Page 80 of A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Heirs

Whatever could she want? Best to find out quickly. He didn’t want to offend her, but he needed her to leave. But how could he tell her he’d planned an assignation with Juliana? Not that Adalyn would spread any gossip, but something in him wished to protect Juliana at all costs.

“Is there a problem?”

She glanced over her shoulder behind her. “That depends.”

His brow tightened. “I don’t understand.”

“Nash feels our presence here might be a problem for you.”

Nash. Would he forever carry that scoundrel around his neck like a millstone? “In what way?”

Streams of candlelight refracted from the mirrors illuminated her face, enough that he saw her cheeks darken.

“Nash seems to be under the impression that you still carry a tendre for me, especially considering Miss Merrick’s and my resemblance to each other.”

“He said as much to me earlier this evening, and I have assured him that is not the case.” The uncomfortable guilt gnawing at him earlier eased when he realized, although his attachment with Juliana had started out as a pretense, it had become very real to him, and the feelings binding him to Adalyn had not only loosened, but had fallen away entirely, freeing him to give his heart to Juliana without condition.

He cared for Adalyn, but as a friend, which, in her wisdom, she had recognized years ago. “Are you happy with Nash?”

“I know it’s probably not what you want to hear, but yes. I’m incredibly happy. He’s a good man, Victor, although he’d be the first to deny it. And he’s a wonderful father to our Benjamin and Mena.”

“I’m happy to hear it.” Surprisingly, Victor meant every word. Although he never understood why she chose the rakeover him, he was glad she had. Especially if the scoundrel made her happy.

She stepped closer and took his hands in hers. “And I’m so glad you found someone to love you as you deserve. Juliana is a lovely girl, and she adores you.”

Victor’s mind reeled at Adalyn’s words.She does?

“I truly wish you all the happiness in the world, Victor.”

Unexpectedly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an embrace and kissed his cheek.

No trill of sensation tripped up his spine, no desire to pull her closer flowed through him, nothing except for the comfortable warmth he felt for a friend.

About to make his excuses so he could find Juliana, he startled and jerked his head up at the feminine gasp mere feet from them.

Juliana wantedto lift her skirts to her knees and run like the wind to the orangery to find Victor, but people filled the house, some of whom wandered the hall from the retiring room, card room, or small parlors. And as they had in the ballroom, they stopped to extend their felicitations.

Finally, a break in the throng lay ahead, and once she turned the corner, she should find no more impediments. Her corset dug into her ribs and restricted her breathing, and around the corner, she placed a hand against the wall and paused momentarily to pull air into her lungs.

Blood pounded in her ears. And as she inhaled a deep breath, the scent of cigar smoke and brandy mixed with sandalwood made her spin around.

How had she not heard him behind her?

“You’re a hard woman to keep up with. Generates all sorts of ideas in a man’s mind.” Lord Felix smirked as he raked his gaze over her.

She had no time for this fool. “Perhaps,my lord,”she laced the honorific with as much vitriol as she could muster, “it’s because I have no wish to remain in your company. Now, if you would excuse me.”

When she turned, he grabbed her arm, and his fingers dug painfully into her flesh. “Now. Now. Don’t be like that. Why don’t we have a friendlyprivatelittle chat.”

“You have nothing to say that I wish to hear.”

“Are you certain about that? What if I told you as you were rushing off to meet your betrothed, he was already having a tryst with another woman?”

“I would say, sir, that you are a liar.”

“Ah, but am I? Curious what he was up to, I followed your betrothed when he left the ballroom. Imagine my surprise to see him with the woman he courted several years ago. Being a gentleman, I left the two alone to their liaison. Instead, I rushed back to inform you of your intended’s betrayal.”

Adalyn?Lord Felix must be mistaken, at least as to the purpose of the meeting.

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