He looked around the ballroom but found nothing of note to remark upon when it was much like the others—too many people, too warm, and much the same crowd. No doubt the other men involved in the wager were here or soon would be. The thought had him scowling.
Though tempted to ask Prue to dance so they could speak in private, he didn’t want to use her that way. Yet not asking her would surely hurt her feelings.
“I was hoping for a moment of your time this evening,” Prue said before he determined the best way to proceed. “My uncle has several questions and would like to speak with you.”
“Oh?” Silas’s heart threatened to beat from his chest. “I would be happy to meet with him at his convenience.” He hoped he sounded calm and rational as opposed to ecstatic. That would never do.
“Excellent.” Prue nodded but said nothing more.
He frowned. Would he have to wait several more days before a meeting could be arranged? He didn’t think he could bear it. Then again, what difference would it make when he’d already waited years for anyone to show interest? Never mind that he had told so few about it.
He risked a glance at Prue, wondering if she might be able to share when a meeting might occur or the extent of her uncle’s interest.
A smile tugged at her lips and a sparkle lit her eyes. He had the strangest feeling she was teasing him with her silence.
Perhaps the lady wasn’t as demure as he thought. That had him grinning as he waited to see if she’d say anything more.
“Would you be available to meet with him tomorrow afternoon at Brooks’s? He mentioned he’d be there around three o’clock.”
He pretended to consider the timing as if he wouldn’t clear his entire schedule in order to make the meeting. “Yes, I believe that should work.”
A glance at her cousin showed she’d turned away to speak with someone else, leaving them alone in the crowd. “Thank you very much, Prue.” He held her gaze. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“You are welcome. He said he was quite intrigued by the premise of your design.”
Before Silas could ask for details, Viscount Maynard joined them. “Good evening, Winstead.”
“Maynard.”
The man’s dark eyes shifted to Prue, his gaze holding on her overlong. While some ladies might have preened under his regard, Prue looked decidedly uncomfortable. Her cousin turned and stared at Maynard as if surprised by his presence.
Silas could hazard a guess as to why the viscount had sought them out.
Silas reluctantly offered an introduction to Prue and her cousin, willing the viscount to be satisfied and walk away. But of course, he didn’t.
“A wonderful ball, don’t you think?” the lord asked as he glanced around the room. He was slightly shorter than Silas, a diamond signet ring flashing on his finger. With dark hair and a cool demeanor, he always seemed to view others as if they were beneath him, including Silas.
Miss Davies lifted her chin as if refusing to be intimidated. “It is, yes.”
Prue sent a questioning look at Silas, seeming to wonder why Maynard had chosen to join them.
The way Miss Davies kept looking at Maynard out of the corner of her eye suggested she would accept an offer to dance without a second thought. The lady had to be several years older than Prue. Perhaps desperation for a match was taking hold.
Why was it that some ladies saw immediate success their first Season and others did not? While appearance and fortunes played a part, there seemed to be more to it. Miss Davies might not tempt him, but she was attractive enough. Their brief conversation during their dance had been pleasant. That Prue and her cousin remained unattached was puzzling.
Had some event in their past made them unappealing? He rarely attended balls until the wager and didn’t keep abreast of gossip.
Regardless, Silas didn’t like that his presence had brought the two ladies to Maynard’s attention. The man wasn’t good enough for either of them as far as Silas was concerned. And he hated to think Maynard would use them to win the wager.
But that was obviously the reason he was there, attempting to make conversation.
Silas longed to tell the viscount what he could do with the ridiculous wager but held back. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. If he won, the money would help to either create a prototype or pay debts while he attempted to catch the interest of an heiress.
He looked at Prue, wishing not for the first time that she was one as she captivated him in an unexpected way that he longed to explore. Preferably with less clothing than either of them wore tonight. “Have you enjoyed your time in London thus far?” Silas asked her, ignoring Maynard.
“It is always pleasant to be with family.”
Maynard cleared his throat as if annoyed their conversation didn’t involve him. He leaned closer to Prue’s cousin to catch her attention. “May I request the honor of a dance?”