Page 9 of One Night of Scandal
“Grandmama has decided it’s time I consider marriage. It looks as though she’s trying to draw attention—male attention—to me.” She groaned softly and turned her back to the group.
Isabelle linked her arm through Viola’s and escorted her to a far corner of the room. “Allow me to save you.”
Viola laughed. “Just when I think it’s impossible to like you more than I already do, you prove me wrong. Thank you.”
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but why come tonight if you knew she meant to play matchmaker?”
“I didn’t know until we arrived. Ironically Ihadn’tplanned to come; however, I decided I wanted to see if I might hear something that would be worth including in my column.” Viola had told Isabelle about her hidden identity, and not just because she knew she couldn’t expect Val to keep secrets from his wife. That had been a big part of it, but it was also nice to have a friend with whom she could discuss her work.
“That makes sense,” Isabelle said. “Though how will you say you heard it here since Tavistock is not in attendance?”
“In these instances, I say, ‘I have it from a dear friend who was there…’ but I never name the friend.”
“Extraordinary that you’re able to do that.” Isabelle shook her head, a slight smile playing about her mouth. “I couldn’t even manage to pass myself off as a gentleman for a single evening.” She’d tried once at Viola’s behest. Viola had been trying to play matchmaker between her and Val. It had, much to her delight, worked.
“Mastering the act of playing a gentleman took plenty of practice. I spent many days in the park as Tavistock before I worked up the courage to go to the Wicked Duke.”
“Well, you make it look easy,” Isabelle said. “And you’re quite successful. Two years and no one’s discovered your identity or even realized you aren’t a man.”
That wasn’t true, of course. As if conjured by their conversation, Jack Barrett strode into the drawing room. Viola’s breath caught—because she was surprised to see him, particularly since he’d just come to her mind. It wasn’t because of how he looked with his jet-black hair waving back from his intensely handsome features. Ebony brows arched above his walnut-brown eyes and his strong cheekbones slashed down toward the dimples that, when he laughed, creased around his mouth.
But he wasn’t laughing now. He was intently searching the room, and then his gaze settled on her. It was as if he’d found what he was looking for.
Their eyes locked, and a flash of awareness swept over her. She was so used to clinging to the background or masquerading as a man that it had been a long time since she’d felt...womanly. The moment was over almost as soon as it had begun when he pivoted and walked in another direction. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t been looking for her. He had no reason to seek out Lady Viola Fairfax.
“Oh look, there’s Diana. Let’s go and speak with her.” Isabelle started toward their friend, the Duchess of Colehaven. She and Isabelle had become rather close over the past few weeks. Since they were both newly married and to men who were best friends, they were well on their way to becoming best friends themselves.
All during their conversation, Viola’s gaze kept straying to Mr. Barrett, who stood with a few other gentlemen near the table with the bottle of sand. Garbed in a perfectly tailored black coat with black breeches and a midnight-blue waistcoat, he presented an intimidating and alluring figure. She couldn’t seem to stop glancing in his direction.
He didn’t appear to be aware of her presence, not after looking right at her and walking away. Was he purposely ignoring her? It was probably for the best. And yet, she was vaguely annoyed.
“Pardon me,” she murmured before making her way slowly to the table next to the one where Mr. Barrett stood. She picked up a shell and held it to her ear.
“Do you hear the ocean?”
She turned her head to see Mr. Barrett had moved next to her. Not that she’d needed to turn to see who it was—she recognized the deep, seductive timbre of his voice.
Seductive?
“Yes.” She handed him the shell.
He put it to his ear, and a half smile tilted his lips. Viola’s chest tightened in reaction. “It’s magic,” he said before replacing the shell on the table.
“It’s actually the noise from the room gathering in the shell and bouncing back to your ear.” Why had she said that? Magic sounded rather charming.
He chuckled. “I know what it is. But I like to think it’s the ocean. I haven’t been there in some time.”
“I haven’t either.”
“I love its vastness and the never-ending rush of waves over the shore. It makes me think of how complicated and yet simple our world can be.”
“That’s rather contradictory,” she said, picking up a rock that had been smoothed by the waves he spoke of.
“Life is full of contradictions, wouldn’t you say,LadyViola?” He was referring to her disguise as Tavistock. She suppressed the urge to smile.
“It can be, yes. So this is why you couldn’t meet tonight?” she asked quietly.
“Yes. And it seems you weren’t available either.”
