Page 25 of One Night with an Earl

Lady Scarlet.

He looked past the unflattering gown and the cap to see the woman beneath. Something about the way the chaperone tilted her head, the fullness of her lips, and the long, slender line of her neck intimately reminded him of the woman in red. His nostrils flared slightly. A hint of light lavender perfume was etched in his memory. Intrigued, he needed to learn if his instinct was right.

“Enjoy White’s. I won’t make it tonight.”

Oliver barely heard their responses as he walked away. With one purpose, he cut a path through the crowd and headed directly for her.

Chapter Ten

Oliver bowed as he approached the Malverns. “Good evening.”

“Hello there, Drake,” Lord Malvern said.

Lady Malvern lowered her fan to greet Oliver with a smile. “My lord. What a pleasant surprise. We didn’t know you would be in attendance.”

Since his grandmother had tea with Lady Malvern earlier in the week, he knew the lady was lying.

“A surprise indeed.” Oliver’s gaze darted to Miss Gardner.

A flash of anger lit her eyes before she demurely lowered her gaze.

Oh, yes.

He was growing more and more certain of his suspicions. How could he get her alone this evening?

“If you are free to dance, my lord, Lady Penelope is available,” Lady Malvern said, in a not-so-subtle suggestion.

He expected her to respond this way when he approached the family. Still, her machinations to get him to court his daughter were bothersome.

Miss Gardner shifted her feet. Good. She was nervous. His fingers itched to remove the wretched steel pins from her hair and release the curls from their constraint to see if they reached her waist in glorious, dark waves as he remembered. He’d wager every coin in his purse that she possessed a true throaty laugh.

He wanted to extend his hand to Miss Gardner to dance, but he knew that would cause unwanted attention.

All in good time.

He was growing more and more certain of the chaperone’s identity.

He turned to Penelope and bowed. “Lady Penelope, may I have the honor of this dance?”

Penelope looked just as disinterested as he felt, but she dutifully placed her hand on his sleeve. With one last glance at Miss Gardner, Oliver led the girl to the dance floor.

…

Ana eyed a liveried footman carrying a tray of fluted glasses of sparkling champagne. As soon as he came close, she snatched a glass and made her way toward the open French doors. Chaperones didn’t drink and rarely danced. Rather, her role was to fetch, listen, and carry, while smiling through it all. She was no different from any other chaperone or lady’s companion. Their lives were solitary.

But if she had to watch Oliver dance an entire set with Penelope, then she believed she was entitled to a drink and a few brief minutes of solitude. Her stomach fluttered, and she convinced herself it was due to the champagne.

She was not jealous, not one bit.

Several couples gathered in a group on the white marble terrace, but no one glanced her way. She snuck down the steps and into the gardens. She hurried on, past a handful of couples, until an isolated path led to a stone bench. She settled on the bench, and the cool air felt wonderful against her heated skin as she sipped the champagne.

The strains of the orchestra and the sounds of the ballroom were a distant hum. A cricket chirped, and the leaves of a towering oak rustled from a pleasant breeze. Flowering bushes perfumed the air. The moon hung low like a Roman coin, illuminating the bench. Ana longed to stay here all night but knew her time was short.

Lady Malvern would notice her absence.

The bubbly champagne tickled her nose and eased the tension in her shoulders. She sighed and leaned back on the bench.

“I was wondering how to get you alone, but I was pleasantly surprised when you made it so easy.”