He turned. The full force of his fixed gaze caused Eliza’s heart to drop. Gone was the haunted look and the contrition. The Rogue had returned.
Again, he smiled. “Have you changed your mind?”
“Wouldyour courting a semi-respectable lady improve Miss D’Acre’s position?”
“Worth a wager, at least.” His gaze moved to Lady Asquith and back. “If I can manage to charm your godmother, other ladies will be forced to reconsider their opinions. The prevailingwisdomcould significantly shift.”
Eliza considered his point. “I’ve seen what Godmama can accomplish by dropping the right word into the right ear at the right time.”
“So have we all.”
“Since the time is not yet right to announce my own intentions, I could, perhaps, help you…for Miss D’Acre’s sake.”
“Are we negotiating?”
“No, Lord Redver.” She couldn’t help a saucy grin. “We are, for the present, agreed.”
Impulsively, he took her hand. He planted a light kiss on her fingers.
Her heart turned over in her chest. She would have to take care.
His smile was impossible for her to resist. But every time he touched her, she came close to being well and truly lost.
“I’ll ask you to take care,” she amended. “I don’t wish for either of us to end up in a worse position that we are now.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but whatever he might have said was drowned out by a sudden round of enthusiastic applause. Instead, he squeezed and then released her hand.
As the curtain began to fall, Lady Asquith jerked awake and immediately started clapping. “Lovely! Wasn’t that just the most gripping performance you’ve ever seen, Cassandra?”
Cassie glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, yes!”
Eliza ignored Redver’s amused, sidelong glance. Hard enough not to giggle without their shared sense of the absurd.
As the lamps were lit, and Harbury, Redver, and Sir Brenton excused themselves to fetch refreshments. They were barely out of the box before Asquith and his friends, Lord Neville and Lord Blackwell, ducked beneath the curtain in quick succession.
Neville settled into the seat beside Eliza while Asquith and Blackwell entertained Cassie and Lady Asquith.
“Has Harbury been behaving?” Neville inquired.
“Why ask me?” Eliza questioned.
“I count on you to tell the truth,” he replied. “You and Miss Millicent. Miss Cassandra is too gentle.”
“Why Neville! You’re cleverer than I gave you credit.”
He cocked his head and frowned, baffled by her teasing. “I’m sure the last few days have been a trial. You must be exhausted.”
She should have been, yes. In truth, she was feeling rather exhilarated, thanks to Redver.
“How is Miss Millicent?” Neville asked.
“Millie, Lenora, and Annette are all well, thank you for inquiring. In fact, just yesterday, they were able to join Miss D’Acre’s dancing lessons at Lady Redver’s residence.”
“Lady Redver?” He glanced askance at her godmother. “Lady Asquith approved of such a scheme?”
No wonder Redver had assumed she’d meant to insult him.
“Why shouldn’t she?” she asked archly.
