Page 7 of Make Mine a Marquess

“None taken, Mrs. Dawson.” He turned back to Phoebe. “To answer your question, it was rather unpleasant.”

Aram chose that moment to join them. “May I introduce my good friend, Mr. Aram Adian. His family took me into their home and cared for me during my recovery. He desired to visit England and he will be my guest during the house party.”

Mrs. Dawson appeared relieved at the interruption. “Where is your family from, Mr. Adian?” she asked.

“Egypt.”

Phoebe’s lips parted. “Egypt! Are the pyramids as magnificent as they say?”

“Even more, miss,” Aram said. “I have visited numerous times and still want to go back.”

“I’ve seen images in books. The Great Sphinx of Giza with its lion body and human head is my favorite.”

“The sphinx is a wondrous sight to behold,” Aram said.

“From my readings, the sphinx was built by mostly tradesmen, but the pyramids by slaves. It may have occurred thousands of years ago, but slavery is still upsetting.”

Aram gave her an admiring look. “You are right, of course. There is a vast distinction.”

“I’d still like to visit your home country one day,” she said.

Aram tilted his head. “It would be my honor to be your guide, miss.”

Landon didn’t miss the judgmental expression on Mrs. Dawson’s face when she looked at the darker-skinned Aram. Landon was of mixed blood; his mother was Arab and his father had been an English marquess. His skin was shades lighter than Aram’s. Still, he was accustomed to the prejudice from the English, like Mrs. Dawson. Phoebe, on the other hand, looked at Aram with intellectual curiosity and interest.

“I see I have interrupted the beginnings of lawn bowling,” Landon said. “Do you have a partner, Miss Dawson?”

Phoebe shook her head. “Not yet.”

“My good fortune then. Will you partner with me? It’s been a while since I’ve indulged in games, and I need the practice.” Before she could answer, Landon gave Willard a sidelong glance. “You don’t mind, do you, cousin?”

The baron shifted his feet. “No, no. I’m happy for your survival, and there is no finer partner than my betrothed.”

“Splendid.” Landon offered his cousin’s betrothed his hand. A spark lit Phoebe’s blue eyes, and the thrill of a challenge ran down his spine. Oh, yes, she recognized him from last night.

She had spirit, much more than his dastardly cousin.

Landon’s plans to seduce the man’s fiancé and steal her dowry from his cousin’s greedy grasp would be the perfect revenge.

Let the games begin.

…

The Marquess of Landon was her pirate.

Myriad emotions flooded Phoebe at once.

Shock. Disbelief. Curiosity. Even anger.

He’d fooled her in the gardens the prior evening by not revealing his true identity. Today, he’d fooled everyone else into believing he’d just come back to Society. Why had he lurked in the gardens at last night’s masquerade? She’d searched for a black-clad pirate at the ball but hadn’t seen him. Why hadn’t he made his presence known then?

What is his game?

He was watching her. She placed her gloved hand on his forearm, and he escorted her across the gardens to where the players awaited. She was conscious of the gaze of the other guests, making her feel like a rare item in a curiosity cabinet.

At the same time, she was aware of the muscles in Landon’s forearm, and the coiled strength beside her as he walked. Without a mask shielding part of his face, he was striking. Dark, curling hair, black eyes, a straight nose, and full lips. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had an air of command, as if he knew his place in the world and dared anyone to question it. The scent of his cologne, sandalwood and bergamot, combined with a hint of dangerous male, wafted to her.

Together they stopped at the green, a large rectangle bounded by a ditch and divided into playing areas called rinks. They were handed eight black bowls, four bowls per player, and paired off against another team, Lord and Lady Milton, a married couple in their mid-forties. Her mother had told her that Lord Milton was heir to a viscountcy and waiting for his father to die so he could inherit the title and accompanying fortune, and his wife had a nasty gambling habit.