Page 14 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
“I know not of whom you speak,” he said, closing his eye again with a huff.
“You ought to. You met her three nights ago at the Marshams’. I remember you speaking with her on more than one occasion,” Max insisted and for a moment Lionel attempted to think back to that night.
There had been so many young ladies fluttering about him with their overbearing mothers that he found it almost impossible to pick out a single face.
“I spoke with many ladies that night,” he pointed out. Though one in particular did happen to pop into his mind’s eye as he spoke, a woman with raven hair and striking ice blue eyes.
“Yes, and I am sure there shall be many of them in attendance this evening as well,” Max insisted. “I do believe that the Marshams' will be there.”
“Do continue to tell me who shall be there so that I can feel even more unwilling to attend, cousin,” Lionel groaned. He made a point of rolling over onto his side, his face pressed to the back of the couch in order to prove to his cousin that he intended not to move.
“I have also heard that the Ice Queen shall be there,” Max stated, his voice filled with amusement, and at the nickname Lionel felt his entire body tense. Though he had not seen Miss Lloyd since the Marsham dinner, he had thought of her often.
A part of him had hoped to meet her again at the social events he had attended since the dinner. There had been a picnic in the park, a luncheon and even a promenade since then and yet he had seen hide nor hair of her.
“I thought you said she avoided all social gatherings where she could,” Lionel said without rolling back over, hoping that he did not sound as interested as he felt.
“I did, but I also said that there were a few she could not avoid and tonight is one of them,” Max explained and the tone of his voice suggested that Lionel had not been successful in hiding his interest. “I do believe that the ball tonight is being held by a distant relative of the lady and so she will most definitely be in attendance.”
Lionel groaned at his own interest, unable to understand why the thought of seeing her again made him want to get up from the couch for the first time since his aunt and uncle had departed. His feet were actually beginning to itch to carry him up the stairs to prepare.
Sitting up, he caught sight of Max’s face, the smirk upon it even more infuriating than it had been before. “Do I sense some desire to seduce the lady?”
Lionel grimaced openly at his cousin. “Do not speak of it like that,” he scolded. The truth was that he hadn’t yet decided on such things where Miss Lloyd was concerned. After their conversation in the Marshams’ garden, he was quite certain that she knew of his intentions towards women and what it would mean for them if he were to try to seduce her.
And yet, for once, his feelings were entirely innocent. He merely had the urge to see her again, whether that was just to enter into yet more interesting conversation or not, he simply wished to see those icy blue eyes again, to watch her look at every other gentleman with a barely veiled distaste, to feel the bite of her cold tongue as she addressed him so coolly.
“I sense that the other young ladies of thetonmight be in danger of missing their chance with a certain future earl,” Max laughed, wiggling an eyebrow at Lionel.
Jumping to his feet, Lionel shoved his cousin playfully and hissed, “It is not at all like that. She merely intrigues me.”
“Sheisbeautiful.”
Lionel rolled his eyes. Any man who was capable of using them could see that Miss Lloyd was beautiful. She was perhaps the most outwardly attractive woman that Lionel had laid eyes upon in a long time.
“She is also, as you call her, an ice queen,” Lionel reminded his cousin. “I doubt she would ever even appreciate my attentions if I were to give her them.”
“Perhaps that is exactly why you wish to give them?” Max stated, his voice clearly filled with amusement once more. “Are you falling into the very same trap as every other man who comes into contact with Miss Lloyd?”
“Never,” Lionel scoffed. “No lady has ever been able to entrap me, and though I shall allow some of the mamas to believe it possible, it never shall be.”
With that, Lionel clapped his cousin upon the shoulder and hissed, “You have convinced me. I shall go and get ready.”
Chapter 5
After the dinner at Sophie’s parents’ house, Priscilla had feared that she was losing her sharp and cold edge. The ease with which Lord Sinclair had spoken with her on more than one occasion had left her feeling more than a little off kilter, but standing at the edge of the dancefloor at the Trowton Ball, she was relieved to find that she had not lost her coldness after all.
She had been standing in one spot for well over half an hour, and not a single gentleman had arrived at her side to request her hand for a dance. In that time, Sophie had departed and arrived and departed her side more times that Priscilla cared to count, taking to the dancefloor with several gentlemen and noblemen.
Watching from the good vantage point she had found for herself, Priscilla was pleased to see how much fun her friend was having. The smile had barely left Sophie’s face all evening, and it was clear that her dance partners were keeping her well entertained.
Perhaps the Marshams will have success this Season after all,she thought, watching her friend dance the quadrillion with yet another gentleman. Priscilla definitely did not envy her friend, whose feet would likely be aching by the end of the dance. She couldn’t remember the last time the other girl’s feet had been still for more than a minute or two.
“Do you not wish to take to the dancefloor?” Lady Bishop asked, and Priscilla almost jumped right out of her skin. She had been so adamant upon watching her friend that she hadn’t even noticed her aunt sneaking up to her side from the refreshments table. Though she had gone off to gossip with the other elder ladies, she had not been far, always only a stone’s throw from her niece’s side.
“I am quite content here, aunt,” Priscilla assured her.
“People will likely begin to talk if you do not dance at your own cousin’s ball,” Lady Bishop insisted. Priscilla cringed at the words. Just because they were related somehow via blood, so many generations removed and likely marriage somewhere along the line also did not mean that the Trowtons were her cousins. Though she knew better than to argue with her aunt.
