Page 22 of The Duke of Aces
Tom vowed he’d never be like his father. He’d not marry for love. Love clouded men’s minds and resulted in unwise decisions. Drake’s foolish actions only reinforced Tom’s beliefs. Tom shook his head. “If you are correct, then why doesn’t he simply challenge the chit in a game of chess, defeat her, and be done?”
“Mayhap he’s uncertain if he could defeat Minerva.”
“The man is a born genius. He’s always three steps ahead of everyone.”
“Aye, you and I are privy to such information, however, he has established a very convincing disguise he must maintain for theton.” Charlotte’s gaze flickered to the windows. “Off with you. You’re running out of time if you wish to keep your promise to Minerva.”
He turned to leave and found both Isadora and Minerva standing before him, peering at him with questions in their eyes. With no time to lose, he simply bowed a quick greeting and then excused himself. Isadora looked spectacular tonight, but he wouldn’t gain the opportunity Minerva promised to coordinate if he didn’t go deal with Drake first.
Standing in the shadows of the dark terrace, Tom stood frozen and leaned to his left to catch Drake’s mutterings.
The man paced in front of the servants’ entrance at the back of the house like a caged animal. “Damn Avondale to hell… Escorting Minerva to the races…” Drake punctuated each sentence with a sharp turn. “Bribing Lowrington’s men…what next…a dance or two… I’ll break his bloody arms if he touches Minerva.” The man’s chin slumped to his chest. “Why had she sent a note advising me to stay away this eve? Did she hope Avondale would issue a challenge?”
That was enlightening. Apparently, Minerva hadn’t trusted him to see to the deed of ensuring Drake was refused, and since the man was standing a mere few feet from Tom, she had been correct.
Tom spoke from the shadows. “I have no intention of playing a game of chess for Lady Minerva’s hand. Which would be futile, for the woman would trounce me.”
Drake whirled about and narrowed his gaze, searching the darkness. “Avondale?”
Tom stepped forward. “How did you manage to evade detection?”
“Answer this first. Why was I denied access to tonight’s festivities?”
“Lady Minerva requested it to be so.” Tom ran his hand through his hair in frustration that he had failed.
“For what reason?”
“Ha! What makes you believe Lady Minerva would share her reasoning with me?”
“Not once did I receive a response to any of my attempts to contact her the entire fortnight she spent at Avondale. When you are about, it is as if she forgets my very existence.”
At the mention of his house party, Tom’s mind wandered. Isadora’s sunny disposition had made his latest house party more tolerable. Now that he considered it, mayhap he had already decided to court Isadora before returning to London. She had been on his mind daily, and the last two days had been the most enjoyable in years. Tom’s heart raced. He needed to send Drake away post-haste and return to the ball in order to accomplish his mission, possibly the most important one he’d set out to do to date.
Tom ushered Drake to the side gate. “I can assure you, I personally have naught to do with Lady Minerva’s plans.” He released the iron latch and swung the door open. “If I were to hazard a guess based on my very limited knowledge of the woman, I would say Lady Minerva is gradually distancing herself from you to lessen the burden before she executes her ultimate plan.”
Drake stepped through to the other side of the garden wall. “If not you, then who do you suppose she plans on marrying?”
“You fool, Lady Minerva has no plans to marry. Are you so blinded by your love for her you have lost all your senses?”
The man was indeed like his papa, determined to stay close even when his mama was frustrated or angry with him. He would never let himself fall in love and behave like a fool.
“Avondale, you are correct. You know nothing about Minera. She wants children—a brood of her own.”
“Then the decision to forgo that wish must cause her extreme pain.” Tom’s thoughts once again shifted to Isadora. Did she want children? He tugged at his cravat and raked his hand through his hair. It was a fact that he needed an heir, but Tom hadn’t seriously considered the matter of children.
Drake barked, “You’re wrong. You have to be wrong.”
Tom shrugged. “I rarely am.” Tom closed the gate and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Drake to take his leave.
After a minute of staring at each other in silence, Drake finally left, uttering a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush. With the task completed, Tom marched back to the Lowrington ballroom, fully ready to claim his prize. A dance with Isadora.
*
The knots inIsadora’s stomach tightened. She tore her gaze from the terrace doors and scanned the room. Blast. How in the devil had Tom reappeared from thin air? She suspected he had left to go to meet a woman in the gardens. Tom’s rumpled hair and loosened cravat confirmed her suspicions—he had been with a woman, but where? His Grace must be like her papa, easily distracted by a pretty face.
Tom aptly made his way through the crowd toward her, weaving his way through the crowd like a lion stalking its prey through tall grass.
Isadora turned to Charlotte and said, “I’m parched. Shall we adjourn to the refreshments table?”
