Page 30 of The Lady's Forbidden Marquess
“May I have my hand back if I agree?”she asked softly, a little menace to her tone.
Her voice carried that familiar spark, sharp enough to cut yet laced with a teasing warmth that made his pulse race.
He bit back a chuckle as he released her hand, but not before caressing it once more with his thumb.The fleeting touch was a dare, a test of her reaction, and the flush on her cheeks was his reward.
“I’d hate to think you only dance with me under duress, my lady.”
Lady Peregrine arched a brow.“Yes, because I’ve never danced with you under false pretenses, my lord,” she alluded to the first time they danced, when he used his charm against her, trying to prove the dangers in her quest to reform a rake.
It seemed like another lifetime but had only been a month or two.
“Free will is so much sweeter than duress, don’t you agree?”
She studied him for a moment, then offered her dance card.
Victory tasted sweet as he wrote his name next to the first waltz.“And in the meantime, care to take a turn about the room with me?”he asked, knowing he was venturing into new territory.
Her eyes flickered to her brother, then back.“If I must.”She held out her hand again.
Her tone was laced with mock exasperation, but the glint in her eyes betrayed a willingness to play his game.
“And to think I’m known for my charm, and yet you seem immune,” Gabriel mentioned as he led her away toward the edge of the ballroom.
The crowd parted around them, their whispers a soft hum, as if the ton sensed the spark igniting between the rake and the lady who dared to challenge him.
“And to think, I once fell for it,” she shot back, her lips pulling into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but rather they sparked with teasing anger.
Her words were a blade, sharp and precise, yet the curve of her lips invited him to parry.
“That’s encouraging to know you’re not completely immune.”
“Yes, allow me to encourage your clearly wounded pride… because I’m sure there’s a dearth of… companions for you seeking your company.”Her expression pinched, and she quickly covered it up with a bland smile.
Her sarcasm cut deeper now, tinged with a jealousy she couldn’t quite hide, and it stirred something primal in him.
“Ah, that’s right, you noticed a while ago.I quite forgot.”
“I would think that the lady in question would find that quite offensive, that you forgot so quickly.”
“Ah, but that is where you are mistaken.I was just as easily forgotten,” Gabriel spoke, revealing a little too much truth than he had planned.
The admission slipped out, raw and unguarded, a crack in his rakish armor that left him exposed to her scrutiny.
Lady Peregrine paused, regarding him.“That… is why I decided I do not want to reform a rake.”She sighed.“There is nothing romantic about… whatever that is.”She waved her hand about as if not certain a lady should name anything further.
Gabriel nodded.“I applaud your decision.Though I would…” He paused, conflicted on if he should continue with what he almost divulged.
His tongue was loose this evening; he needed to be more cautious.Hope had acted like whisky, the tight control he held over his tongue becoming less filtered.
“Yes?”She regarded him, her eyes searching his, as if attempting to lift the thoughts directly from the vault of his mind.
“I would say your efforts weren’t all in vain,” he answered, waiting to see how she’d interpret his veiled confession.
Her lips twisted, an expression he’d come to expect from her when deep in thought.It was endearing, and he smiled to himself as she gave him a wry expression.“I’m not counting Ramsford.”
“Good, you shouldn’t,” Gabriel retorted.Then decided to change the subject.“I hear your brother is returning, the eldest.I find I’m curious as to your thoughts on that subject.”
“Is that why you asked me to take a turn?Henley cannot keep a secret.He teases Anna about her inability to keep them, but he is no better.He might be worse.”She sighed.Her exasperation was laced with affection, a sister’s fond irritation that made her all the more human, all the more captivating.“Thank you for your concern, and for asking, but it’s of no consequence.Edwin all but ignored me before, and I don’t expect that to change upon his return.Henley will still take responsibility for all things, and Edwin will… hopefully be older and wiser, but I cannot make that promise.”She let out a long breath.“It’s my mother who—” She paused, then shook her head.“Never mind.”
