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CHAPTERTWO
Long after he’dgone through an endless parade of introductions and retired to his room, he was still thinking on Lady Evelyn. It had only taken a few swipes of his handkerchief to realize that she was uncommonly pretty. Beautiful even.
Thick, lush hair, large blue eyes, a tiny little nose, and the sort of full lips that a man might get lost in if he were prone to that sort of thing.
She had a figure like Venus, he ought to know, he’d had a chance to study it as he’d wiped bread pudding off her skirts.
She was not heavy, just shapely in all the best ways.
He closed his eyes.
And he’d started by yelling at her, frightening her, and then ruining her dress. She’d been polite, of course. All the ladies he met started off polite. They smiled, assured him he hadn’t hurt their feelings that badly. But eventually every woman he tried to court just found him too much.
His temper so often got the better of him. Who could blame them for being frightened or upset? He certainly didn’t.
He scrubbed his face. He supposed his aunt was correct in continuing to attempt to pair him. He’d have to marry and beget an heir. He just…
He ought to delay the endeavor as long as possible. Then his bride would only be stuck with him for so long.
Lady Evelyn rose in his thoughts again. A man could get comfortable with a woman like that…
But he’d thought that before.
And inevitably, he frightened away the lady in question.
Rising, he rang for a bath, determined to dress for the evening and leave his thoughts behind.
He’d already promised Lady Evelyn the dance and a place next to him at dinner. Odd. He never made such promises, he usually remained far more reserved than that but she’d looked so…adorable? Intimidated? Covered in bread pudding, though she’d done her best to hold her head high. He quite admired her for her pluck. And to have remained so calm…
He sighed. He wished he had a bit more of that.
Dressing for dinner, he made his way downstairs, his back straight as he prepared for a night of merriment. Odd, some people enjoyed this. He felt a mounting dread as he made his way down the stairs.
He despised the small talk. And then there were all the opinions. Somehow, his status only made people that much more eager to share theirs with him. He tried to politely listen but he inevitably failed.
Someone would say something inflammatory, or offensive and then he just couldn’t remain quiet.
He’d much rather be out riding in wide open spaces, alone with his thoughts. In fact, he’d rather be calculating his own sums in his ledgers.
With that thought, he stopped part way down the stairs, noting the many milling guests below.
A pair of blue eyes raised up from the crowd catching his. Lady Evelyn.
Even from here, her beauty shined through, from the soft set of her features to the thick silkiness of her hair. He stilled, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
And then he began moving again, heading down the stairs toward her, having completely forgotten everyone else.
He caught a glimpse of her gown, pale blue and shimmering in the candlelight, the low neckline exposing more of her flawless skin and some of her other fine assets.
He swallowed down the lump that had risen in his throat.
“Your Grace,” a man called from his right. Evan turned his head to see his second cousin, Lord Everett Appleton, standing with his new bride.
The woman was twenty-five years Everett’s junior and Evan had the briefest moment where he wondered how the old bugger managed it. Evan couldn’t seem to bring a woman successfully to the altar once, let alone twice. “Everett. My lady.”
The young lady curtsied, giving him a blushing smile as Everett stepped forward. “Good to see you again.”
“And you.”
