by Ashley March
“Good evening,” he said, bowing. “May I have your invitation?”
“I could tell you our names,” Willa offered, giving him the twinkling grin that once worked wonders on her father.
Unfortunately, the Laurie butler merely stared at her. “My apologies, but I must have an invitation.”
The door was open beyond him. She could hear the conversations of the other guests, see men and women milling about the room. “Lady Carlyle,” she said, turning to her companion. “You have it in your reticule, don’t you?” It took Sarah a moment to catch on. Willa stretched her smile wider for emphasis. “A h. Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, I believe I have it—just one moment . . .” emphasis. “A h. Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, I believe I have it—just one moment . . .” With the butler focused on Sarah while she dug through her reticule for the imaginary invitation, Willa rushed past him into the room.
“Miss!” he hissed after her. “You cannot—” She heard his feet stutter to a halt behind her.
Willa beamed across the room at Jo, then scanned the crowd currently staring at her. She was looking for . . . searching for . . .
A h, yes. There he was. Glower and all.
She hadn’t thought it possible for her smile to stretch any wider, and yet it did.
“Miss,” the butler, dutiful servant that he was, tried again. “You can’t be here without an invitation.”
Twisting to look at him, she said, “But Mr. Laurie extended an invitation to me at the Fontenots’ a few days past. I’m afraid I don’t have an invitation to provide to you, but I’m certain he will vouch for me.”
She glanced at A lex. “Mr. Laurie?”
His eyes spoke of dark, murderous things. Nevertheless, a roomful of guests stood between them, people who were watching and waiting on every word to see if the Laurie dinner party would provide excitement in their otherwise dreary lives and give them gossip for the next day. Evicting someone from the dinner party? How thrilling. A nd how appropriately wild of Mr. A lexander Laurie, the head of the middle-class upstart Laurie family.
A lex extricated himself from the group of guests he’d been standing among and strolled toward her. No, better yet to dull the moment and avoid such rumors.
“She’s correct, Tribbley,” he said to the butler. “Miss Stratton came at my invitation.”
“A nd Lady Carlyle,” Willa said happily, watching the knot form as he clenched his jaw.
His gaze skipped beyond her shoulder. “A nd Lady Carlyle,” he said more softly, then returned his attention to her abruptly.
“A hem. Lady Carlyle and Miss Stratton,” the butler announced belatedly with a bow, then backed out of the doorway.
A loud silence followed as the other guests seemed willing to wait for the expected drama to unfold, but when Jo moved to greet Willa and Sarah, they all returned to their discussions and jests.
A lex merely continued to glower at Willa as his sister stepped forward.
“Miss Stratton. Lady Carlyle.” Jo smiled. “Welcome to Holcombe House. We’re so glad you could come.”
“I thought you said you would rescind the invitation,” A lex muttered to his sister, still glaring at Willa.
Jo laid a hand on his upper arm. “How charming he is—don’t you agree? Please, allow me to introduce you to the others.”
“Would you mind accompanying Lady Carlyle?” Willa asked A lex as she moved past to walk beside Jo. “Thank you.”
Jo motioned to a balding man with spectacles standing near the hearth. “Have Jo motioned to a balding man with spectacles standing near the hearth. “Have you met Mr. Soward, the heir to the Caldwell-Black baron or some such gibberish? No? Come, I’d be happy to introduce you. He has a terrific lisp. But bite your tongue when you hear it—it wouldn’t do to offend him by laughing.” Something—or rather, someone—caught at Willa’s sleeve. Then a strong masculine grip tugged her to a stop and caught her hand, placing it over his arm.
“Jo, why don’t you introduce Lady Carlyle to Mr. Soward?” he suggested. “Miss Stratton and I will move about the room in the other direction. We have matters to discuss.”
Willa’s heart sped as A lex looked down at her, his dark brown eyes narrowed with menace.
A nd so the battle begins.
Chapter 7
Alex could feel Willa’s curious stare as he steered her away from the more populated side of the drawing room and from the people he didn’t want her speaking with. Her hand lifted from his arm and she tried to escape, but he ever so gently—insistently—tugged it back down.
“Do not think for a moment that I mean to release you upon my guests. You are like a wild animal—you will devour the men with your charm and leave them bewildered when you flit to the next one. You have come against my wishes, Miss Stratton, and we will both pay the penance for it.”
“A nd what penance would that be, Mr. Laurie?”
He looked down at her. “You will not leave my side all evening.” He paused, noting how his arm heated everywhere she touched it, from the light placement of her hand over his to the press of her forearm on top of his forearm. A lex sighed.
“It does seem to be rather more of a punishment for me, though.”
“Oh, come now, Mr. Laurie. We both know what pleasant company I can be.
Would you like me to flatter you? Let’s see, what shall we begin with?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. In fact, have you never heard that silence is most pleasing on a man’s ears?”
She tapped her chin with her free hand, her gaze assessing as she studied his face. Frowning, she said, “I admit, flattering you does seem to be rather difficult. I usually try to find something which is honestly appealing and simply extrapolate upon its fine qualities. Hmm. No, I can’t find anything. My apologies.” She shrugged.
A lex grinned. “You’re lying,” he said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You are lying, Miss Stratton. It’s plain to see that you find everything appealing about me and are simply at a loss as to where to begin. It’s why you decided to come to the dinner party, is it not?”
“If I were to lie to you, Mr. Laurie, then I would do so by telling you how very nice your chin is.”
“My chin?”
“A gain, please note that I am lying. Not the best sort of flattery. You’re the second man whose chin I’ve complimented recently, and a chin is always the last resort for a compliment.”
“You can’t even try to be original in your flattery? I am offended, Miss Stratton.”
“One should only hope,” she muttered, so low he wasn’t sure if she’d intended for him to hear it or not. He glanced at her sharply, then nodded at Lady Penelope for him to hear it or not. He glanced at her sharply, then nodded at Lady Penelope and her sister, Lady A melia. They were daughters of the Earl of Pennock, if he recalled correctly. Each equally suitable as a potential bride. Both ladies smiled as he passed, then giggled.
“Ohhh,” Willa breathed, twisting her neck to glance back at them. “I believe they like you, Mr. Laurie.”
“It’s my chin. A s you pointed out, it is very fine.”
“Yes, so it is. Masculine and firm. I wish I could touch it.” A lex choked on air. “Now, that, Miss Stratton, is by far the worst proposition I have ever received. Did you say that to the other man, too?” Something in her gaze changed, a new sort of smile tugging at her lips. For a moment A lex thought it might have been a seductive expression, but then . . .
No, it was a smirk. “I must confess I didn’t. Only your chin seems to hold me so enthralled. But should you like me to proposition you, Mr. Laurie?”
“Isn’t that what you were attempting to do in Italy when you stole Contarini away from me?”
They both knew it was unfair. A lex might have cared had her skirts not just brushed against his legs while they walked. For a moment he was tempted to pivot abruptly so that she was forced to lean into him. Instead he took a deep breath and extended his elbow from his side to keep her at a greate
r distance, all the while calling himself a fool. It hadn’t even been an involuntary caress of her fingers against his sleeve, or the curve of her breast brushing against his arm. It was her skirts, for God’s sake.
Of course, he should have known she wouldn’t let the comment lie. “Oh, I stole him now? I thought I merely distracted you with a kiss. My evilness surely knows no bounds.”
“It’s because you’re half A merican. I don’t blame you entirely, for it’s part of your nature, something which I understand you can’t control.”
“Such insults and accusations!” She was all charm and airy flirtation in contrast to his dark bitterness. He resented her even more for it. “Perhaps you’re angry because I never properly thanked you for the kiss and your role in my success with Contarini? My apologies, Mr. Laurie. A nd thank you.” He glared down at her. “I should dearly like to— Good evening, Lord Dutton, Lady Dutton.” A lex’s expression became placid as the couple stopped to greet them. If he had been paying attention, he would have seen their approach and could have well avoided their path. But he was focused on Willa and her damnable skirts and that damnable kiss, which had left her forever imprinted on his memory. “I don’t believe I mentioned, my lady, how exceedingly lovely you look tonight. Lord Dutton—”
“You appear lovely as well,” Willa interjected, smiling.
Lord Dutton chuckled and patted his wife’s hand. “Thank you, my dear,” he said to Willa, then looked at A lex.
He could sense Willa beside him, waiting expectantly. He did not want to introduce her to one of his potential investors. Even though she was firmly introduce her to one of his potential investors. Even though she was firmly attached to his side, he could not hide the bright curve of her smile or the intelligence in her eyes, her most useful instruments of persuasion.
Lady Dutton raised a brow. “Would you mind introducing us to your guest, Mr.
Laurie?”
A lex swallowed a curse and attempted to appear affable instead of tormented as he stood beside his rival. “Lord and Lady Dutton, may I present to you Miss Willa Stratton?”
“Oh, you’re the A merican girl,” Lord Dutton said, pleased with himself.
A lex feared the man’s vision was irrevocably impaired. Willa Stratton was obviously a woman, with a woman’s breasts and a woman’s backside. Or perhaps he simply hadn’t studied her as closely as A lex had, taking time to imagine the lines of her shape beneath the restrictions of her corset, crinoline, and skirts. A lex also had the advantage of having once had her pressed up against him, her breasts full against his chest, her arms linked behind his neck—a man could go mad comparing the memory of how she felt to the mystery hidden beneath her gowns.
Willa smiled, seeming happy to hear that Dutton knew of her. A lex smiled and pretended to be happy, too, as she replied, “It’s true I’ve lived in A merica since the age of eight, my lord, but I was born in England. Here in London, in fact.”
“You’re Daniel Stratton’s daughter, aren’t you?” Lord Dutton continued. “I’ve heard about his successes from Lord Kilbourne—”
“I believe Miss Stratton has returned to England to find a husband,” A lex said smoothly. “A nother rich heiress come to steal a title for herself.” He chuckled as if it were the quaintest thing. There would always be common men like him whose vulgar wealth young ladies of good ton could settle for, but there were only a few titled lords for them to fight over first.
Willa’s fingers dug into his arm. “A ctually, Mr. Laurie—”
“Oh, I didn’t realize. Of course you’ve come to marry.” Lady Dutton’s previously friendly demeanor shifted as she glanced toward Lunsford, where her daughter Lady Miranda stood enraptured with other young women. When her gaze returned to Willa, she sniffed. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Stratton. My lord, I believe I see the butler about to hit the dinner gong.”
“Miss Stratton. Mr. Laur—” Lady Dutton tugged Lord Dutton abruptly away before he could finish.
Willa turned toward A lex as they marched off. “That wasn’t very nice,” she said, brows lowered. “I haven’t come to marry anyone, as well you know.”
“A nd as I said before, it doesn’t matter to me what you do. Even though you’ve come here against my wishes, I will still win.”
The dinner gong sounded.
“You shouldn’t frown so, Miss Stratton. It makes the wrinkles in your forehead deepen.”
Willa gasped as her fingers flew to her face, as if to smooth them out, then scowled and lowered her hand to her side. “I don’t like you, Mr. Laurie.” scowled and lowered her hand to her side. “I don’t like you, Mr. Laurie.” A lex flicked at a speck of dust on his coat sleeve. “This is becoming repetitive.
Isn’t this the moment when I tell you how much I despise you in return?” Her eyes glinted. “You were right about me, you know. I did kiss you to distract you from Contarini. But let’s put aside the flattery for now, shall we? The kiss was terrible. It nearly made me cast up my accounts. A fterward I had to rinse my mouth with brandy to flush the taste out, and I don’t even like brandy.”
“For once, Miss Stratton, I believe you’re actually telling the truth.” A lex watched as the guests began to pair up for dinner, Jo as hostess with Lord Dutton first.
“Good.” She paused. “You do?”
He nodded. “That kiss has remained in my memory if for no other reason than that it was wholly unpleasant. Such fumbling and awkwardness; I took pity on you to try to teach you better. Hearing you admit that you didn’t want to kiss me relieves me now. I should hate to think that your future husband—God bless his eternal soul—might have to endure such a chore once you are married.” Willa opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened. Closed.
A lex smiled to himself. “I see you’re trying the silence I suggested earlier. Well done, Miss Stratton. Come, it’s time for dinner now.”
Willa decided to ignore A lex with the same dedication with which she applied herself to consuming every spoonful of the first course. Not that he tried to make conversation with her, as the discussions of the other guests and the width of table would have made it difficult for them to speak to each other . . . But if he had, she would have given him the cold shoulder. A s it was, he sat across the table and talked to the lady on his right, while she focused on the man to her left, Mr. Lunsford.
Fortunately, once she paid attention to him, Lunsford was a much more charming and amusing dinner companion than he’d been a dancing partner.
A s the soup was taken away and replaced with the second course—a veal in mustard sauce—Willa turned to him and said, “Mr. Lunsford, you seem to be a very nice man.”
“Oh, I am, my dear Miss Stratton. Don’t believe anything Lady A lthea says.” He’d already expressed his dismay during their consumption of the soup that Jo had, without his knowledge, added Thea to his preapproved list of guests for the evening.
“Very nice,” she continued, “which is why I don’t understand how you and Mr.
Laurie get along as you do. Is it only because you are his investor and the promise of fortune binds you together? Or perhaps you have a charitable heart which recognizes someone in need of your friendship? How do you tolerate him so well?”
Lunsford chuckled. “I believe you are the first woman I’ve met who hasn’t fallen directly in love with Laurie, Miss Stratton. A lthough I suppose you did leave my company so you could dance with him at the Winstead masquerade.” Willa ignored the foolish reminder of this latter part and scoffed at the former.
Willa ignored the foolish reminder of this latter part and scoffed at the former.
“First woman not to fall in love with him? Surely not.”
“A h, but ’tis true. You would think that with my superior form and vast charm I would have the advantage—not to mention that I dress much, much better than he does—but while I may attract ladies to my side initially, it is he they clamor for at the end.”
“You’re also the son of an earl, while he is a nobody,�
�� Willa added.
Lunsford waved this away, the light from the candles sparking a reflection off of his fork. “A s to your other question, we are friends now, but I was first only an investor in Joseph Laurie’s company. A lex and I met in Moscow while I was on holiday—”
“You went to Moscow on holiday?” She’d been twice to Moscow, once in the winter and once in the summer, and both times the weather proved to be unbearably dreadful. She couldn’t imagine anyone visiting the city for pleasure.
Lunsford smiled, lowering his gaze as he took a sip of wine. Then he slid her a look from the corner of his eye. “There was a woman.”
“Oh.” Willa glanced across the table at A lex. She didn’t know why she did it; there was no cause to do so at that moment, and yet she did. He was watching her, and when their eyes met, she could no more look away than she could have stopped herself from kissing him in Italy. No, she could well believe Lunsford when he said that all the women became enamored of A lex.
“Yes, there was a woman, and she was in love with me.”
Willa dragged her gaze back to Lunsford. “How could she not love you?” He tipped his head toward her. “Thank you, Miss Stratton. That is a very good question. A nd yet we went to a dinner party one evening, she met Laurie, and though I managed to steal her back for one dance that night, I could tell that she was lost to me.”
“Did you love her?”
One of Lunford’s brows winged high. “Love her? No. Why do some women believe it is necessary for a man to love in order to want?” He sighed heavily, casting a glance up the table toward Thea, then returned his attention to Willa.
“To shorten the story, Laurie made a bargain with me. He told me that if I would listen to him speak about his dyes and why I should invest in his company, he would return the woman to my arms.”
Willa’s fork clattered to the table—but not before it rang against the plate first and sent the eyes of those half the table away glancing in her direction. She calmly picked the fork up again. “You bartered her?”
“A h. I see you are dismayed, Miss Stratton. Perhaps if I told you how desperately I desired her it would help you feel better?”