Dorian did not look up from his plate. “Nothing has changed.”
“That is a lie,” Lord Harrow replied cheerfully. “I have been here for exactly forty-seven minutes, and I have already caught you staring at your wife when she is not looking at least three times.”
Anne paused, her fork hanging midair. “I am sitting right here,” she said calmly.
“Yes,” Lord Harrow agreed. “One would suspect that you are here, since he was looking at you.”
Chuckles rippled through the table.
“You are mistaken,” Dorian said flatly.
“I am never mistaken,” Lord Harrow declared, entirely unbothered. “The Duke of Ashford believes he is subtle, ladies and gentlemen, but we all know that he is not.”
Margaret tilted her head slightly toward Anne. “He has been doing it all evening.”
“I have not,” Dorian protested.
“You absolutely have,” Margaret insisted.
Anne looked between them, her eyes narrowing. She was not going to pretend that she had not noticed it too, but she had always explained it away. If others were noticing it, however, it was more difficult to ignore.
“Doing what exactly?” she asked.
Lord Harrow’s smile widened. “Looking at you like you are about to disappear if he blinks.”
The table fell quiet. Anne did not respond immediately, but when she did, her voice was carefully neutral.
“That seems unlikely.”
“It is not,” Margaret said.
“It is,” Dorian corrected.
Lord Harrow raised his glass again. “Denial is very fashionable in your household.”
Dorian exhaled slowly, setting down his fork. “If you are finished discussing my behavior as though I am not present, I would like to enjoy my dinner.”
“You are not enjoying your dinner,” Lord Harrow pointed out. “You are monitoring your wife’s reaction to everything I say.”
Anne turned slightly toward Dorian, studying him with mild suspicion and trying to ignore the fact that she rather liked the idea of him watching for her reaction. “Are you?”
Dorian met her gaze without hesitation. “No.”
A beat of silence followed, then Lord Harrow made a soft sound of disbelief. “That was almost convincing.”
“You are becoming insufferable.”
“Iarrivedinsufferable,” Lord Harrow replied. “It is my default state.”
Despite herself, Anne felt the corner of her mouth twitch.
Dorian noticed. Of course, he did.
“You are smiling,” he said quietly.
“I am not,” she replied immediately.
“You are,” Lord Harrow piped up.
