Page 45 of A Virgin for the Rakish Marquess

“They are going well,” she answered.

Richard threw his head back and laughed. “That is the vague answer I give my accountant when he inquires about expenses, Diana.”

“Well, that is all you’ll get,” Diana huffed.

“Oh, I would hate to think that you are suffering because of that auction,” Selina said in a mock dramatic tone.

Diana turned to her sister with an arched eyebrow. “You can sleep in peace, my gold-hearted sister,” she drawled.

“That can only mean you find the promenades… agreeable.” Selina smiled.

And then some.

Diana smiled back. But she knew she had to give Selina something more, or else her persistent sister would pester her.

“I must admit that Lord Crawford is a skilled conversationalist, which makes the whole experience tolerable.”

“I am glad to hear that Lord Crawford has been…devotedto his duties.”

“Devoted is hardly the word I would use,” Diana deadpanned.

“Oh?” Selina raised an eyebrow. “And what word would you use, then?”

Wicked. Infuriating. Impossible. Maddening. Thorough.

Diana had a very long list to choose from, but she kept her ideas to herself.

“I’d say he is dutiful and polite,” she offered.

“I have been friends with Crawford all my life, and I think it’s the first time someone called him dutifulandpolite.” Richard chuckled.

“Truth be told, I didn’t expect him to be so…”

“Charming,” Selina supplied.

“Accomplished,” Diana corrected.

“You expected him to be an unpolished rake, did you not?” Richard said with a satisfied smile. “Did he tell you he was the captain of Eton Society?”

Diana blushed as she remembered that conversation and where it led. She suppressed her emotions and focused on how heart-warming it was to see Richard proud of James.

“Yes, it did come up. We spoke about philosophy,” Diana admitted.

She thought that emphasizing that their conversations revolved around boring topics would be enough for Selina and Richard to think that the promenades were innocuous. Selina sure seemed disappointed, but Richard gave her an assessing look.

What?

Diana had no time to dwell on that, since the butler announced in his firm, loud voice, “His Grace the Duke of Pemberton, and the Most Honorable the Marquess of Crawford.”

The moment James was announced, Diana felt her treacherous heart flutter. Her eyes darted across the gilded ballroom to the stairs, where he was standing. Her breath hitched.

He was wearing a black evening coat and a dark waistcoat that fit his powerful frame to perfection and accentuated his sharp features, bringing out the blue of his eyes. James had always been striking, but tonight he was something more.

Yet, unlike the other ladies of the ton, who looked at him like he was the famous Italian pastry, Diana knew that the difference was not in his appearance. She noticed his tense jaw and his severe expression, his stiff shoulders and the way his lips were pressed into a thin line. Something heavy was weighing him down tonight.

“Excuse me, ladies.” Richard’s voice brought her back to the present.

She glanced at him as he weaved through the crowd to meet with James. She scowled at how tense Richard looked, how worried and how anxious.

---