Opening the door, he entered and then closed it behind him. When he turned, he gasped. “What do you think you are playing at?” he demanded.
Lady Theodosia stood before him and smiled. “I just hoped we might get to know each other better, my lord.”
Glaring at her and his face turning a dark red, he ground out his words. “I don’t think so.”
He darted out of the room with haste before anyone should find them there. As he swept through the corridor, Lady Rebecca, who happened to be Lady Theodosia’s closest friend, headed toward the room he left.
“Hell and damnation,” he muttered.
The chit had staged an entrapment. If he’d left even a minute later, he would have had to marry the viper. He shuddered, thinking about how close he had been to being stuck with Lady Theodosia for the rest of his life. His hands trembled, and he fought to control his anger. The woman deserved a firm set down, or perhaps worse, for what she had attempted. But he would be better off never crossing her path again if he could help it.
Suddenly, the ball held little appeal to him. The entire season, in fact. Evan found his hostess to thank her for the evening and took hisleave. He would return to the country for at least a few days. At least in the country, he wouldn’t be at risk of ambitious chits or the crushing blows of his fiery, beautiful Marina.
When did he start thinking of Marina as his again? He hadn’t. She wasn’t for him. Getting away was the best course of action. Perhaps he might be able to think straight again. More importantly, he could focus on his true responsibilities, which was to ensure that his estates prospered and uncover what it seemed like his father had noted in the ledgers.
And leave Marina to focus on hers. Finding some husband to take her away so he no longer had to wonder what might have been.
Because if she didn’t kill him herself, allowing himself to long for her would be what did him in.
Chapter Six
Marina
It had beenseveral days since Marina last saw Evan. Which she supposed she should be grateful for. Evan’s torment of her every time she saw the man didn’t help matters. She showed him, though. At the last ball he attended, she snubbed him. In truth, her main intention had been to snub Minto. By feigning a megrim, she avoided the required dance with him. But then she hadn’t seen Evan since that night.
Not that she was looking, but of course she would have noted his presence had he been there. It left her wondering what he was doing to occupy his time if he wasn’t attending any of the social events.
Perhaps he took up with a mistress and forwent the events altogether. The thought only drove her crazy and her palms hurt from how many times she clenched her fists when she’d allowed herself to consider such a notion. If only there was someone she could ask about him, but that would only raise suspicion that she had set her cap at the man, which was laughable at best.
She snapped her attention back to the Beaumonts’ ballroom, surrounded by her friends. Her father was present at that evening’s ball, and she must make a good showing of spending the evening on the dance floor. If she spent all of her time dancing, it would prevent her from prolonged conversations with Minto where he could attempt to put his hands on her. She must ensure she filled her dance card beforeher father or Minto caught up with her.
Behind her, a familiar baritone spoke. “Good evening, my lady.”
She turned and wasn’t sure what to call the emotions that bubbled beneath the surface at the sight of Evan standing before her. Whatever they were, they began to boil. “Good evening, my lord.”
“No barbs or insults?” he asked, feigning shock “You must have missed me.”
“Perhaps I enjoyed the respite from your presence, and it improved my mood. You could try returning to whatever or whoever you were with, and we shall test that theory.”
The thought of him with another woman almost sent her into a rage. She schooled her features and reminded herself that she didn’t give a whit what the man did.
“Oh, jealous, are we?” He winked at her. “If you must know, I was tending to business in the country with only my estate manager to keep me company.”
She would have clenched her fists again if it wouldn’t be too painful. That wink of his would be the death of her. She reminded herself what trouble his flirtations got her in to begin with and begged her body to cool.
“I think very little about how you spend your time, my lord.” She could only hope that he couldn’t see through her lie.
“I wouldn’t dream that absence would make the heart grow fonder.” He motioned toward her dance card. “Might I have a dance this evening? Assuming you intend to remain present for said dance.”
She held out her wrist to him. “You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Shifting on her feet, she stepped on his boot and smirked at him. She would have to dance with him this time, if only to stay out of Minto’s clutches, but at least he would believe she wasn’t pleased about it. That gave her a small bit of satisfaction.
Thankfully, she filled her dance card and managed to avoid her father and Minto. She wasn’t enjoying the ball as much as she shouldsince she had to keep a watchful eye at all times, but it was a small price to pay if she could avoid having Minto in her presence.
When Evan retrieved her for their dance, she hated her traitorous body for responding to the touch of his hand on her back. She shivered. The spot between her thighs heated. If his smirk was any indication, the devil of a man was aware, which only added to her irritation.
He finds himself far more irresistible than he actually is, she thought bitterly. There was no way she could fool herself into pretending Evan wasn’t the most handsome man she had ever seen. That fact annoyed her to acknowledge, but she could resist him.
She focused on the other dancers and refused to meet his eye. In her effort to avoid Evan and his attempts to read her thoughts, she noted her father watching them from the side of the ballroom. Even worse, Minto stood next to him with his eyes locked on her form, licking his lips.