Page 19 of The Lady's Forbidden Marquess
Did he truly think her that daft to allow Lord Ramsford any liberties?Yet, as the thought crossed her mind, a heat rose in her cheeks as she remembered that she had indeed allowed liberties.
Just not to Ramsford.
And honestly, she hadn’t exactly allowed them… she’d been caught off guard by it.And if she returned the kiss, she excused her behavior as momentary insanity.
Hawthorne was no better than Ramsford, maybe even worse.At least Ramsford pretended to be interested in her; Hawthorne made it clear he was not.
The thought pinched her heart slightly—or at least her pride—but she shook it off.
“Good.”
Pere paused and quickly thought back to her conversation with her brother; she’d already forgotten as she dove back into her irritation with Hawthorne.Ah, yes, the lack of reason to beat Ramsford senseless.It really was a pity.
However… she could always disclose Hawthorne’s actions, but while it would certainly earn him a black eye, it would also earn her a husband, and she wasn’t that desperate to be shackled to Hawthorne.So, she’d kept her peace and would continue to.
But, it would be a lovely threat should he vex her at any point in the future.The thought brought a grin to her face.
“Please stay near me.”Henley spoke lowly as he led her around the ballroom to a chair near the refreshment table.“Do you wish to sit?”he asked when they arrived.
“No.I’ll stand,” Pere replied, her eyes scanning the ballroom.
She needed a new target, a new suitor.
Her gaze landed on a circle of gentlemen who were laughing, and she recognized one her brother had once mentioned while at Eton.“What of Lord Woodbury?”She dragged her gaze from the gentleman in question to Henley, who wore another scowl.“You really must try to appear less irritated all the time.You’re going to look like a grandfather before you’re a father.”
Henley’s eyebrows shot up, and he glanced to the side for a moment before clearing his throat.“Woodbury you say?”
“I didn’t misspeak.”
“Must you be so defensive?You wonder why I scowl and then you give me a clipped answer,” he chided her.
Pere twisted her lips.“Very well, yes, please.”
“Was that so hard?”
“Yes.I’ll need to sit just from the exertion of it all.”Pere gave her brother a half smile.
“Woodbury is… not a rogue, but I don’t think matrimony is what he’s currently interested in,” Henley replied skeptically.
“Rather he’s interested in…” Pere asked.
Henley looked up, as if searching for the right word in the coffered ceiling of the ballroom.“Life experience.”
“How delightfully vague,” Pere replied dryly.
“It’s as delicate as I can put it.”
“So, don’t put it delicately,” Pere said with a mockingly sweet tone.
Henley sighed, giving his head a single shake.“No.”
“You’re not helpful.”
“I suppose not, but that’s not going to change anytime soon so…”
“Do you have any suggestions, gentleman-wise?”
Henley regarded her.“Yes, but they aren’t the men who would belong on that list of yours.”
