Page 20 of Snowbound with the Earl
“That goes without saying. Of course, considering the considerable warmth I just witnessed between you and Evergreen, I doubt anyone will question either of you.”
“I wouldn’t expect that to be repeated.”
Dorsey allowed her to precede him out of the drawing room, and she spotted Swift in the foyer with her luggage piled near the door.
“Really? I always thought the two of you shared a mutual affection once upon a time.”
“That was a long time ago.” And Graham had made it quite clear he didn’t feel the same. One thing she had learned about men after a decade of marriage was that physical intimacy didn’t change anything. Just because Graham had kissed her—no matter how passionately—did not mean he’d changed his mind about her. He’d said he didn’t want her, and he’d no doubt consider what happened between them a mistake. Noelle might feel differently, but she was not about to beg. No matter how much she wanted to feel his mouth on hers again.
And she wanted that quite a lot.
“Excuse me, my lord.” She moved ahead of Dorsey and went to speak to Swift.
***
GRAHAM STOOD AT THEwindow of the billiards room with his hands in his pockets. The snow was still falling, the flakes whipping around by the whistling wind. “Lady Dorsey will have to cancel ice skating,” Mr. Rummage said, walking behind Graham as he studied the billiards table. Mr. Swinton was holding a cue stick and looking smug opposite Rummage. Turlington sat near the fire and scowled. Graham might have preferred to sit there and read, as opposed to hovering near the freezing window, but he suspected he was the reason for Turlington’s foul mood and wanted to keep his distance.
“Quite a hullabaloo this morning in the drawing room,” Swinton said, still watching Rummage. “Anyone know what that was about?” The question sounded innocent enough, but Graham had the feeling Swinton knew more than he revealed. Swinton liked a bit of drama. He always had the latest gossip from Town, usually before the Society columns reported on it.
“No idea,” Rummage said.
“What about you, Evergreen?” Swinton asked. “You were there.”
“We’re snowed-in,” Graham said. “No one will be able to come or go until it stops and the roads are cleared or until the snow melts.”
“Did someone wish to depart early?” Swinton asked.
“Lady Bonneville,” Turlington said, turning away from the fire to look at Graham. “She found something or someone here disagreeable.”
“Hopefully, she’s been made to see the folly of that notion,” Rummage said. “She seems a sensible enough woman.”
“I used to think so,” Turlington grumbled. Graham was on the verge of saying something he would probably regret when Dorsey entered.
“Gentlemen, I hate interrupting your game, but Lady Dorsey needs you in the drawing room.”
“Whatever for?” Rummage asked.
“I don’t ask questions,” Dorsey said. “I simply obey, and my lady wife has asked me to fetch you. So here I am.”
Swinton put his cue back in the rack and pointed at Rummage. “We’ll finish this later, sir.”
Turlington rose and was the first out of the door. Swinton and Rummage followed. Graham lingered, hoping Dorsey would go on ahead so he might stay back and read by the fire. No such luck. “You too, Evergreen,” Dorsey said. “She said to fetch you, even if you kicked and screamed.”
Graham sighed. “Is there nowhere I can escape to read alone?” he asked.
“Try the conservatory later,” Dorsey said. “She won’t think to look for you there.”
The rest of the guests, minus the Halifax family, who were undoubtedly keeping to their rooms, were gathered in the drawing room. Lady Dorsey had instructed the servants to push all the furnishings against the walls and left only a circle of about a dozen chairs in the center of the drawing room. Lady Dorsey was in the center of the chairs, whose seats faced outward. “Ah, here you are,” she said. “We are to play a game of Move-all.”
Graham sighed. Parlor games. He should have known. He was in no mood for parlor games. He wanted quiet and time to think. Uppermost in his mind was the question of what had happened with Miss Halifax. How had he not recognized the Halifaxes’ scheme to trap him into marriage earlier? What would have happened if Lady Bonneville had not stepped in?
Noelle was the other topic deserving of much consideration. Why the devil had he kissed her? And why couldn’t he stop kissing her once he’d started? He’d kissed any number of women over the years. He was no rake, but neither was he celibate. And yet, only once before had he felt so strongly pulled to a woman—ten years ago when he’d been courting Noelle during the Season. Then he’d resisted his baser instincts and settled for chaste kisses on her hand or cheek. But in the parlor, alone and a decade later, he couldn’t resist her. Once he started kissing her, it was all but impossible to stop. She felt so good pressed against him and she tasted even better than she felt. He wanted to taste more of her—her neck, the cleft between her breasts, the back of her knee...
He felt that pull again and raised his eyes. Noelle stood across the room in a white gown patterned with light green leaves. Her dark hair looked glossy in the candlelight that illuminated the room on the gloomy day. She held his gaze for a moment. Her chest rose and fell as though she took a deep, shuddering breath. She caught her lower lip between her teeth then deliberately averted her gaze.
Graham clenched his hands in frustration. Every part of him wanted to go to her, drag her away, and kiss her. He forced himself to stay rooted in place, but the blood rushed loudly in his ears. He had no idea what Lady Dorsey was saying. Swinton, who was standing beside him, spoke. Graham saw the gentleman’s mouth move, but he couldn’t hear a thing. He couldn’t focus. His mind returned to the way Noelle’s small white teeth latched onto her lush pink lip. Had she done it on purpose? Was she trying to drive him mad?
Swinton and the rest of the company moved toward the chairs and began to form a circle around them. Graham followed, shaking his head to try and clear it. They were playing Move-all, and Lady Dorsey had provided eleven chairs for the twelve players. The guest left standing when she called out would have to pay a forfeit. She’d probably continue to reduce the number of chairs so many players had to pay forfeits. Those would be claimed this evening as part of the after-dinner entertainments. Still, he didn’t want to be the first to lose. Lady Dorsey gave the command, “Move-all!” Everyone rushed to claim chairs. Graham moved quickly, but just as he approached a chair, Turlington slid in, his elbow connecting with Graham’s chin.
