Page 37 of The Lady's Forbidden Marquess
“That would be lovely,” Lady Peregrine replied, a grateful smile on her lips.Her smile was a beacon, drawing him closer, and he wondered if she knew the power she held over him.
He nodded and, after a quick word to Henley, made his way over toward the table.
“It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you at the theater, my lord.”
Gabriel winced, then schooled his features into a charming but disinterested smile.Turning, he regarded the woman belonging to the voice.A seductive grin teased her lips as her eyes started at his toes and slowly drank him in.
“Always a pleasure, Lady Whitewood.”He took her hand when she offered it.
Gabriel quickly kissed the air above it, keeping a more than proper distance between them.
“What?No compliment?Do you see nothing that… tempts you, my lord?”she asked, her expression darkening slightly.
“Always tempted, but I’m unforgivably disposed, my lady.If you’ll excuse me?”He made to turn and leave, but a light touch on his elbow stayed him.
“So quick to leave…” she whispered, releasing him immediately but not stepping back.She tipped her chin, her gaze lingering on his lips, then traveling down his chest and lower, before she offered a seductive smile.“My carriage is ready… I find I am easily bored at the theater.If only I could find something more entertaining.”She raised her attention to his face once more, an inviting look in her eyes.
Odd, how he’d often taken the opportunity for escape in a woman’s arms, yet now all he wanted to do was escape from them.Rather, anyone else’s but the woman who wasn’t even trying to capture him.
Gabriel almost replied withAnother time, but that wasn’t the truth.It would be another pretty lie.“The theater has captivated me this evening; I apologize it hasn’t done the same for you.I’ll bid you good evening, then.”He bowed and turned to leave once more, but Lady Whitewood stepped close again.
It was unusual for a merry widow to be so forward; he frowned and was about to be far more frank than usual when a voice speared through him, freezing his thoughts.
“My lord?”
Gabriel watched cautiously as Lady Peregrine came to stand beside him, a steel resolve in her expression.Her presence was a lifeline, her boldness a shield against the widow’s advances, and he felt a surge of gratitude mingled with desire.
“Lady Peregrine.”He bowed, his expression softening, praying she read into his gaze.
The situation could have easily been misread, and so quickly after his feeble attempts to flirt with her, it had the makings of a decided mess.
She offered a small smile that gave nothing away.“My brother wished to tell you that he is returning to the box with Lady Anna.”
“Thank you, I’ll accompany you back.”He turned to Lady Whitewood.“Allow me to introduce Lady Peregrine; she and her family are guests in my box this evening,” he stated firmly, watching as Lady Whitewood’s gaze darted between himself and Lady Peregrine before a disinterested expression lit her eyes.
“Ah, then let me not detain you further.A pleasure, Lady Peregrine, Lord Hawthorne.”Lady Whitewood took her leave, but not before giving a once-over to Lady Peregrine, her lips curving into a sarcastic smirk.
Gabriel clenched his fists, wondering how he’d ever been tempted by such a woman.
“My lord?”Lady Peregrine asked, arching an eyebrow when he turned to her.
“That…” He offered his arm and searched for the words to explain.
“It would seem that women can be predators as well.I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so desperate for escape.”She gave a small chuckle.Her wit was sharp, cutting through the tension, but the softness in her eyes told him she understood more than she let on.“We shall call it even.You saved me from Ramsford, and I saved you from… Lady Whitewood, is it?”she mused.
Gabriel paused, leading her to the side of the room and taking a deep breath.He wanted to explain more, and he frowned as he regarded her.Her expression fell, and her eyes widened.
“Oh no, I—”
“No, no, you understood perfectly,” he quickly spoke, needing to affirm her assertion of the situation.“I was very politely trying to extricate myself.”
“That’s how it seemed, so… if I overstepped, I apologize—”
“No, you didn’t overstep; I was just afraid you misunderstood…” He let the words linger in the air, unsure how to continue, not wanting to give away too much of the inner suspicions of his heart, but not willing to let her think him so easily distracted by a pretty face harboring an opportunist’s heart.
“Ah, I see.”She blinked at him, her eyes studying him softly, as if reading everything his heart was unwilling to speak out loud.
Her gaze was a mirror, reflecting his own vulnerability, and for a moment, he felt seen in a way that both thrilled and terrified him.
