Page 20 of The Duke of Desire
West made quick work of finding someone and knew immediately it was a gentleman. It wasn’t Axbridge, and he was fairly certain it wasn’t Townsend. That left Travill and a handful of others. If he guessed wrong, he’d have to go again. He considered that because another chance meant he could maybe find Miss Breckenridge. But the odds of him doing so weren’t great.
Focusing on his captive, West used his observation skills to deduce his identity. The gentleman was shorter than him and slighter of frame. He ran through those in attendance and came up with his answer without touching more than the fellow’s shoulders. “It’s Mr. Upton.”
“That was the fastest one yet!” a feminine voice declared.
“Clare’s always such a show-off,” Axbridge drawled.
West swept the blindfold away and quickly tied it around Upton. After spinning the gentleman, West quickly put distance between him and the new blind man. He glanced around and was unable to locate Miss Breckenridge.
He wasn’t surprised that she’d fled. He’d seen the apprehension in her gaze after the blindfold had been lifted. What he didn’t know was the cause of it. Was there any chance she was as attracted to him as he was to her?
Probably not. And therein lay his misery.
