He ventured to the card room and found Jude, Elias, and Hudson gathered together. Evan grabbed a tumbler of brandy and joined the group.
“Evan! You wouldn’t be interested in my sister, would you?” Elias assessed him.
Evan took a sip of his drink. “No. I shall not be seeking a wife this season.”
“Hear, hear.” Jude raised his glass.
“I’m surprised you haven’t pushed Hudson, here, to marry your sister, Elias,” Evan said. “Haven’t you been friends most of your lives?”
“It’s because we’ve been friends that I don’t push him toward Diana.” Elias smacked Hudson on the back.
Hudson scowled. “You and Jude are the rakehells.”
“Were my good man. Were,” Elias corrected.
“I still am,” Jude offered, before taking a sip of his brandy.
“Besides,” Hudson continued, “Diana is as impertinent as my own sister. I’d never get a moment’s peace.”
“Marina is a feisty one,” Jude said. “Perhaps she could remove that permanent frown from your face, old man.”
Evan flinched at Jude’s words and only hoped the other men hadn’t noticed.
“I am far from ready to take a wife,” Hudson replied. “Nor do Ineed to flaunt my bed partners. Unlike some people.” He nodded toward Jude. “I have to ensure my sister marries well.”
Evan released a quiet breath that Hudson wouldn’t pursue Marina. He was all wrong for her. He was far too serious and seemed generally unhappy with life. And then he reminded himself that he didn’t care what type of man Marina ended up with. As long as it wasn’t one of his friends. Or Minto.
“Perhaps we should rejoin the ladies,” Jude said, setting his glass aside. “I believe we owe them all dances.”
The gentleman departed the card room and returned to the group. Until it was time for them to collect their dance partners, they joined Matt and the new Earl of Powis, who were chatting nearby.
For Evan’s next dances, he partnered with Hannah, Hudson’s sister, and then Tabitha. Both lovely ladies and close friends of Marina’s.
Hannah spoke of some frustration with her brother. Hudson was the brooding sort when they were at university, and that hadn’t seemed to change, so Evan assumed he didn’t take well to his sister’s attempts to manage him. Not that Evan knew anything about what it meant to have a sibling. Over the past year, he often found himself longing for a brother or sister to share in the challenges he faced.
Tabitha was a bit of a gossip and commented on what people were wearing and who they danced with. She asked him questions about different people he knew, and the dance went by quickly. The ladies’ friendly demeanor toward him suggested Marina’s friends were unaware of all that had occurred between them.
Once he delivered Tabitha back to the group, he approached Diana for their dance. She was graceful and kind, just as he remembered when he danced with her last season. The conversation was pleasant, so she couldn’t have been aware of his connection to Marina, either.
He delivered Diana back to where Elias stood and sought Marina. He fought his irritation when he noted that she was talking to Jude. Heinterrupted their conversation a bit too hastily. “Sorry to steal the lady away, but I believe this is my dance.”
“Oh, I had forgotten.” She shrugged with one shoulder, not feigning to look in his direction.
“Jude, surely you jest,” she said, continuing her conversation as if Evan hadn’t approached. She grinned at Jude through her lashes. Evan fought not to drag her away from the man.
“My dear Marina, I do not,” Jude said, glancing at Evan. “But I have already said far too much.”
Evan thought he saw the man wink at her and if he didn’t get Marina away from him, his desire to plant his rakehell of a friend a facer would only grow.
Evan extended his arm to Marina and narrowed his gaze on hers. “My lady.”
At least she took it, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor in silence.
Once they were in their places, he took her hand in his and wrapped his arm around her back. “You shouldn’t set your cap at a rakehell like Jude,” he seethed, gritting his teeth. Better than he got right to the point, since the polite niceties would be next to the possible where Marina was concerned.
“Who said anything about setting my cap at him? Can’t I just enjoy his company?” She winked at him.
The gesture stoked the fire that simmered below the surface, though he was loath to admit it. If they weren’t in the middle of a dance, he would have pulled her off the dance floor to shake some sense into her. “No. You can’t.”
