Page 43 of Passions of a Wicked Earl
“Very good.” He bowed. “M’lord. M’lady.”
He walked away, and Westcliffe made a move to return the item to his pocket, but he wasn’t subtle enough. Claire grabbed his hand, unfurled two of his fingers. A flash of anger ignited her eyes. For some inexplicable reason he relished it.
“He paid you?” she whispered harshly.
“I paid him. A fiver to dance with her.”
“You paid him?”
“I paid them all. A young buck is always in need of a bit of pleasure funds. You wanted her night to be memorable didn’t you?”
Before she could respond, he walked away.
She’d been horrified by his actions. He’d originally planned to stay and talk with her, but he hadn’t wanted to get into an argument.
He watched as a couple of elderly matrons approached her. He suspected they were more interested in her since her dance with Ainsley than in her dance with him. No doubt they wanted to gain an introduction for their daughters. A bachelor duke was always highly sought after. Little wonder Ainsley had made an early exit. Westcliffe did not envy him having to fend off so much unwanted—
Anne nudged him as she came to stand beside him. “I saw you dancing with your wife. You told me you never dance at these affairs.”
With her tone of voice, she didn’t try to hide her displeasure. Her face, however, gave the appearance they were engaged in a delightful conversation. She was much more skilled at deception than Claire.
“She is my wife. It seemed appropriate.”
“I’ve never seen her before. I have to admit to being surprised by her appearance. She’s rather … unimpressive.”
Unimpressive? He thought she was the most fascinating woman in attendance. She was not jaded. She still held on to a certain amount of naïveté. Strong, determined. She stood out because she was unlike anyone else there.
“It is a nice night for a walk in the garden,” Anne murmured, interrupting his thoughts. She snapped her fan closed, lifted it to her mouth, and glided her tongue along its edge. He doubted his wife was familiar with the meaning of that message.
But he was. He could scarcely believe the words he was uttering. “Not tonight.”
She arched a brow at him. “Afraid we might get caught? That makes it all the more fun.”
His gaze never wavered from Claire. The matrons had left, and three other ladies had circled about her.
“Why the interest in her?” Anne snapped when he didn’t respond to her earlier words. “Trying to make sure she doesn’t slip off with someone else?”
Her derisive retort caused his gut to tighten, but strangely he didn’t think Claire would sneak away for a clandestine meeting with another man. Perhaps if Stephen were here … but he wasn’t. He was supposedly with the army somewhere in India.
Anne touched his arm gently, almost hesitantly. So unlike her. He glanced over at her. “I could make a scene,” she threatened.
“Don’t,” he ground out. He’d not have Claire’s first ball ruined.
“Then meet me in the garden. I want to thank you properly for the diamond bracelet you gave me.” She lifted her hand. “It’s beautiful.”
“This is not the place. I’ll come see you later,” he said quietly.
He could read her displeasure as though she’d taken pen and ink to her features. Finally, she gave a barely perceptible nod. “I shall be waiting in anticipation.”
Chapter 12
Claire couldn’t deny that she wanted Beth’s first ball to be memorable. But to pay young gentlemen—
“Tonight was the most wonderful night of my life,” Beth said as she twirled around her bedchamber as though she were reliving the moment when some swain had held her in his arms. “Who would have thought I’d be so amazingly popular? I don’t know if there is any lady who danced as much as I did.”
Claire’s chest tightened. She didn’t want to ruin the illusion, but hurt was certain to follow. Westcliffe couldn’t pay the men at every ball. “Tonight might have been an exception, Beth. The men were curious. Yours was a new face in the crowd.”
Beth flopped back on the bed the way that they’d fallen in the snow when they were children intent on creating angels. “I shall most definitely be spared from marrying Lord Hester. I have no doubt.”
