Page 78 of Irresistible
A few minutes later, dinner was announced. Before Dougal could get to Jess, Lucien had offered to escort her into the dining room. That left Dougal to offer his arm to Wexford’s sister, Miss Shaughnessy. At the table, Dougal was seated between her and Jess.
“I don’t suppose you’d swap seats with me?” Miss Shaughnessy asked him. “I’d like to sit next to Jess.”
Dougal didn’t know how to respond. Aside from not wanting to ignore their hostess’s seating arrangement,hewanted to sit next to Jess.
Cassandra must have overheard her sister-in-law’s question. “Kat, are you trying to upset my table arrangement?” She was smiling. “I gather you want to sit next to Miss Goodfellow, but I’ve situated everyone so that we are male-female. You can talk with her after dinner.”
“Or I can talk around Lord Fallin,” Miss Shaughnessy muttered.
“It’s fine,” Cassandra said with a patient smile. “You may swap seats with Lord Fallin.”
Dougal clamped his jaws together to keep from protesting. Instead, he took his new seat between Miss Shaughnessy and Lucien. He shot a look over Miss Shaughnessy’s head at Jess, who happened to be looking in his direction. She arched a brow at him and gave an infinitesimal shrug.
She was definitely still upset with him, regardless of what she said.
Dougal thought back to that last day of their mission. He’d told her he shouldn’t have allowed their tryst to happen. What was wrong with that? Was he not allowed to regret his ungentlemanly behavior? He’d also made a point of saying he’d enjoyed their night together. Hell, he’d been practically spellbound by it ever since. He went to sleep thinking of her, he dreamed of her, and he woke aching for her.
Wine was poured and the soup course was served. Dougal contemplated how he might converse with Jess around Miss Shaughnessy. In the meantime, he listened to their conversation.
“I’m sorry you had to go back to your parents’ house,” Miss Shaughnessy was saying. “I’m just glad they let you come tonight. I feared they would insist on coming with you.”
“My mother did try, but my father dissuaded her, thankfully. But then they think I’m being an obedient daughter.” Dougal heard the sarcasm in her tone and wished he was part of the conversation. He had to listen more intently as Jess went on because she lowered her voice. “They want me to wed Lord Gregory Blakemore. He’s in the market for a wife, and they think we would suit. Even my father supports the match. He made me promise I’d give him a fair chance. I’m to meet him at the Ringshall ball, which they are holding in honor of their daughter’s engagement to Lord Gregory’s brother, the Marquess of Witney.”
Dougal knew Lord Gregory and liked him. But the idea of him spending time with Jess, potentially courting her, made him cross. No, it made him jealous.
Miss Shaughnessy shook her head. “Terrible. What will you do?”
“The deal I made ensures they will allow me my spinsterhood if this match doesn’t come to fruition, which it won’t.”
“What if Lord Gregory is perfectly acceptable?” He was, and therein lay Dougal’s apprehension.
They were silent a moment, then both laughed. Dougal had to stifle his own smile.
“My goal is to ensure I am not,” Jess said.
“Brilliant plan. Make it his decision that you don’t suit.” Miss Shaughnessy smirked. “Then your parents can’t find fault with you.”
“Precisely.”
Dougal gave her credit for a clever plan. If anyone could pull that off, it was Jess. He knew how well she could act. If she wanted Lord Gregory to find her wanting, she would. She just couldn’t be herself, for he would be utterly captivated by her intellect and wit. On second thought, he wasn’t entirely certain she could suppress that. She’d been acting with Dougal, and he’d become entranced.
“Are you eavesdropping on them?” Lucien whispered, startling Dougal.
“Perhaps. I’m afraid I’m nearly always tempted to do so when people speak quietly.”
“Comes with the job, I suppose,” Lucien said with a light laugh.
A job Dougal would soon no longer have. That thought kept taking up space in his mind. He didn’t want to entertain it tonight. Feeling grumpy again, he focused on his soup. And his wine. Mostly the wine.
Dougal diverted his attention from Jess to the other end of the table. Lucien’s sister was at the end of the table next to him, and their brother was on the other side. Lady Aldington was directly across from Dougal. She was expecting a child in the coming weeks, and the expectant joy emanating from her and Aldington was almost palpable.
The rest of dinner passed with amiable conversation, and when it was finished, the gentlemen were not inclined to remain in the dining room for port. Everyone would withdraw to the drawing room.
This time, Dougal was certain to reach Jess first. He offered her his arm. She hesitated, but only briefly.
He also made sure they were the last to depart. “Shall we take a turn outside?” He glanced toward the staircase hall where everyone else had gone, but steered Jess back through the library to the door that led out to a small patio.
“Won’t we be missed?”
