Page 133 of Rakes & Reticules
Richard squeezed her elbow. “Ignore them.”
“That is easy for you to say.Youare not their target. You are a young, hale, eligible titled gentleman who they would marry regardless of all your faults if you gave them the opportunity.”
“I’d never invite one of those harpies to join our family.”
For some peculiar reason, Richard’s informal reference had a giggle bubbling up and escaping her. Her brother had a way of making her laugh even in the most dire of situations, much like another man she cared for. An image of Samuel’s rakish smile appeared in her mind's eye and had her tripping over her own feet. How many times had the blasted man made her forget her plight of being the target of hateful comments and made her laugh until her stomach ached last Season? Countless. Before she could stop herself, Hazel clutched her brother’s arm and rolled up onto her tiptoes to scan the crowd.
“If you are looking for Thornsbee, he’s tracking our progress from the far right corner.” Richard’s height gave him an unfair advantage. “I thought we agreed upon our return to London you were to steer clear of the man.”
It wasn’t so much as she’d agreed as she had relented to protect her heart, but she wasn’t about to admit to such a thing to Richard. “We did.”
They came to a stop in front of the refreshments table. “Lemonade?”
Hazel took the pale yellow beverage from her brother and lifted it to her lips. The notion struck her that the taste of her drink, whether it be sweet or sour, would predict the rest of her eve and even the Season. She took a sip and with pinched lips she mumbled, “It’s going to be a long Season…a long Season indeed.” The tart zing of lemons remained on her tongue as she placed her empty glass on a tray of a passing footman.
Richard surveyed the crowded room. “Let’s go find Ambrose and the others.”
She shook her head. “I’ll wait here.”
“If I leave you alone, Thornsbee will no doubt approach.”
“Never fear, Lord Bixley.” Daphne, her closest friend, came to the rescue. “I shall keep Hazel company.”
Richard hesitated before nodding. “Then I shall leave Hazel in your care, Lady Daphne.”
Urgh. She wasn’t a child anymore.
Hazel buckled to the side as Daphne poked her in the ribs with her elbow. “The festivities have barely begun, and you are already scowling.”
While she had corresponded with her best friend frequently over the summer, Richard's overprotective ways had prevented Hazel from seeing Daphne, who had fallen ill for some weeks.
With a bright wide smile, Daphne commented, “Thornsbee has been craning his neck all evening looking for you. He appears lost without you at his side.”
“I doubt the man has had a shortage of interest in my absence.” Hazel turned, placing her back to the man they were discussing. She would not falter. She was in need of a husband, not a friend.
Daphne’s gaze darted over Hazel’s shoulder for a moment before she said, “Mayhap, but I’m fairly certain you are the only person who is on Lord Thornsbee’s mind.”
“As a friend. And as you know, I’m determined to find myself a husband this Season so I’ll no longer remain a burden to Richard. I want him to fulfill his dreams of exploring the world.” The half-truth rolled off her tongue with ease. The other half of the truth was that she longed for her own independence, to be free from her overbearing brother who meant well but didn’t understand her growing interest in what their peers considered unladylike pursuits like studying the stars and fossils.
“You're not a burden to anyone, least of all your brother.” Daphne’s gaze flickered to the man who owned her heart, Ambrose Kirkman, Baron Harlowe.
Similar to her own predicament, Ambrose and Daphne were friends, but Daphne had been in love with Ambrose for more than a decade. Hazel didn’t have a decade to wait for Samuel to return her regard. Blast. The mere thought of the man flooded her cheeks with heat. With a flick of her wrist she unfurled her fan and created a slight breeze that did nothing to alleviate the warmth that settled upon her face.
Daphne chuckled. “You shall have to do better to mask your feelings if you wish Richard to believe you have given up hope of marrying the one man who he has deemed unworthy of your hand.”
“I still don’t completely understand Richard’s objections aside from the fact that the man was once a rake.”
Her best friend rolled her eyes and said, “The reason Richard abhors the idea of you marrying Thornsbee is the same reason why you fell in love with the man—Samuel is the complete opposite of your brother.”
Hazel’s hand stilled. It was true, the two couldn’t be more different from one another.
CHAPTERFOUR
As if his boots were laden with rocks, Samuel remained on the fringes of the ballroom, flanked by wallflowers. Amongst the shy misses who avoided eye contact and conversation with him at all costs, he was free to observe Hazel without interruption. From a distance, one would never guess that Hazel’s true charm wasn’t her beauty, but her sharp mind. The queen had declared her a diamond of the first water, but it wasn’t merely her heart shaped face or her mysterious hazel-colored eyes that made Hazel stand out from the others. There was an aura about her that ladies envied and gentlemen admired from a distance. Thankful that his peers had caved to the fear of rejection and left Hazel alone, he’d taken the opportunity to befriend the belle of every ball and had been granted a glimpse of her that others would never see. Hazel was mindful of her speech except in the company of trusted friends and her brother. She wasn’t the least bit interested in the latest fashion plates or painting with watercolors; however, she did have a fondness for purchasing multiple reticules. When he’d questioned her why she loved the little silk sacks that he thought of as a nuisance, Hazel had replied, “Unlike gowns, they need not be tailored to or deemed appropriate for the lady who purchases it. A reticule simply has to appeal to its owner.” At the time he accepted her response with little thought, but over the summer her words had volleyed in his head, leaving him to question if Hazel was hinting that she didn’t need a husband that suited her according to society, but one that appealed to her.
He clenched his hands together tightly behind his back and returned his gaze to Hazel across the room. Richard had finally left his sister's side, only to be replaced by Hazel’s close friend Lady Daphne, who was more tenacious and protective of Hazel than Richard.
“I’m assuming you fell out of Lady Hazel’s favor, since you are here and not standing by her side like last Season.”
