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Derrick brushed his lips over hers, which had Ellie pulling away with a gasp.
“We’re out in the open!” she hissed.
“If we’re getting married, it wouldn’t matter if anyone catches us.” Derrick drew her back. “Besides, now I’ve tasted those lips of yours, I don’t want to stop.”
Her eyes widened, and Derrick saw them darkening. Did she find that as arousing as he did? It took everything in him to not drag her into an empty room to find out.
“How adorable. Young love is very… sweet when it’s the right people.”
Derrick froze when he heard a familiar voice. Fear clouded Ellie’s eyes, and she pulled away quickly, smoothing her hands on her dress and looking anywhere but at him. Derrick wanted to reach for her, but she clearly didn’t want to be touched.
Turning, he focused on the beauty approaching them, seeming to glide across the floor in her stunning red dress. He had to admit that Catherine did look beautiful, although she seemed to be a little overdressed for an afternoon engagement party where she wasn’t the intended bride.
He fixed a bland smile on his face. “Lady Saxton.”
“Lord Northampton.”
Catherine gave him a low curtsy, Derrick unintentionally noticing that her bodice was fitted a little too snugly about her cleavage. He looked away, wondering why on earth she was so dressed up. Even some of his mother’s friends weren’t dressed so extravagantly.
“I hope you like my gown, North.” Catherine straightened up. “If you recall, I wore it at the start of the Season. You were very complimentary back then.”
Derrick wasn’t going to comment; she wanted a reaction out of him. He looked around and saw Ellie staring at Catherine with an expression he couldn’t read. He reached for her hand.
“This is my intended bride, Eleanora Drummond. This is Lady Catherine Saxton, a friend of my mother’s.”
“Oh, stop it!” Catherine gave a tinkling laugh and touched his arm. “You don’t need to say that. We’re friends as well, are we not?”
Derrick gritted his teeth. He would not answer that question. Squeezing Ellie’s hand, he began to step around Catherine.
“If you’ll excuse us, Lady Saxton, we have guests to entertain.”
“I thought I was a guest as well.”
“Ask my mother to do so. I didn’t request your presence here.” Derrick fixed her with a hard stare. “I think you know exactly why I wouldn’t invite you.”
“I’m merely here representing my husband. He was invited but was unable to come.” Catherine looked from Derrick to Ellie, her expression hardening a little. “Let’s just say when I heard he was invited to celebrate your engagement, I was shocked. I didn’t think you would marry at all. Certainly not to a penniless earl’s daughter.”
Derrick felt Ellie’s hand tighten in his, which made him wish he could openly scold Catherine for being impolite. From the flashing in her eyes, she clearly expected Derrick to say something back that would give her some satisfaction that she had rubbed him the wrong way.
“That’s my business, Lady Saxton. You wouldn’t understand, given your own marriage. Come along, Eleanora, dear.”
He didn’t look at Catherine as he and Ellie walked away, only breathing a sigh of relief as they entered the morning room. Ellie frowned up at him.
“What was that about?”
“I’ll explain later.” Derrick brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I won’t leave your side until you go, but if I have to, stay with Lady Mansford or Regina. Or even Lady Diane if you think she might keep the nosy guests away.”
“I plan to stay close to her.” Ellie’s mouth tugged in a wry smile. “Although I never thought I would be saying that.”
Derrick didn’t think she would be saying it again, though. Although he couldn’t imagine a better person to keep Catherine away from Ellie than her cranky old aunt.
#
The carriage stopped, and Ellie peered outside. The sun was in the process of setting, casting a gorgeous orange glow across the horizon. She liked the look of it, much as she liked the look of her new surroundings.
“Well?” North asked as he leaned towards her. “What do you think?”
“Hmm?”
