need to be.”

“
No, you don’t.” Gateway glanced over to his wife, who was talking to one of her sisters. “Sometimes it’s up to us to make the hard choice which will gain us what we want more than anything else.”

Marcus nearly snorted. The only reason he stopped himself was because he might draw attention to where he was lurking in the corner if he did. “Some might disagree with your methods.”

“
No, not some. Most,” the duke said easily, his lips twisting into a brittle smile. “But you forget—my actions weren’t so she’d marry me. Quite the opposite. I just wanted her happy. Even if that meant with someone else.”

“
Then I think we understand each other better than I originally thought.”

Chapter 19

As agreed, Drake came by the Watson townhouse the next day with his cousin in tow.

“
Emma.” He gave her a light, emotionless kiss on her knuckles. “I’d like to introduce you to Sir Wallace Benedict. Wallace, this is Miss Emma Green.”

Emma curtsied to the man and smiled warmly as he did a low bow. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Wallace.”

“
The pleasure is mine,” he returned with the widest grin she’d ever seen.

“
Shall we sit?” She took a seat and waited for both the men to join her before pouring their tea. Caroline had just come back in from the garden only a few minutes before Drake’s arrival, surely she’d be down soon to help with this awkward conversation.

“
I hear you’re in the market to catch a husband,” Sir Wallace said frankly.

Emma nearly choked to death on her own tongue. She was certainly interested in a husband, but she’d hoped Drake would have explained the situation to him and he didn’t think she was interested in
him
becoming her husband.

“
Wallace, your manners,” Drake murmured, casting Emma an apologetic glance.

“
I apologize,” Sir Wallace said, looking shamefaced. “I was too forward.”

Tucking a tendril of blonde hair behind her ear, Emma smiled weakly. “It’s all right. It’s the truth, in a manner of speaking.”

“
Very good, then.” Sir Wallace snatched a biscuit off the platter. “I should like to court you. If that’s acceptable to you, of course.”

Emma interpreted his wink to mean he understood the situation better than she originally thought. She nodded slightly and swallowed hard. “I accept.”

“
Good. Good. Do you like horses?”

Emma waved off Drake’s blatant cough at Sir Wallace’s question. “I do like horses,” she said, stretching her lips as wide as she could. If these two were to give off the appearance of courting, it was the least she could do to show him some encouragement. Besides which, she did like horses; furthermore, there was no reason the two of them couldn’t have a good time together.

“
I have tickets tonight to go to Astley’s. Would you like to join me?”

“
Only if her chaperones are allowed to come, too,” Caroline informed him, stepping into the drawing room.

Sir Wallace blinked rapidly. “Of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be? I have absolutely no intentions of spending any more than a second or two alone in Miss Green’s presence.”

And that night Emma—and everyone else in their party—realized he meant to honor those exact words no matter the cost.

At precisely six o’clock that evening, Sir Wallace brought an annoyed-looking Drake—and Drake’s carriage, naturally—to Watson Townhouse to collect Emma, Caroline, and Alex to go to Astley’s.

“
I don’t believe Drake’s carriage can transport us all,” Sir Wallace said in a gravely serious voice. “We each need our own cushions optimum comfort and his coach only has four cushions. That will not do. How many cushions does yours have, Lord Watson?”

Emma tried not to giggle as Alex, who Emma had always thought was the most unusual person she’d ever met until her introduction to Sir Wallace, stared at Sir Wallace unblinkingly. “Four, I think.”

Caroline turned her head in Emma’s direction and cast her a queer look, leading Emma to cough delicately and turn her head away. “Why don’t we just split up, then?” Caroline suggested.

“
How could we possibly divide?” Sir Wallace asked. His eyebrows rose so high they were almost lost in his hairline.

“
What if you ride in Lord Watson’s carriage with him, Caroline, and Emma and I’ll just go home,” Drake suggested pointedly.

Sir Wallace’s face tensed. “No.”

Drake groaned. “Are you sure? You do realize if I left, it would not only create an even number, but everyone’s arse would be able to rest upon its own cushion.”

“
That won’t do,” Sir Wallace said, frowning. “Five is prime. Nothing can divide it. We need to be indivisible. We need to be five.”

Emma’s body stiffened. Was this what her life would always be like if Marcus didn’t choke down his foolish pride? Caroline’s arm looped through hers, her hand lightly squeezing Emma’s arm for assurance. “You don’t have to do this,” Caroline whispered. “Perhaps we could go to Lady Vessey’s ball and look for a more suitable match there.”

“
Let’s hire a hack,” Alex suggested quietly. “Most of them are larger than regular carriages. Surely a hack will have enough cushions.”

“
Excellent idea,” Sir Wallace cheered. “I knew a scientist like you would be able to solve this terrible conundrum.”

“
I’m glad to know my brilliance could be of assistance,” Alex said dryly before walking off to find a hack stand.

“
Miss Green, I do hope you don’t mind us taking a less fashionable way to Astley’s. I just
cannot
be comfortable sharing a cushion, nor would I wish to impose that travesty on another.” Sir Wallace grimaced as he spoke.

“
It’s no trouble,” Emma assured him with a stilted smile.

Sir Wallace’s returned smile lit his entire face. He really was a handsome man. He had high cheekbones and rich brown eyes with arching brows the color of coffee. His nose was slim, yet rigid, as were his chin and lips. His face reminded her of a statue she’d once seen at the British Museum.

His clothes were absolutely flawless, too. Emma’s eyes did a quick sweep from his perfectly polished shoes all the way to what she could see of his hat. Not a single piece of lint could be found anywhere on him. Even his walking stick looked perfect. There wasn’t a scratch on the shaft, and what she could see of the handle looked like a perfectly smooth and polished piece of ivory.

“
Twelve,” the object of her survey murmured, and Emma blushed lightly at being caught staring at him.

“
Pardon?” Caroline asked as Drake rolled his eyes up toward the sky.

“
I said twelve. It took twelve strokes with the hot iron to get the pleats perfect,” Sir Wallace explained as if everyone in the group were extraordinarily interested in his pleats.

A hack drove up and Alex opened the door from inside. He climbed down and helped his wife in first, then stood and waited for Sir Wallace to help Emma. Sir Wallace, however, stood fidgeting and looked to Drake then to Alex with pleading eyes.

“
I don’t need any help,” Emma said. She stepped closer to the carriage.

Drake’s hand reached out and grabbed her arm. With a murmured apology, he helped her into the carriage then followed her in. “He’s just nervous. Give him a little time.”

Emma nodded and straightened her skirt. She could understand his nervousness. She was nervous, too.

Sir Wallace and Alex came into the carriage with a rigidity Emma couldn’t place. Sir Wallace took the seat across from her, right next to Drake. Alex, who seemed unusually perceptive this evening, cast Sir Wallace an odd look, and then took the last vacant cushion, which just happened to be on the end next to Emma.

The ride to Astley’s was rather uncomfortable as Caroline tried in vain to strike up some sort of conversation. Unfortunately, her attempts were met with indifference or brief answers.

Drake, being the highest ranked gentleman in their party, grumbled as Wallace nudged him to use his rank to get better seats.

“
I like this box,” Sir Wallace explained to the group as they walked down the hall to their box. “It offers the best view of the stage, and five chairs can be repositioned to form one row instead of two.”

Behind her, Emma heard Caroline making an unusual choking sound. Twisting her neck a little, she tried to see what was wrong with her friend.

“
Here we are,” Drake said, opening the door to the box. “Wallace, why don’t you and Emma take the front row and I’ll sit with Lord and Lady Watson.”

“
Oh no,” Wallace exclaimed, pausing right inside the door. “I wouldn’t wish to bring shame on Miss Green that way.”

“
What are you talking about?” Drake asked through clenched teeth. “There are three other people in the room. Nobody is going to think a thing of you and Miss Green sitting next to each other at a circus performance.”

“
No,” Wallace said. “It only invites trouble. Someone across the room may not see you three, and start nasty rumors about Miss Green. I’ll not have it. Let’s just rearrange the chairs.”