AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Clovervale, I am surprised to see you here.” A pompous drawl by the bar had Gabriel’s head snapping to the right, and he saw his old nemesis, Marquess Portland, another rake.
“And why is that?” Gabriel asked coldly, his eyes narrowing.
Portland looked to the band of dandies around him then faced Gabriel. “After you and your lady pranced around the park yestereve, I thought you would be pandering at her feet. I do believe the whole of the ton saw it; you are not the season’s bachelor anymore.”
“Is that so?” Gabriel stuck a hand into his pocket. “Even if you think I am domesticated, the torch will sail right over your head, Portland. Your tender poet hands are too frail to hold it as with your band of peacocks. Now, if you will excuse me.”
“You are losing your golden touch,” Portland called snidely after him. “Or maybe it’s been siphoned from you.”
“Repeat that claim, and you will be meeting me at dawn,” Gabriel replied, pivoting on his feet and gazing at the men around him. When no one uttered a word, he nodded, “That is what I thought. You may continue gossiping like the featherbrains you yellow-bellied lads are.”
Without a word, he turned to the billiards room where he knew he would find David. There was a fire near them, but the rest of the room was dark. Even with the flickering light, he could see David’s face was mired with misery, and he looked half-foxed already. Alarmed, Gabriel slid into the seat across from his friend and reached over to rest his hand on David’s forearm.
“She rejected the books, didn’t she?”
“She might have if I had the courage to give them to her,” David grumbled. “I had the opportunity, but I turned into blunderbuss.”
“What did you do then?”
“Started an argument,” he grunted while reaching for his glass of brandy. “Bickered like old biddies over the inanest subject—incense. How we got unto that topic, I have not the faintest inkling, but we argued.”
“And would this lady be Miss Thompson?” Gabriel asked. “Anastasia’s bosom friend.”
David’s grunt was confirmation enough. “I knew her long before your lady came to town, and we didn’t get off on the best footing if you get my meaning.”
“How?”
“She came upon me and a lady into Lady Roseville’s library and threatened to call the authorities on me because I had my paramour’s hand tied up. She thought I was hurting her,” David snorted. “Little hoyden. From that day, I vowed to never notice or acknowledge her, always forget her name or contort it into something I knew would irk her.”
“And has that method proved anything?” Gabriel’s brow cocked.
“Oh, it has,” David said, grinning, “Constant one-upmanship on the little bluestocking is very satisfactory.”
“Ah,” Gabriel drawled. “Denial is a lovely shade on you, my friend.”
Scowling, David shifted a newspaper to Gabriel. “Don’t throw stones in you glass castle, Williams. You are practically swooning over this lady, according to the Times. Shall I read it for you?”
“I would rather you not,” Gabriel uttered. “And when have you started reading scurrilous news anyhow?” David shook out the paper and started reading, irritating Gabriel beyond common sense.
“Another source has confirmed that the lady is from an impoverished Barony in the countryside earning a slender two hundred pounds per year. We have taken it upon ourselves, from time to time, to advice young ladies about fortune-seekers, but we have failed in making the same warning to men.”
“Are you done?” Gabriel asked, humoredly.
“With this one, yes,” David replied. “There are various versions of this in every paper printed today.”
With a flick of his wrist, Gabriel threw the paper into the fireplace and after it exploded into flames, called for a waiter to get a glass of brandy. “Remind me to get the editor of that paper fired.”
“I thought you didn’t mind,” David snorted. “You were laughing a moment ago.”
“At the hodgepodge they made of my rules,” Gabriel replied. “But I do not take lightly to anyone, hinting or not, speculating that Anastasia is fortune seeker. That is past the pale for me.”
“But you don’t love her.”
“So?” Gabriel shrugged as the footman rested his glass on the table. “I promised to protect her while we are courting. In a few weeks’ time, our faux betrothal will be over, and Anastasia will be free to marry who she wants. That does not mean I cannot or shan’t help her in the meantime.”
“And you’ll be happy when she marries another while you are free to move on the other ladies,” David nodded. “Seems like the perfect arrangement.”
It was good that his glass was at his lips at the sudden twist of his mouth. Thinking of Anastasia’s passion, the bliss that crossed her face when he brought her to completion, the passion he had brought out of her, made his chest grip.
