Page 7 of A Wallflower for the Disguised Earl

“Then why are you here?” she pressed gently.

“Duty,” he stated simply. “And you? Why are you wandering the edge of a pond in the dark?”

“I am hiding,” Corinna admitted before she could stop herself.

“From what?”

“From the noise,” she said, glancing back toward the glowing windows of the ballroom. “From the expectations. From my sister, mostly. She informed me that I look like a frightened rabbit and that I am reflecting poorly on the family name.”

The man glanced toward the house before looking back down at her. “Your sister is mistaken,” he said, his voice perfectly even. “A frightened rabbit would have fallen into the water before I could catch it. Maybe you’re just a woman who has reached her absolute limit of society.”

Corinna felt a jolt of surprise. Staring at his sharp features, she marveled at how easily he had cut straight through the polite nonsense. “That is the first honest thing anyone has said to me all evening.”

Something in his face shifted. The guarded, polite mask slipped for a brief second, revealing a flash of genuine wonder that she had actually noticed the difference between usual society drivel and his blunt honesty. Lowering the book slightly, he opened his mouth to reply.

“There you are, for God’s sake.”

The quiet moment was shattered completely.

A second man stepped out from the shadow of the hedge. Lean and quick on his feet, dressed in an expensive burgundy coat, he stopped short when he saw Corinna. His dark eyes darted rapidly between her and the taller man.

Clearing his throat loudly, the newcomer bowed his head. “I apologize for the intrusion. But we are expected inside. Immediately.”

The tall man with the blue eyes instantly stepped away from Corinna. He closed the book with a sharp snap and returned it to his pocket, replacing their brief moment of connection with a cold, formal distance.

“Of course,” the tall man said. Turning to Corinna, he offered a brief, perfectly executed bow. “If you will excuse me. I must go.”

Without another word, he followed the dark-haired man back up the gravel path toward the brightly lit house.

Corinna stood alone by the pond for several minutes as the chill of the night air finally crept through her thin sleeves. Pressing a hand to her chest, she tried to steady her breathing and calm her racing heart.

Who on earth was that?

Gathering her skirts, she turned and made her way back into the suffocating heat of the Whitmore ballroom.

She found her family waiting near the main staircase. Eleanor was fanning herself rapidly, looking entirely frantic, while Vivienne stood incredibly straight with her terrifyingly bright smile glowing in full force.

“Where have you been?” Eleanor hissed, grabbing Corinna’s arm the moment she approached. “We are about to be introduced. Smooth your hair, darling. You look flushed.”

“I merely stepped out for some air,” Corinna lied smoothly.

“Stand up straight,” Vivienne commanded under her breath. “They are approaching.”

Corinna turned her head. A small group of people was making its way through the parting crowd, led by their host, Lord Whitmore. Smiling broadly and charming everyone he passed, he looked entirely at ease in the center of the massive room.

Walking two steps behind him, his face perfectly blank, was the tall man with the blue eyes.

Lord Whitmore stopped in front of Eleanor and bowed respectfully. “Mrs. Ashwell. May I present the Earl of Ravenswood?”

Lord Whitmore gestured directly to the dark-haired man in the burgundy coat.

Blinking in surprise, Corinna looked at the earl. He was certainly handsome, possessing a careless, restless energy as he stepped forward to bow over Eleanor’s hand with practiced grace.

“It is an absolute honor, Mrs. Ashwell,” the earl said, his voice warm and inviting.

“The honor is entirely ours, my lord,” Eleanor stammered, blushing deeply under his attention.

“And these must be your lovely daughters,” the earl continued, turning his bright smile upon Vivienne.