Page 31 of The Earl Next Door
Broward chuckled. “Neither one of you would have a chance if I decide I want her.”
Lyon’s breath was heavy with anger. Each man was issuing his threat to possess Lady Wake as if she’d have no say in the matter at all. Too often widows were easy marks for men and their baser needs. Hostile vibrations thrummed in his chest. Lyon’s natural, primal need to defend her and claim her for his own took over and left little room for civility for the three men verbally going at one another over who could best win the attention if not the affection of such a prize as the countess.
“Shut your mouths,” Lyon snarled, realizing the words could very well start a predatory confrontation in his own home.
The verbal conflict between the men ceased immediately and they all stared at him.
But Lyon wasn’t through. It was a rash, harsh but necessary statement of warning to the men fighting over her. There would be no backing down from this. He would defend her honor and not permit such gutter talk whether or not she’d want it or approve. He waiteda few moments to see if anyone was going to test his order and challenge him. No one said a word.
“You are talking about a lady—a countess. You’re all married and should respect your wives and stay silent about your lusts for other women.”
The tension and glowering between the men lingered until Pritchard said, “Very well.”
“Is anyone courting her presently?” Lord Thurston asked to no one specifically after several seconds of silence. He looked around the room. No one answered so he scooted his chair back up to the table, seeming to take no offense at Lyon’s reprimand to the three men challenging one another’s masculinity.
Lyon looked over at the viscount and thought,“She’s taken.”
If any of the men present had a chance of catching Lady Wake’s eye it would be Thurston, and he was eligible if it was marriage he had on his mind. Lyon doubted that. Right now none of them had the right to tell any of the others hands off—including Lyon. Though he was on the verge of doing it anyway.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d upset the countess.
By the look on the viscount’s face, and his low derisive laugh as he picked up his cards and shuffled them in his hands, Lyon knew the man didn’t give a damn what any of them said.
Lord Thurston intended to call on Lady Wake.
Fine. Lyon enjoyed a good fight.
If any of them thought the reason he’d been so aggressive was that he wanted her for himself, none had the courage to call him on it.
Which was best.
He sat down and picked up his drink with one hand and his cards with the other. “There’ll be no further talk of Lady Wake,” he said to everyone in the group, maintaining his ruthless tone. He might not have claimed her for his own, but he’d left them no doubt he would not hear another suggestive word about her. “Next week find another place to have your carriage wait. Let’s get back to the game.”
A muttering of grumblings, grunts, and scrapes of wood against wood rumbled around the tables as the rest of the men seated themselves and prepared to resume their games where they left off. No doubt there would be much talk of this incident in the homes and clubs tomorrow. Lyon didn’t care. If they didn’t like the measure he took to halt their challenges or if they thought he was kowtowing to the countess about their coaches or anything else, they were free to confront him—and no one did. Lyon would have defended any lady against such talk.
He looked down at his cards and caught sight of a pair of soggy kid gloves lying beside his drink. Her reticule was gone. Had she left them there for a reason?
As a challenge?
An invitation?
He didn’t know but he had a feeling she hadn’t simply forgotten them when she picked up her purse. His mind and his heart teased him for a moment, making him think that she was the lady he’d been waiting for and there was no way in hell he was going to let anyone take her from him.
Lyon had an edge. Unlike the other gents in theroom, he already had her attention—for the good or bad was questionable.
Returning the gloves to her might prove to be a good start to finding out what she had on her mind when she left them behind and put him on the path of garnering more than just her attention.
Chapter 12
The storm had left with the descending darkness, taking the greater portion of Adeline’s outrage with it. She was now cozy, dry, and sitting snugly in front of her own fireplace dressed in her black velvet robe, smelling the pleasing aroma of cooked fruits that still wafted from the kitchen, though dinner had long past.
Crashing a gentleman’s card game wasn’t the way Adeline expected to make her debut back into Society, but it was too late to regret her hasty decision to charge in on the earl without being announced as he’d done to her not so long ago. Taking peers to task wasn’t the proper or advisable thing to do, yet she was unwavering that it was deserved. There could be some possible consequences in Society. If the older ladies in the tondecided to shun her for the scandalous behavior, everyone else would, too. That was simply the way of it. There was also her brother-in-law, the Earl of Wake, to consider. He was still in control of a good portion of the wealth from her marriage, but he’d never denied her use of it in any way she wished. She hoped he wouldn’t decide to now for her breach in proper manners.
Adeline sighed. Lyon had been nothing but trouble for her since he’d returned to his house. They’d managed to have a civil, if not friendly, exchange the day he’d brought over the tarts from Mrs. Feversham. Her exploit this afternoon had probably put an end to any friendly relationship they could have had going forward. That bothered her more than she expected. That Lyon had stood quietly and let her take him to task surprised her, too. She had to admire him for that. Gentlemen did not like to be taken to task by a lady—especially in front of other gentlemen.
Adeline rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension that had settled between her shoulders. She might as well close the book she held in her lap. There was no use in pretending to read. She couldn’t concentrate on the ghost story, and they were her favorites to read. A young maiden walking past gravestones in the middle of the night to get help for her ailing father just couldn’t hold Adeline’s attention tonight.
Thinking about the earl was the only thing on her mind. Whether she was looking at him or thinking about him, he haunted her with deep longing feelings she would like to explore but had little knowledge of how to go about letting him know.
