The moment their eyes met, of course, she whisked her gaze away, turning back to Simon Dudley as if he were talking about the most interesting subject in the world.
It annoyed Clayton, itching inside for some reason he could not fathom. Pointedly turning his back, he stepped off the courtyard and into the green little wilderness at the side of the house.
“Clayton! Wait a moment, won’t you?”
He stopped at the sound of Lucas voice, shoulders sagging.
“What is it? I need to clear my head.”
“Perhaps so,” Lucas replied, falling into step beside his friend. “But not, I think, at the beginning of your stepmother’s well-arranged garden party.”
“Eliza won’t mind.”
“Consider the appearance of the matter.”
“Ha! As if you care about the appearance of the matter.”
“Not the point,” Lucas insisted. “That’s not what I’m here to scold you for.”
“I knew there was a lecture in this somewhere.” Clayton strode forward, heading to a little walkway of young trees, the foliage a pleasant respite from the sun. Lucas kept up with him easily.
“What do you mean, talking so openly to Lady Isolde?” Lucas continued. His face was pinched with disapproval. “Everybody is talking about it. You made quite a point of it. Those who didn’t believe that you were pursuing her before, now think that it could be possible.”
Clayton snorted. “That’s their own faults, don’t you think?”
“And what if Lady Isolde starts to believe you’re in love with her?” Lucas persisted. “What then?”
“She won’t.”
Lucas let out a bark of laughter. “Then you’ll lose your ridiculous bet.”
“You are entirely too focused on that wager, my friend. Odd, considering that you yourself are not part of it.”
Lucas strode forward, whirling to face Clayton and blocking his path.
“If my advice means anything to you at all,” he said shortly, brow scrunched up in an angry knot, “then you will leave Lady Isolde alone. You well know my feelings on that wager, and I won’t bother to repeat myself.”
Clayton sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Lucas, are you…”
“Am I what?”
“Are you in love with Lady Isolde yourself? Because if so…”
Lucas groaned, rolling his eyes. “A man does not have to be in love with a woman to treat her kindly, you fool.”
“I wasn’t saying that.”
“No? Well, I’ve said my piece. Leave her alone, Clayton. This wager could well come out. You’re a fool to make it with a man like Simon Dudley.”
“Well, it’s not as if he can expose my part in the wager without also exposing his own,” Clayton pointed out, sniffing.
“And if he does, you’ll be sorry, I guarantee it. What possessed you to make such a beeline for her, in any case?”
Clayton opened his mouth to answer, and found, to his shock, that there was no answer ready.
The simple fact of the matter was that he did not know.
He hadn’t spotted Isolde immediately, but when he did, it seemed as if he could look at nothing else. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, that much could not be denied, and had a grace and serenity of manner hadn’t noticed before. Who else could walk so tall and unconcerned, when all around her were whispering nastily about her? Coming to his stepmother’s party after such an article had been written was remarkably brave.
