She stilled for only a moment. “My lord, may I present Mr. Bendt Henriksen, a friend of my family’s. Mr. Henriksen, myfiancé, Lord Wivenly.”
Will drew her possessively against his body. It may not have been proper, but he wasn’t in London, and a compulsion to lay his claim on Eugénie over rode any other consideration. He started to incline his head, then remembered the custom here was to shake hands. He held out his hand to greet Mr. Henriksen. “My pleasure. I’m glad to meet any friend of my uncle’s.”
The man clasped Will’s hand and grinned. “Good to meet you as well. I wondered who would finally catch our little Eugénie. Congratulations, my lord.”
He gave a polite smile. “I count myself fortunate to win such a prize.”
Eugénie sucked in a sharp breath. His smile broadened. As long as they were in company, she had no recourse but to take what he dished out. This was much more entertaining than trying to make her submit to his dictates. He slid his hand from her waist over her lush bottom and pinched just hard enough to get her attention.
She gave a satisfying little jump. “Oh!”
“Is anything wrong, my love?” Will asked with all the solicitude he could muster.
Eugénie’s face was a polite mask as she turned toward him, but her eyes flashed, promising vengeance. “No, not at all. I remembered something I forgot to tell Miss Whitecliff.” Eugénie curtseyed to him and Henriksen. “Please excuse me.”
Will wrapped his fingers around her arm. “If Mr. Henriksen will forgive me?”
“Not at all,” the Dane said. “I should pay my respects to Mrs. Wivenly.”
“I shall accompany you, my dear.”
“What,” Eugénie hissed, “do you think you are doing?”
“Merely remaining close to you.” Will lowered his voice so only she could hear. “I have no intention of allowing you to flirt with other men.”
Even if they had apparently known her all her life.
“Indeed, my lord?” Her tone was pure challenge.
“Do not push me,” he said, using clipped consonants.
She raised one haughty brow but said nothing more as they approached Andrew and his betrothed.
Miss Whitecliff slid a concerned glance at Eugénie. “Are you all right?”
Will moved his hand to her waist, and her breath hitched. “I am fine. The air is perhaps a little stifling at times.”
“If you’d like,” Will said, bending his head toward her, allowing his breath to lightly caress her neck, “I can take you outside.”
Her body stiffened slightly, and she swallowed. “No, thank you, my lord. I shall manage here quite well.”
Andrew opened his mouth as if to make a comment just as the butler called the party to dinner.
Will escorted Eugénie to the dining room and was disappointed to find himself seated at the opposite end of the table from her, on Mrs. Whitecliff’s right. He’d not considered that the table arrangement would be so formal here in the West Indies.
Once the meal was completed, he sat through what seemed to be an interminable round of toasts to both him and Andrew until the other guests began to arrive. If Will hadn’t known better he’d have thought it was all designed to keep him from being alone with Eugénie.
As they left the dining room, he was held up by an introduction to an older lady, allowing his affianced wife to leave the room on the arm of yet another gentleman. By the time he entered the drawing room, Eugénie,the vixen, was already surrounded by her court. The dolts hung on her every word. He strolled over to her, but just as he was within an arm’s length of her, she moved away. At first he followed, but it didn’t take him long to catch the humorous smiles and looks on the other guests’ faces. Damnation. They were laughing at him. He grabbed a glass of champagne.
Half-way through the evening, Will leaned against the side of a window, his blood coming to a boiling point as Eugénie seemed to drink in every compliment the other men gave her. Each time he’d tried to bring her back under his control, she’d danced skillfully away, keeping just out of his reach as yet another person congratulated him. How many of the men had she kissed?
He’d briefly considered flirting with some of the other ladies, but, as Andrew reminded him, this was a small community, and Will was the newcomer. Nevertheless, his temper fr more with each smile she bestowed on another gentleman.
Across the drawing room, Miss Whitecliff spoke in Eugénie’s ear and the ladies left the room.
Another glass of champagne was pressed into his hand.
“If you’ll take a bit of advice from one who has known her since she was a small bit of a girl,” Henriksen said and waited until Will nodded. “A spirited woman is like a fast ship. She needs a light hand on the tiller. Too much and she’ll have you turning in circles.”
