Page 54 of How Not to Marry a Duke
Tall and beautiful, Lady Drake had dark hair and eyes that were not quite green nor brown, but an intriguing hazel. She was expecting their first child and her hand rested on the curve of her abdomen. She hugged Adeline. “Hello, Adeline. Do not let my husband tease you. Drake and Warwick spend hours together in a boxing ring at Gentleman Jackson’s. They are hardly gossiping magpies.”
“Boxing?” Warwick hadn’t mentioned his interest in the sport. The duke was fit, and she’d noticed his muscular chest when she’d first treated his wound. It wasn’t as if she’d been looking—the muscles of his forearm and biceps were hard to ignore.
Lady Drake leaned close and smiled. “You must visit for afternoon tea. Ladies need to plan.”
She wasn’t sure what planning she referred to, but Adeline wanted to learn more about both Warwick and Drake. What exactly had he told his friend?
Lady Drake leaned forward to observe the line of guests waiting to greet her and her husband. “Warwick is expected, of course.”
Adeline anticipated the duke’s arrival at any moment. Their walk in the park had gone as planned and the gossip paper had aided their cause. Adeline knew that Edwin, too, could appear. If he did, it was important that Warwick be present to allay any suspicions her half brother still had.
Adeline stayed by Lady Heywood’s side as they mingled with the guests. She recognized many members of the beau monde. Lady Heywood knew many more. Adeline nodded as they passed Lady Strathmore and Lord Sheldon, and she stared at the towering turban of Lady Hubert, then the swaying ostrich feathers of Lady Stewart’s hat.
Her hopes of the duke appearing dwindled as first a half hour passed, then an hour, then even longer. Fashionably late was becoming a distinct improbability.
Warwick was not coming.
Beneath the warm afternoon sun, Adeline felt the beginnings of a headache. Her smile became as brittle as glass.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed Warwick’s absence. Each time the garden gate opened, Lady Heywood turned to see if the new arrival was her godson.
Adeline rubbed her right temple. She mumbled an excuse and headed for the refreshment table for a glass of lemonade.
“May I get you a drink?”
Adeline glanced up at a young gentleman, a man close to her own age. Thin and of average height, he had brown hair and brown eyes. “Yes please.”
He handed her a glass of lemonade, and she sipped the drink. It was refreshing, not too sour or too sweet, but it still didn’t help her headache.
“Lord Bowen at your service.”
“Lady Adeline.” She recalled hearing the name from Edwin. He’d recently inherited a viscounty.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“To be truthful, not as much as I’d hoped.”
He gave her a curious look. “To be truthful, me either. It is rather warm out.” He watched as she sipped her lemonade. “I’ve heard that you are recently returned to London from Kent?”
“Yes. I’m staying with Lady Heywood.”
“Did something lure you to the country?”
“My father bequeathed me a country cottage. I found the small village of Chilham refreshing.” She finished the lemonade and placed the empty glass on the table.
“I’d prefer the country to London this time of year as well. Once the weather warms, it’s hard to ignore the stench of the river. Although Hyde Park is pleasant this time of year with its abundance of shady trees. Perhaps we can stroll the park together?”
For a pulse-pounding moment, she wondered if the young viscount had read the Scandal Sheet. Did he read about her intimate episode with Warwick in the park?
And where was the duke?
Lord Bowen smiled. “I consider myself fortunate to have met you, Lady Adeline. The other ladies are far from intriguing.”
“You must say that to all the ladies.” She found him oddly charming but not attractive. He reminded her of one of her friend’s big brothers growing up.
“Honestly, no.”
The hosts of the garden party, Lord and Lady Drake, were Warwick’s friends. If the duke failed to make an appearance here, then what hope did she have for any other party or ball? Or for the future?
