Page 53 of Mercenary Princess

Hellshire turned to the other woman and stated blandly, “Considering he is the largest donor here, I’m surprised our host and hostess aren’t fawning all over the man.”

Sophia tried not to take pleasure in the woman’s pinched look, but it was a difficult task. Lady Archibald was all about bloodlines and old money. Sophia now had a hint of respect for Hellshire, though that respect fled the second his beady eyes landed on her breasts with enough heat to make her want to murder him.

It seemed Hellshire had been correct in his assessment. Sophia watched as the host and hostess arrived swiftly at Viktor’s side. He smiled at them, but his eyes scanned the room.

Was he looking for her?

Hellshire and Lady Archibald started up a conversation about the duke’s country estate, as Sophia’s eyes kept shifting to her obsession. When his gaze locked with hers, it was as if the world melted away. The heat in his eyes seared her to the bone.

Hellshire’s loud guffaw shocked her back into the moment, none too soon, as she felt warm all over. Lady Archibald was still tittering away and hadn’t seemed to notice Sophia’s distraction, but the weight of another set of eyes seemed to suck her into a void. She felt a tingling on the back of her neck and knew without looking that Jean Luc was staring at her. The interest wasn’t there, but there was calculation and something else before he smiled at her. She was forced to give a respectful nod and smile since she’d been snared in his gaze.

It was the reminder she needed to be alert and careful. Jen would no doubt be tracking Jean Luc’s movements and everyone the Frenchman had spoken to, but the crush of people and entertainers might not allow for her or the security cameras to detect everything.

This was not the time for a distraction, and Viktor was the only man with the power to crack her façade. She had to keep her mind and eyes off him.

Why had Viktor come to the event if he never had before? To drive me insane, Sophia thought. Watching women flock around him all night is going to be a nightmare!

More of her mother’s friends and acquaintances made the rounds to speak with Sophia when Hellshire stepped away. If only Lady Archibald had also retreated, but the woman seemed to have designated herself as Sophia’s chaperone for the evening, or at least the mingling portion. Sophia would not be seated next to the woman at the actual dinner, thank God.

She knew Jean Luc was coming toward her without looking. She could feel his eyes, and it wasn’t the same as the way it felt when Viktor had watched her in Paris. No, Jean Luc’s gaze made her uncomfortable. It left her with a twisting in her gut. She’d always thought it was because she’d known his name would come up on the list at some point. But in reality, it felt like her instincts warning her of danger.

She maintained her serene façade and kept her posture perfect as she waited. She’d just said her goodbyes to an old acquaintance when she turned and found Jean Luc in front of her. “Your Royal Highness, a pleasure as always.” He kissed her cheeks, and it took a lot of skill to maintain her composure.

She exchanged platitudes and quickly brought Lady Archibald into a conversation with him about the artwork donated to the charity’s auction while praying he wouldn’t ask her on a date in front of her mother’s friend. It felt as if an hour had passed before Covington came into her sights. She caught his eye as tactfully as possible, without appearing in a hurry to have Jean Luc out of her sphere. The British peer rescued her without realizing it. Covington was kind, and Forde was correct—the man was very much not attracted to women. He was interested in having a wife; however, Sophia wasn’t interested in having him as a husband, no matter if he was the best on the list. Covington made conversation with Jean Luc, and she lucked out. The Frenchman was signaled to have a word with the French president, who’d just arrived.

Jean Luc’s eyes flashed with annoyance before he leaned in to kiss her cheeks again. He spoke just loud enough for Lady Archibald to catch, damn him. “I will be in London for another day. I would enjoy nothing more than to take you to dinner while I’m in town.”

“How very kind, but I have commitments nearly every moment of my stay in London.” She kept it polite, not apologetic, playing the staid, demure princess who wasn’t aware she was being hit on. She could almost feel Lady Archibald’s disapproval, but the woman didn’t say anything as Jean Luc took his leave.

Moments later, the woman finally got her dig in. “I’m surprised you rebuffed a prominent man like Jean Luc.”

Sophia tilted her head. “I do have a full schedule,” she stated before lowering her voice, “and I may have already narrowed down the list to a handful of more suitable prospects.”

The woman’s gaze grew shrewd. “Who are they?”

She smiled at the woman. “I think you may already know.”

Before Lady Archibald could drill her for more information, she went back to greeting the many people who sought her out in the short time before dinner was announced.

The night was dragging painfully, and every interaction seemed to suck the life out of her.

*****

Sophia had been seated in the dining room in such a way that she was facing the man she would gladly strangle. Somehow, fate had decided to gift her a perfect view of the man with whom she needed to avoid eye contact.

Hellshire was at her side, thankfully talking with the person on his left. The aristocrat to her right was speaking to his mistress. Sophia was incredibly glad the lights were dim. She hadn’t been able to eat any of the courses that had come as entertainers took the stage. The only good thing had been that Jean Luc had been seated at the entirely opposite end of the massive space. The candlelit dinner allowed her to relax a fraction, and most everyone was entranced by the music or their table partners.

That was not the case with her. She was anything but content. She was antsy and needed a moment to get herself together.

Making her excuses for leaving for a few moments, she stood, catching Jen’s attention where the guard stood sentry by the table.

“I need some air.”

“Of course, Your Royal Highness,” Jen responded respectfully.

A few guests lingered in the main ballroom. Most were watching the show in the dining space as Jen escorted her through a sweeping corridor that led to a sunroom, in which more guests seemed to be having private conversations. The old mansion was nearly the size of a palace, and a large number of high-society events were hosted there because of its sheer size and opulence.

Black-clad guards stood in the shadows, projecting a higher sense of security. Sophia and Jen reached the bank of French doors, and Sophia felt a hint of relief. It wasn’t raining, but the moon had to be shrouded because the only thing she could see beyond the massive stone patio was pitch black dotted with flickering lights of the garden paths. She needed just a few minutes to take a breath, and then she’d get through the rest of the night.

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